Drivers and workers for Waste Management in the Milwaukee area were on strike due to Waste Management making offers that attacked the benefits they had won in previous contracts.

With the current credit and financial crisis, and the threat of hiring Permanent Replacment Workers by Waste Management --- the striking workers were left with no choice but to capitulate and accept a junk contract from Waste Managment.

The five-year contract cuts back on wages and healthcare benefits and establishes a new 401k program for the workers.

BTW retired workers will also be affected, as the new 401K program that Waste Management insisted upon will cut benefits for current retirees.

Have you ever  wondered what the constant pounding that the Middle Class is taking from all sides --- Factory Relocations to Foreign Countries, Diminished Health Care Benefits, Lower Wages, Privatizing of Public Services to Companies that will pay a Fraction of the current wages, Union Busting Techniques such as those used by Waste Management --- means to you ?

 If you are a Teacher, don't hold your breath waiting for better wages --- the Middle Class is running dry.

 If you are a Doctor or Dentist, you will see fewer patients as the Middle Class can't afford your rates or the Insurance Company Co-pays.

If you are an Engineer --- don't be surprised if you can't find work at local manufacturers --- those factories are gone, and if not they are outsourcing your work overseas on the internet --- or bringing in Cheap Foreign Engineers --- because they can't find enough qualified Engineers here (wink, wink immigration laws)

 If you are a Shopkeeper --- when your Customers have less money --- they go to Wal Mart and buy goods from Chinese factories.

If you are a Police Officer --- your job prospects will look good in the short term, as the differnence in the "haves" and "have nots" grows --- but don't get too comfortable, a lot of folks will do your work for a lot less --- and the 'haves" can live in cheaper tax districts in Gated Communities with Rent a Cops who make a fraction of your pay and get no benefits.

 Hopefully I think the point is made ...........

A vibrant Middle Class is what Makes Life Good in the USA !!

When Shorewood's contract with Waste Management comes up for renewal --- maybe we can find a company that respects their workers and compensates them fairly.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?  YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME !!

Read all about it on my Google Blog at   

In my last post on this blog I started a thread about the dire straights of our economy.  I intended to work up from the 70's to today, to show how changes in our government and culture have put us in this precarious position.

Eventually I would have reached the time when Union Busting came into vogue (think Regan and Air Traffic Controllers) --- and how Unions are an intricate part of our economy that We Have All Benefited From ..........

I believe in a Healthy Dynamic Tension between Management and Unions --- Both Sides are Important --- but if it were not for Unions, the Miracle of the American Middle Class would Never have Existed !!! 

As I see the present conflict between Waste Management and the Union, the Union Members have no Moral Alternative but to reject Waste Management's insistence on setting up a new pension plan that would incorporate a 401 K system.

Right now the Central States Pension Plan is assuring Current Retirees of a pension they were promised.  If the Waste Management Employees are pulled out, the Current Pensioners will Suffer.

All to often we have seen recently BIG companies file bankruptcy --- specifically to rid themselves of the Promises they made to Retirees.  I believe this is the same type of Play by Waste Mangement --- just in an innovative way.  

Within the last hour, the Union Members have rejected the Waste Management proposal --- and now Waste Mangement is threatening to hire PERMANENT REPLACEMENT WORKERS aka SCABS !!! (see story below from WWW.JSONLINE.COM)

Shorewood uses Waste Management services.  

As Shorewood has the reputation of being extremely Liberal --- and Pro Union --- what will the average Shorewood Resident do ?

Will Shorewood residents boycott Waste Management services ?

If the Union puts a picket line at the DPW -- will the Union DPW workers cross the line ?

Will Shorewood residents contact the elected Village Board officials and urge them to put pressure on Waste Management to Bargain in Good Faith ?

(By the way, the CEO of Waste Management, David P Steiner, according to Forbes had compensation in 2007 of $5,300,000 and owns $10,100,000 in stock.  I wonder what his Pension Plan is like ???? )

WHAT DO YOU THINK ? 

YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENT SECTION AT THE END OF THIS POST ARE WELCOME !

THE ARTICLE FROM JSONLINE.COM FOLLOWS ... 

SUNDAY, Sept. 21, 2008, 2:43 p.m.
By Don Walker

Teamsters reject contract again

Striking Teamsters today rejected the latest contract offer from Waste Management.

