I wrote this originally in the first days after Governor Walker released his "budget repair bill" which effectively stripped all Public Employee Unions (except public safety unions ...police and fire primarily but also included the State Patrol) of all eligible subject of collect bargaining except for base pay and that would be limited to the CPI. My feelings about this matter have not changed...
I've been on the opposite side of the bargaining table with Unions all my professional career. I've never worked for a private employer that had a Union and I've never been a member of one. You would logically thing that I am a natural anti-union person.
I'm not.
I understand the need to keep a balance of power between labor and management. I've seen union workers abuse the system and I've seen management abuse workers with absolute impunity. Neither situation is acceptable.
I've had union stewards "question the legitimacy of my lineage" and I've seen more middle-fingers raised in response to my proposals more times than you would care to count. To be fair, those union stewards have seen the same from me from time-to-time during negotiating sessions. But we both accept that. It's part of the process. It isn't easy, nor was it meant to be. It isn't "gentlemanly" and it never will be..it's a struggle for primacy of one faction over another and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
I've dealt with AFSCME who have always been tough dudes....I've dealt with IAFF (Firefighters) who are the most obnoxious SOBs I've ever dealt with and Police Officers who are about as tough as AFSCME.. We've called each other names, maneuvered around each other, threatened strikes or arbitration, lockouts, ...everything ..;.the whole nine yards....and somehow or another we came through it and THE WORLD DID NOT END because one side or the other won an arbitration.
And
To this day...I would put my life on the line for the right of those unions to manipulate, threaten, bluster, bluff and NEGOTIATE for working conditions, wages, vacations etc...I would NEVER think of taking away their rights to bargain collectively...and ...yes...that even goes for the firefighters...
