Relations between Governor-elect Scott Walker and state employee unions continue to deteriorate with Walker's latest announcement that he would consider decertifying them to help balance the state budget.
The proposal elicited outrage from Democratic lawmakers and prompted the Wisconsin chapter of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations to write a letter urging the legislature to strike a deal before the new administration takes power.
""We're exploring every option out there, not just for the system but looking at next year's state budget,"" Walker said at the Milwaukee Press Club Luncheon, according to Wispolitics.com. ""Any spectrum of things out there would be things we would consider—anything from the decertification all the way through modifications to the current laws in place.""
""We ask that legislators observe the reliable process and legal framework that has governed state labor-management relations for decades by returning this month to approve the agreements that state employees bargained in good faith with their employer,"" the letter stated.
Walker's administration defended his statement.
""Governor-elect Walker campaigned for 18 months on controlling state spending, part of which is bringing public sector benefits in line with the private sector,""
Walker's spokesperson Cullen Werwie said in a statement. ""He would simply like all options on the table as he works to fulfill the promise he made to taxpayers.""
However, outgoing Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair state Sen. Mark Miller, D-Madison, said in a statement that state workers have already stepped up to the plate.
""Scott Walker is picking an unneeded, unjustified and unproductive fight with workers,"" Miller said. ""I hope that the Governor-elect will step back from his latest campaign to scapegoat state workers and instead focus on what we really need to accomplish, creating well-paying jobs for Wisconsin families and responsibly balancing our budget.""
