This text is from a letter Senator Bob Jauch sent to his colleagues:
Dear Colleagues,
If the legislature truly respects the work of our public employees, they should honor that work by
scheduling a vote and ratifying the agreements between the Administration and public employee unions,
and do so with the same strong, bi-partisan support as it has done so with in the past.
The legislature has a long history of ratifying these contracts without partisanship or politics getting in
the way, regardless of the partisan control of the administration or legislature. It is deeply disappointing
that the long standing tradition of the legislature ratifying employee contracts this way is now
threatened. However, the Governor-Elect and many of his fellow Republicans have decided to use this
contract as an opportunity to wage war on a certain group or workers, without any regard or recognition
for the financial sacrifices those employees have already made.
The public employees have taken significant salary cuts and increased benefit costs in these contracts,
tough decisions driven by difficult fiscal and economic realities. In addition, while 10% of state
positions have remained un-filled over the last year, state workers have taken on larger work loads
because they care so deeply about their jobs and their state. Demonizing and threatening workers after
those workers have agreed to contracts that substantially restrict their earning for their families is
offensive. Indeed it is troublesome that these employees may be unilaterally deprived of earnings
necessary to meet family needs because the Republicans don't think they have suffered enough.
The incoming administration and legislative leadership may not like unions, but that does not give them
license to undo the state budget, especially after choosing not to offer any alternatives on the subject
during the budget process. They offered no budget amendments requiring public employees take greater
salary cuts or pay more for their health insurance or pensions while the budget was bring written. To
only try to address this now, through the ratification process, is irresponsible. The Legislature should
honor these two year old agreements and not attempt to impose new restrictions on employees who have
already met their side of the deal. It is punitive to retroactively impose economic hardship on employees
who have professionally fulfilled their responsibilities to the state. I fully expect the Administration and
incoming Republican majorities to adopt numerous changes to public employee collective bargaining in
the next budget but the most respectful approach is to seek a cooperative and respectful relationship with
the State employees instead of the combative nature that has accompanied the debate on these contracts.
Let’s be clear, the workers affected by these contracts are middle class, working families who help
provide vital services to their neighbors, not the “economic elite” that the incoming Governor and
Republicans would have the public believe they are. The hysteria of the attacks leveled by Governor-
Elect Walker against these workers would lead one to believe that they are receiving Wall Street size
bonuses, while the truth is that they are taking pay and benefit cuts, just like many in the private sector.
These employees are not the dark angels responsible for the state’s budget crises. They are our middle
class neighbors who work hard and provide vital services to the citizens of Wisconsin. They work in our
fire halls, promote public safety, care for the disabled, plow our roads, teach our children, prosecute the
criminals and protect our environment. They pay taxes and strive to meet their obligations to their
families, the state and their communities. They too are stressed by economic uncertainty and are
burdened by increased costs to heat their homes and buy goods and services. They also have been hurt
by home value depreciation which limits their ability to improve their homes and lives. During my
campaign I publicly stated my expectation that additional sacrifice will be required of all of us but if
workers are expected to share in additional sacrifice they should be entitled to know what kind of shared
sacrifice the business community will endure and have a seat at the table to determine a fair, responsible
and mutual determination that sacrifice is equal to others.
It’s painful to see the incoming Governor utilize harsh and punitive rhetoric that is so contrary from the
respectful relationship his predecessors have maintained with our public employees. There is a
respectful way to deal with workers and there is a demeaning way. The mature approach to negotiations
is to have a conversation before confrontation. The Wisconsin way is to seek mutual cooperation to
approach common goals instead of treating workers as the enemy. Partisanship has never gotten in the
way of ratifying contracts. The responsible step is to honor the work public employees have performed
and acknowledge their financial sacrifice before demanding retroactive economic sanctions to address
economic problems these employees are not responsible for creating.
Governing is not easy and there are few right answers to the difficult economic challenges from this
recession. However, our employees are part of the commonwealth that makes Wisconsin special. I
strongly encourage my colleagues to depart from the polarizing politics of the election and maintain the
tradition that most Republicans have fully embraced through the years that honor the value of their
work but importantly would acknowledge the true meaning of shared sacrifice in dealing with
Wisconsin's budget problems
Sincerely,
Bob Jauch
State Senator
