Alro's song, sung in Madison, at protest.

Union made

http://www.truth-out.org/wisconsin-crow ... waver67882

Sass

Tunis and Cairo help to empower the people. (Yes, we can!)

HOLD THE LINE in Madison! You can't scare me, I'm stickin' to the union!!!

Well, as long as union-busting Ronald Reagan remains the patron saint of many of our politicians, it will continue to be an uphill fight for labor in this country. Never thought I'd see the day where this could happen in Wisconsin, a formerly very progressive state.

mikey

Public Employees Federation (retired)

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Len,
My understanding is that the governor wants to allow the the teacher's union to have bargaining rights over wages only, and not over benefits. I recently retired from one of the top 10 ten teaching hospital (per US & World News Report), as a senior nurse. Yes, the nurses are unionized there. In the last two contracts, we made wage concessions, to keep our benefits in place. Health insurance and retirement benefits are much more important, in the long run. I would not be surprised if teachers feel the same way, and that is the core of the protests.

I agree, something has to give somewhere. Where, is the devil in the questions? I know where I would slash the budget, and I know many people would disagree.

I, also, agree that our society/government has their priorities all askew.

Sorry to hear about your rotten luck, and wish the best for you.

Yup, I read about the 150 year old Oaks being poisoned, no accounting for crazy people. How many thousand of dollars are going to be spent, in the legal system defending the guy who did it? After all, he called the radio station and said he did it.

Keep the faith, things will get better.

Sassy

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Hi Len,

Just a follow up. How was your gig last night? I hope it went well and the tips were generous.

By rotten luck, I was referring to the fact the your were working for such an unethical person.

Benefits and entitlements, the devil is in the details. To me, benefits are something an individual earns and entitlements are give for what ever reason. I personally never felt that I was entitled to anything. God never promised Sassy a rose garden.

Sassy Lassie

Good luck with the gigs...

What is happening in Madison is amazing ! I know I work for my long term benefits.

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I'm of two minds on the mess in Madison. First off when you seethe numbers of pay and benefits comparing to other people, The public workers have a more thqan sweet deal. I have to pay more for my health care etc so I don't see why they don't have to as well. It seem's like the sort of mess that gives unions a bad name-demanding more money for their members while others go short.

BUT

I don't like the idea of the governor telling them they can't Unionize. The Governor can lay out the plan to the union and tell them to like it or lump it BUT I do NOT agree that he can tell them they can't unionize. THAT seems to cut right to the heart of the people's rights to organize and associate with whom they please. They may be demanding more than people can give BUT they have a right to organize and declare "this person speaks for me."