The vote was 199-24, a Teamster official said.

Waste Management officials said the vote taken Sunday was actually on the same contract offer union members had rejected on Friday. Members of Local 200 were supposed to vote today on the company's original Sept. 10 offer, but instead decided to vote again on what the company had called a modified version of the Sept. 10 offer.

In light of the union vote on Sunday, Waste Management had said that it would offer "less generous" terms to striking workers. The company also said it would begin to hire permanent replacement workers.

An estimated 240 Teamster drivers, equipment operators and maintenance workers walked off the job on Aug. 26 in a dispute over pay and pensions. Both sides have accused each other of bad faith bargaining.

Waste Management spokesman Lynn Morgan said the company was disappointed with the vote. "The contract on the table was fair to everyone," she said Sunday. "The employees would have taken home market-leading pay and benefits and gained better protection from the Teamsters' failing pension fund."

Waste Management has thousands of commercial and residential accounts in the counties of Kenosha, Racine, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.

Union officials said the charge before the National Labor Relations Board accusing Waste Management of bad faith bargaining prevents the company from hiring replacement workers.


CAN I GET AN AMENT FOR BROTHER WALKER ? 

Read all about it on my Google Blog at   

This past week we saw Lehman Bros go bankrupt --- and AIG, the Largest Insurance Company in the World --- get an $85 Billion bailout from the US Federal Reserve System.

 
Even more alarming to me than the fact that AIG needed a Bailout, are the terms of the Bailout.

 
Home loans to individuals with decent credit and adequate equity (ratio of loan to appraised value) are getting 30 year fixed rate mortgages in the 6% range.

The terms of the AIG Bailout however calls for an interest rate close to 12% !!!!

Obviously, the Fed does not have a whole lot of confidence in AIG's assets -- or its ability to repay the loan -- if it is charging Twice the rate that a homeowner would get.

 
Keep in mind that companies like AIG are use to borrowing money at low single digit rates --- indicative of investor confidence.

This Bailout, however, is akin to getting a high interest loan from a Finance Company --- or getting jacked up by a credit card company.

This is NOT a good sign for our economy here --- or globally for that matter.

In future postings to my blog, I will explore further some of the reasons our economy has become such a mess --- and why the Middle Class, especially, is on the verge of extinction !
 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?  YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME !! 

For the upcoming Presidential Election, voting officials are working hard, as they know the Voter Turnout will be Huge !!

Too bad Voters in Shorewood weren't very interested in the Primary Election this past Tuesday. 

The Winner of that Election will almost assuredly represent the 22nd District in the State Assembly, of which Shorewood is a part of.

75% of Shorewood Voters were not interested enough in that Race to even bother to Vote.

Maybe those Voters who didn't Vote do not realize that the State Legislature in Wisconsin Governs EVERY aspect of:

1) Local Government  2) Schools  3) Revenue distribution  4) Teacher salaries  5) Revenue sharing  6) Property taxes  7) Sales taxes  8) etc, etc, etc .........

 In Wisconsin, all governmental bodies, other than the Executive and Judicial Branches, are extensions of the State Legislature.  There is No Home Rule in Wisconsin, such as in Illinois, where for instance Chicago has a great deal of self determination.

As someone truly wise once said --- a Democracy  is a Form of Government in Which the Citizenry Knows What it Wants and Gets It .......... Hard and Fast !!!

I guess in Shorewood --- 75% of the Citizenry Couldn't Even Decide What They Wanted !!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?       PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW ! 

IT IS THE DAY BEFORE THE PRIMARY ELECTION NOW --- AND ONLY ONE CANDIDATE HAS DEEMED IT WORTHWHILE TO SHARE HIS VIEWS IN DETAIL ON THE ISSUES  --- SEE HIS RESPONSES BELOW:

IT PROBABLY ISN'T TOO SURPRISING AS THE OTHER CANDIDATES ARE SPENDING ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON ADVERTISING THAT TALKS ONLY ABOUT ISSUES THEY WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU --- AND THEY KNOW THAT IN MOST FORUMS, WITH ONLY A MINUTE OR TWO FOR A RESPONSE THEY CAN OBFUSCATE LONG ENOUGH TO NOT ANSWER IN DETAIL.

IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THE BIG MONEY SPENDER WINS --- AND EVEN MORE INTERESTING IF ANY OF THE CANDIDATES WHO HAVE PUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO THEIR CAMPAIGNS, REPAY THEMSELVES WITH FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS AS WASSERMAN HAS IN THE PAST.
 

There are Four Candidates in the Democratic Primary this coming Tuesday in the 22nd District Race. 

They are Andy Feldman, Guy Johnson, Dan Kohl, and Sandy Pasch.

 I sent a questionnaire to all four candidates, and promised to post their responses today in my blog, without editing or commentary.

 Although it would be impossible to cover all issues and relevant questions in one questionnaire, I tried to present a wide scope of issues that any Assembly Representative will have to address at one time or another.

 As of this moment, I have the response from Guy Johnson, which follows.  As (and if) I receive responses from the other candidates, they will be added in the order received.

 I have now received a response from Sandy Pasch, which follows Guy Johnson's response (does not answer questionnaire).

 
As of Friday Afternoon (9/5/08) Dan Kohl and Andy Feldman have made No Response at all.
 

(note questions are in italics, answers in bold)

 QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES

THESE ARE FROM CANDIDATE GUY JOHNSON 

 Why are you running to represent the constituents of the 22^nd Assembly District.

I have the desire to serve the people of the 22^nd and my experience as Shorewood Village President pairs with that desire.  I will be honored to be selected by the people in the district to represent them in Madison.

 What do you think will be the defining issues of this Primary Election.

My answer is different today than it was at the beginning of the campaign.  At the beginning of the campaign I was sure that fiscal correction of the state budget was the most important issue.  Now, I am beginning to think that while the state budget is the most important legislative issue, this Primary Election has focused on spending to win the race!!  How much should a candidate spend?  I think between 5000 and 10000 is fine, but other candidates seem to feel that spending much more is O.K.  I'm concerned.

 What do you think sets you apart from the other candidates for this Seat.

I have significant elected office  experience and it is the kind of legislative experience that will be helpful to the 22^nd-combining services to save funds, voting for the ban on smoking, enhancing our central business district, etc.  None of the other candidates have any legislative experience.

 If you are elected, will your voting on the issues reflect only what you think your constituents support, or will you look at the broader picture of what is best for Wisconsin as a whole.

I will look at the broader picture of what is best for Wisconsin as a whole, while listening really carefully to the voters of the 22^nd.

 Do you believe that local governments should rely more or less on monies from the State ?

In order for true local control, money should come from the locale, not the state.  This is some wishful, idealistic thinking however because as it stands now, the funding approach at the state level intertwines with local government funding.  Good communication between local and state is the best way to ensure local control to the greatest degree possible.  As your state representative, I would work closely with the district's school boards and municipalities to get the best and fairest levels of local/state funding packages.

 Do you believe that the State should fill the role of  "re-distributing wealth" from more Prosperous Communities to those who are Less Prosperous, or from those who have Fewer Social Support Needs to those who Maintain more Facilities for the Needs of the Poor, and Treatment for Mental Health Issues.

This question is hard to answer because there are many functions that the state has to fulfill, some are more fitting to the state, some are constitutional mandates, some are current law-thus the state has to re-distribute wealth in some cases. Concerning mental health, the state should definitely play a significant role.

 Should the State distribute more financial resources to Poor School District from more Affluent School Districts.

My answer to the above question holds here.  The State of Wisconsin is constitutionally responsible for educating citizens.  Wisconsin has chosen a combination of local control and state control.  Since 1993 the state has had much more control than the local school boards (in terms of finance structure).  This is a current reality, but must be revisited in this next session.  Can the state afford to fund at current levels?  How much difference should there be between the education a student receives from one community to another?  How much money is enough?  These questions need serious consideration as the state rethinks the funding formula.

 Do you support School Choice, Charter Schools, Open Enrollment, etc.

School choice and open enrollment are expensive programs that have not proven themselves wise investments.  Charter schools can be very effective ways of reworking schools of districts.

 Do you think the current Election Campaign Finance Laws are generally adequate for State Political Candidates, or would you like to see changes.

See my first answer.  I think too much money is spent on elections.  We are in danger of watching individuals buy seats.

 What is your opinion of Public Campaign Financing ?

My answer above fits here.  We should carefully fund campaigns and control outside funding sources to protect us from lobbyists purchasing electoral power.

 What is your opinion on the current Laws regarding Campaign Financing of Judicial Candidates.

