Wi. Unions vow the fight for rights will continue

http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20110424/OSH0101/110423054/Unions-vow-fight-8232-rights-will-8232-continue

Senator recalls could 
tip balance of power
10:16 PM, Apr. 23, 2011

State and local union officials 
said they have no intentions of 
giving up advocating for public workers even though they soon 
may have virtually no ability to 
collectively bargain their work 
contracts.

Democrats, unions and other 
opponents to Gov. Scott Walker’s 
bill limiting collective bargaining to 
wage increases no 
greater than inflation have called the 
measure a union-busting bill.

The bill limits collectively bargaining 
to wage increases 
only, prohibits employers from 
deducting dues from paychecks, 
and requires unions to hold annual votes to remain certified.

Although it is currently tied up 
in court challenges and a 
statewide fight to recall legislators could tip the balance of 
power and undo the bill, unions 
are nonetheless planning for life 
in a significantly altered labor landscape.

“It will fundamentally change 
how we do business. It will fundamentally change the things we 
have to spend time on. There is 
no question the purpose of the 
budget repair bill was to bust 
unions, but they just don’t know 
we won’t go away,” said Mary 
Bell, president of the Wisconsin 
Education Association Council, 
the state’s teachers union. “If the 
belief is that we were just a collective bargaining process, I 
think they will find that we are 
much more than that.”

Bell said the majority of 
advocacy done by the state 
teachers union on behalf 
of its members has historically been done through 
the collective bargaining 
process because that is 
the vehicle set up for them 
through the law.

FULL 5 page story at link.