If you own a business in southern Wisconsin, you might have received a letter from the Wisconsin State Employees Union, Council 24 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Union leaders want you to join them in opposing Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan, with its limits on collective bargaining for public workers. To show you're on labor's team, the letter asks you to display a sign in your business saying you "support workers rights."
The letter puts you in a difficult spot. Even if you support the unions, you have some customers who don't. Why alienate them? And if you support Walker, you have some customers who agree with the unions. Why alienate them, either? In short, the last thing you want to do is to get involved in the most contentious political issue in the state.
The people at the State Employees Union know how you feel. That's why they've added a little threat to help you see things their way.
Failure to display a pro-union sign, the letter says, "will leave us no choice but [to] do a public boycott of your business." And if you want to remain neutral -- well, that's not good enough. "Sorry-- neutral means 'no' to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members," the letter says.
More at the Washington Examiner
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Joe,
ReplyDeleteThis question is not related to the post but have you heard that Chuck, who had the lung transplant, is in ICU with an infection. My husband heard it on talk radio & we were wondering if you have any more info on this.
Thanks!
Tell me the difference between the union thugs in wisconsin and the Sopranos?
ReplyDeleteThe Sopranos are just acting..
ReplyDelete:-)
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteTell me the difference between the union thugs in wisconsin and the Sopranos
Easy; the Sopranos are Italian, the protesters in Wisconsin are mostly of Scandinavian heritage.
I thought that overall, union workers are only 10% of the workforce in America. So if 10% want to boycott a business, it should really be no big deal... you still have 90% of your customers walking through the door.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the number, I think union workers are the minority to private sector employees. The only difference is that the private sector is not being fed cash through the tax rolls.