Divide and Conquer: A Losing Strategy for Local Governments, and Unions

Obviously, I’ve made my objections to the Republican plan to kill public unions in Wisconsin pretty clear, and I’ve tried to focus many of my arguments on its potential impact locally.

The decision to separate out police and fire employees from the benefit cuts and restrictions on collective bargaining may have the biggest impact of all.

For starters, exempting these groups seriously weakens the “tools” Gov. Scott Walker said he wants to give local governments to help offset the looming cut in state aid. Since spending on public safety employees is such a large part of our city budget, as it should be, not forcing them to pay more for benefits like everyone else will do little for the city when it comes time to making the hard choices with which we’ll be faced after the legislature is done here.

In other words, in choosing this path, Walker undermined a key point of his own reasoning for the “budget repair plan.”

(Of course, I have many other concerns with the reasoning behind the legislation that I’ve laid out on this blog.)

Also, think of the complexity this adds to the work of our administration, staff and others in negotiating different contracts for different unions, as well as managing completely different work rules and pay and benefits packages for different types of city employees.

Then there is the biggest reason of all to hate this: The “haves vs. have nots” discontent that can be bred when one city worker is working under different rules, and with a different pay and benefit structure, than another. This hurts employee morale and productivity. That in turns impacts city services.

How is that good for anyone?

Of course, this is clearly part of the Republican strategy here. It’s “divide and conquer,” pit one union against another with a clear endgame in mind: killing all public sector unions.

Indeed, police, fire and other public safety unions should not feel safe simply because they were spared the pain this time around. Walker is coming for them next as he continues his assault on workers’ rights and the middle class.

Thankfully, local public safety workers get this, and it’s a big reason why many of their unions did not support Walker in his election bid.

Milwaukee’s did. Many others didn’t, including the parent unions of our local workers. So I am happy to hear that they are standing side by side with their union brothers and sisters in Madison — and back home — as this struggle continues. Keep up the fight.