Governor-elect Scott Walker has offered some tough talk for state employee unions, recently saying he plans to push for major concessions in benefits and is open to decertification if unions are not willing to make deals.
If that happens, AFSCME Council 24 Executive Director Marty Beil says workers are ready to fight. Beil says Walker can “bring it on” if he’s willing to face labor unrest and disharmony.
Beil says Walker has not responded to requests to talk about labor relations, and seems more interested in negotiating contracts through the media. He says it’s all political posturing, and Walker just wants to appear on “Fox and Friends” with other “right wing whackos.”
While Beil would not say how unions would respond to efforts to seriously cut pay and benefits, he indicated members would not be open to the kind of “corporate extortion” that’s been seen from Wisconsin businesses in the private sector. He points to cases such as Mercury Marine and Harley Davidson, which pushed for deep cuts from workers in exchange for protecting their jobs.