Planet Earth.

Here are just SOME of the TRUE examples, NOT HE SAID SHE SAID CRAP! of why "We the Taxpayer" need to have more control over Collective Bargaining on "Special Privileges"  again.. these are "PRIVILEGES" not "EMPLOYEE RIGHTS" that need to be addressed more carefully for us the Taxpayer and for Wisconsin to survive. Strange But True Provisions of Collective Bargaining Wednesday 03-09-2011 5:17pm CT Governor Walkers office released additional examples of how collective bargaining impacts government and how reforming collective bargaining can improve government.   The following are some of the items contained in collective bargaining provisions:   1.      Employer must provide bulletin boards to post information about union social and recreational activities.  The size and location of the board is subject to collective bargaining. 2.     When a local union meets the following conditions are subject to bargaining:   1. lighting, 2. vision care and examinations, 3. noise, 4. chairs, 5. desks, 6. footrests, 7. adjustable terminals and keyboards, 8. work environment design (wall cover, carpet, windows), 9. room temperature 3.  Starting of vehicles during cold weather is subject to collective bargaining. 4.  Paid time off to donate blood.      A Years Worth of Pay for 30 Days of Work   Under the Green Bay School Districts collectively bargained Emeritus Program, teaches can retire and receive a years worth of salary for working only 30 days over a three year period.  This is paid in addition to their already guaranteed pension and health care payouts.   At the average annual salary for a  Green Bay  teacher of $51,355, this amounts to a daily rate of pay of $1,711.83, or an hourly rate of $213.98.  Since most retiring teachers receive higher than average salary, these amounts are, in practice, much higher.   Source: WLUK-TV, 3/3/11   Teachers Receiving Two Pensions   Due to a 1982 provision of their collective bargaining agreement,  Milwaukee   Public School  teachers actually receive two pensions upon retirement instead of one.  The contribution to the second pension is equal to 4.2% of a teachers salary, with the school district making 100% of the contribution, just like they do for the first pension.  This extra benefit costs taxpayers more than $16 million per year.   Source: February 17, 2010 Press Release, Process of developing FY11 budget begins Milwaukee Public Schools   Almost $10,000 Per Year for Doing Nothing   While the Green Bay Emeritus Program actually requires teachers to at least show up for work, the Madison Emeritus Program doesnt even require that.  In addition to their pension payouts, retired Madison  public school teachers receive annual payments of at least $9,884.18 per year for enrolling in the Emeritus Program, which requires ZERO days of work.   When this program began, 20 days of work per year were required.  Through collective bargaining, the union successfully negotiated this down to zero days.   Source: Madison Teachers Inc. Website   No Volunteer Crossing Guards Allowed   A  Wausau  public employee union filed a grievance to prohibit a local volunteer from serving as a school crossing guard.  The 86-year-old lives just two blocks away and serves everyday free of charge.   Principal Steve Miller says, "He said, you know, this gives me a reason to get up in the morning to come and help these kids in the neighborhood."   But for a local union that represents crossing guards, it isn't that simple.  Representatives didn't want to go on camera but say if a crossing guard is needed, then one should be officially hired by the city. WOW - Talk about not looking out for our children or our elders, in addition to making our elders pay more taxes to pay a city worker when they are on a fixed income.  Who is benefiting here????   Source: WAOW-TV, 1/27/10   $6,000 Extra for Carrying a Pager   Some state employees, due to the nature of their positions, are required to carry pagers during off-duty hours in order to respond to emergency situations.  Due to the collective bargaining agreements, these employees are compensated an extra five hours of pay each week, whether they are paged or not.   For an employee earning an average salary of $50,000 per year, this requirement can cost more than $6,000 in additional compensation.   Source: 2008-09 Agreement between the State of  Wisconsin  and AFSCME Council 24   Arbitrator Reinstates Porn-Watching Teacher   A Cedarburg school teacher was reinstated by an arbitrator after being fired for viewing pornography on a school computer.  The school district ultimately succeeded in terminating the teacher only after taking the case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court at great cost to the taxpayers.   Again WOW!  These wasted funds could have gone toward the "Special Programs" for our children in need and to the Teachers that this State is struggling to afford. Thank you UNIONS! Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/23/08   Outstanding First Year Teacher Laid Off   Milwaukee Public Schools teacher Megan Sampson was laid off less than one week after being named Outstanding First Year Teacher by the Wisconsin Council of English Teachers.  She lost her job because the collective bargaining agreement requires layoffs to be made based on seniority rather than merit.   