In an apparent rejection of Gov.-elect Scott Walker’s request to stop activity on the state’s labor contracts, the state’s largest employee union approved the contract that includes increased pension and health care payments.
Officials for the Wisconsin State Employees Union issued a statement Friday saying the contracts were “overwhelmingly” approved by members, who were given 10 days to peruse the contracts before signing off on them.
The union negotiated the contracts with Gov. Jim Doyle, despite Gov.-elect Scott Walker’s requests Doyle refrain from approving any labor contracts in his final weeks in office. According to the WSEU, through a combination of a pay freeze and increased furloughs days resulted in a 3 percent annual pay decrease. It also increases state workers’ payments toward health care and retirement.
In response, Walker said in a statement state taxpayers should also be given 10 days to examine the contracts before they are approved in special session.
The state GOP also wants taxpayers to be given the same amount of time to review the contracts, although more time may not change any Republican minds.
Mark Jefferson, executive director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald legislators from both parties could change their positions on the contracts if all details were released and the public was allowed to study them.
“Instead, a Democrat majority – already repudiated by the voters – wants to ram these contracts through on their way out the door,” Jefferson wrote.
According to Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, it is unlikely the Legislature will convene into special session after this week or during the week of Christmas.
“It’s a thinly disguised way of saying, ‘Don’t do it at all,'” Heck said. “If they don’t do it this week, they’re likely never to do it.”
It is also uncertain whether the Legislature will go into special session at all.
The Senate and Assembly could be called as soon as Wednesday to consider the labor contracts, but two committees have to meet to consider the contracts before an extraordinary session is called, according to Rebekah Sweeney, a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville.
