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