Informed that her union had rejected a lower-cost health care plan, that still would have required zero contribution from teachers, Sampson said, Given the opportunity, of course I would switch to a different plan to save my job, or the jobs of 10 other teachers.   Where is the common sense in all of this?? Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/14/10   Union Opposes Cost-Saving Lawn Mowing Program   As a cost cutting measure,  Racine   County  began using county inmates to cut the grass in medians and right-of-ways at no cost to the taxpayers.  A county employee union filed a grievance indicating it was the right of government workers to cut the grass, even though it would cost the taxpayers dramatically more. Totally incredible...If a county employee uses this kind of logic, they should be "REQUIRED" by the county in which he live, to hire a teenager or a local lawn service to cut their personal lawn and be required to must pay for this service at the same rate as the county employee is paid and included in that wage should be benefits.   Source: Racine Journal Times, 5/12/10   The $150,000 Bus Driver   In 2009, the City of  Madison s highest paid employee was a bus driver who earned $159,258, including $109,892 in overtime, guaranteed by a collective bargaining agreement... In total, seven City of  Madison  bus drivers made more than $100,000 per year in 2009.   "That's the (drivers') contract," said Transit and Parking Commission Chairman Gary Poulson. GUARANTEED WAGES....   This is directly intended to screw the AMERICAN taxpayer.     Source: Wisconsin State Journal, 2/7/10   $150,000 Correctional Officers   Correctional Officer collective bargaining agreements allow officers a practice known as sick leave stacking.  Officers can call in sick for a shift, receiving 8 hours of sick pay, and then are allowed to work the very next shift, earning time-and-a-half for overtime. This results in the officer receiving 2.5 times his or her rate of pay, while still only working 8 hours. Unrealistic Overtime Provisions On a state level, the Department of Corrections allows correctional workers who call in sick to collect overtime if they work a shift on the exact same day.  The specific provision that allows this to happen was collectively bargained for in their contract.  Cost to taxpayers $4.8 million. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING... NO WONDER WE ARE BROKE!   In part because of these practices, 13 correctional officers made more than $100,000 in 2009, despite earning base wages of less than $60,000 per year.  The officers received an average of $66,000 in overtime pay for an average annual salary of more than $123,000 with the highest paid receiving $151,181.   Source: Department of Corrections Paid-Time off for Union Activities In Milwaukee County alone, because the union collectively bargained for paid time off, fourteen employees receive salary and benefits for doing union business. Of the fourteen, three are on full-time release for union business. Milwaukee County spent over $170,000 in salary alone for these employees to only participate in union activities such as collective bargaining.  Surrender of Management Rights Because of collecting bargaining, unions have included provisions in employee contracts that have a direct fiscal impact such as not allowing management to schedule workers based on operational needs and requiring notice and approval by the union prior to scheduling changes.  As County Executive Walker attempted to reduce work hours based on budget pressures and workload requirements by instituting a 35 hour work week to avoid layoffs, which the union opposed.  Additionally, government cannot explore privatization of functions that could save taxpayers money.   WEA Trust Currently many school districts participate in WEA trust because WEAC collectively bargains to get as many school districts across the state to participate in this union run health insurance plan as possible.  Union leadership benefits from members participating in this plan.  If school districts enrolled in the state employee health plan, it would save school districts up to $68 million per year.  Key HERE...Union Leadership benefits, not the hard working American. Beyond that if school districts had the flexibility to look for health insurance coverage outside of WEA trust or the state plan, additional savings would likely be realized.   Viagra for Teachers The Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA) tried to use a policy established by collective bargaining to obtain health insurance coverage that specifically paid for Viagra.  Cost to taxpayers is $786,000 a year. Wow...GET REAL!!!!!! Reference: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/milwaukee-schools-ban-viagra-teachers-union-sues-discrimination/story?id=11378595   If you think these are "Employee Rights" rather than Privileges, think this is fair pay and like seeing our tax dollars get swindled from us, don't bother to pass this along. If you are AMAZED at HOW our Hard Earned tax dollars are basically being stolen from us and you would rather see a REDISTRIBUTION of these funds go toward our Hard Working Teachers that are teaching our kids, our future generation, and to go toward creating jobs to employ more of our HARD WORKING AMERICANS, both Union and Non-Union. ...Please pass this on.