Governor Walker misrepresents his own bill

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Alex Hanna, 765-404-6996
Kevin Gibbons, 813-466-0952

Governor Scott Walker’s contention that his budget repair bill is about balancing the budget, and that concessions demanded from state workers are “modest,” is blatantly untrue. We demand that he represent the bill as what it is – a stripping of our collective bargaining rights.

Walker told press this afternoon that the bill asks workers for an increase in health care and pension contributions. At no point did he mention that the bill would decimate the right of public sector workers to bargain collectively – which is what has brought out tens of thousands of workers from around the state to the Capitol for four days.

We realize financial concessions will need to be made in these tough economic times. However, getting rid of our right to bargain over anything other than wages is not a budgetary measure. It is a measure that would strip us of our rights. A bid for modest increases to health care and pension contributions would not bring out tens of thousands of protestors and close schools across the state.

Please, Gov. Walker, be honest about what’s in your bill. If you’re embarrassed about the fact you’re proposing to strip us of our rights then take it out of the bill.