See above.

 Do you think Judicial Races should continue to be nominally "non-partisan", or should the candidates run under "party banners" ?

Non-partisan is best here.

 Are you contributing any of your own money into this race?  How much ?

Yes.  $100.

 If you contribute any of your own money into this race,  will you use future contributions to repay yourself the monies  you "loaned" to your Campaign.

 No.

 If you are currently employed or  self employed,  is it Full Time or Part Time, and approximately how much do you earn on a yearly basis.

My full-time job is with UWM where I am the director of the executive MBA program (in the 50-100 K pay range).  I also have a part-time job as president of the Shorewood Village Board (1300 per year pay). 

 If you succeed in winning the Seat in the Assembly, will it be your "Only" employment, or will you continue to work in Full or Part Time in any other business, job or profession ?

I cannot answer this at this time - needs to be determined.

 Do you have Full Health Care Coverage Now ?  If so, is it from a Private Employer or a Government Employer ?  Do you have more than one coverage, such as from a spouse's plan, and if so, is that from a Private or Government Employer ?

I have health coverage through my full time employer.

 If you have current Health Care Coverage that you are able to retain if you are elected, will you forgo additional Health Care Coverage from the State ?

Needs to be determined.

 Do you support a Single Payer Universal Health Care System for All Wisconsin Residents?

I support universal health care, but it has to be worked out not just in Wisconsin, but at a national level.  I fully support Badger Care and the steady move to ensuring that we are insuring all children, followed by families.  This will take some work across the body politic of the State of Wisconsin.  I look forward to working on this issue.

  Do you think that Health Care in Wisconsin has a "monopoly" aspect with physicians hired by hospitals and large physician groups?  Do you think that Hospitals and Large Health Care Groups should be able to hire physicians and set their rates ? Do you think there should be a cap on the number of physicians that can belong to any practice ?

Physicians' groups, hospitals, private individuals-all should be able to set their rates.  This should be matched with an accountability system.  Minnesota has put a system into place where individuals can see how effective and expensive medical folks are, then decide whether to use them or not.  I like the concept.

 How do you think we can stop the Job Drain of Manufacturing Jobs from Wisconsin.

Quality of life for workers and employers are important:  safe neighborhoods, good parks, housing that is affordable and well-built, high quality education and extensive business research support will help bring both employers and employees to the state.

  Specifically, what Green Legislative Initiatives do you support, or would like to see implemented.

Public transportation, funding for alternative clean energy, high quality (and speedy) review of new energy systems. 

 Do you support Regional Light Rail for the Milwaukee - Racine - Waukesha - etc. areas ?

Yes.

 Do you support Hi Speed Rail between such points as Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Madison ............ ?

Yes.

 Do you think we have Too Many Counties in Wisconsin, with duplicative services and taxes.  Would you support a minimum population per County ?

Your question focuses on one unit of government.  I think we have to look at different approaches to delivery of services.  The North Shore Fire Department is an example of one system across multiple communities.  Can we mimic this with road repair, plowing, school bus service, administrative services, etc.?

 Do you support keeping the Teacher Salary Caps ?

The entire funding formula needs careful review.  We cannot remove the teacher salary caps without addressing the rest of the formula.  Since we have had this formula since the early 1990's it is time to review and make thoughtful changes to protect our investment in high quality K-12 education while we fix the budget defecit.

 In regards to the legal drinking age in Wisconsin, which of the following would you support:

 Keep the law at 21 years of age for all alcoholic beverages.

 18 years of age for beer only, all other beverages 21 years of age.

 18 years of age for beer and wine, 21 years of age for hard liquor.

 21 years of age for all alcoholic beverages, except 18 years of age for persons that are married, a member of the National Guard, or a Veteran of any Conflict in the Armed Services.

Keep the law at 21.

 What is your position on Concealed Carry Laws ?

Keep current law as is.

OTHER COMMENTS AND VIEWPOINTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE VOTERS ...............

Given the lack of media coverage in local affairs, I commend bloggers for attempting to fill the gap.  Thank you Dave.  I would also urge readers to see the Village Spillage blog on whitefishbaynow.com written by Kevin Buckley - he has had quite a few postings on the 22^nd Assembly race.

I hope to earn your vote on September 9^th.  Guy Johnson

 RESPONSE FROM SANDY PASCH