Collective bargaining law will affect Janesville, other communities
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Nonunion government workers can expect to start seeing smaller paychecks after June 29, when a law stripping most of their collective bargaining rights is expected to go into effect.
Government workers protected by union contracts will see the changes when their contracts expire.
Here is how the ruling will affect a sampling of local governments:
Janesville School District
The Janesville School District has three union contracts in place, all of which will expire June 30, 2013.
Union members won’t be subject to the provisions of the state’s budget repair bill until their contracts expire in two years.
But Rep. Joe Knilans has authored an amendment to the 2011-13 state budget bill that would allow districts and unions to reopen contracts to modify compensation and fringe benefit requirements only.
The local school district would save an estimated $3.1 million if its largest union—the Janesville Education Association—agreed to modify its contract so employees would pay 5.8 percent of their salaries to their pension fund.
The teachers union represents about 820 employees. Its four-year contract with the district was ratified last fall and requires no payments toward retirement benefits and either 3 percent or 8 percent of their health care benefits, depending on whether they participate in the district’s wellness program.
AFSCME Local 938 represents about 175 custodial and food service workers in the district. Its four-year contract also expires in 2013, and its employees contribute nothing toward their retirement and 3 percent or 8 percent of their health insurance premiums.
AFSCME Local 938 also represents the district’s third bargaining unit, comprising about 350 secretaries, clerks and aides in the district. Only about 50 of the represented employees are full-time with health care benefits, which are paid at the same level as the other bargaining units.
About 120 school district employees are not represented by any union. They, too, pay either 3 percent or 8 percent of their health premiums. Like the other groups, its members contribute nothing toward their retirement.
That, however, will likely change in July.
If the state’s budget repair bill becomes law as expected June 29, the district’s nonunion employees will see a deduction of 5.8 percent of their pay for their retirement starting with the district’s July 10 payroll, said Angel Tullar, the district’s manager of employee relations.
Because the local school district is not part of the state health insurance program, its nonunion members likely will continue paying either 3 percent or 8 percent toward their health care premiums, Tullar said.
City of Janesville
The city’s four unions hurried to settle two-year contracts within days of the proposal to change collective bargaining.
Those unions represent firefighters, police officers, transit workers and department of public work employees.
Police supervisors unionized after the proposed bill because they could be paid less than the people they supervised if they were made to pay half their pension contributions. The contract with that police supervisors union, however, has not been settled.
The contracts for the four other unions expire in December 2012.
That means none of those employees will be required to pay half of their pension contributions until their contracts end.
The city has 462 employees. Excluding seasonal, temporary and library employees. Of the total, 275—or 60 percent—are union, and 187—or 40 percent—are nonunion.
The majority of the unionized workers—172—are firefighters or police officers exempted from contributing. Twenty-eight are bus drivers and mechanics represented by the Teamsters Local No. 695. They, too, might be exempted because federal law requires that collective bargaining be in place to receive federal transit aid.
Another 72 are employees in the department of public works.
One proposed budget amendment would require that new police officers and firefighters pay half their pension contributions. Another amendment would exempt fire and police supervisors.
Eric Levitt, Janesville city manager, said nonunion employees likely would begin to make pension contributions sometime in August.
The amount each employee would pay is unknown. A decision must be made on whether the contributions are pre-tax or after tax.
Levitt estimated the city would pay about $385,000 less next year in pension contributions.
City employees next year will pay between 9 and 10 percent of their health insurance premiums. That figure was also negotiated in the union contracts.
City of Milton
The city has two nonunion employees in the public utilities department and five nonunion employees at the police department.
The city has seven police officers represented through the Wisconsin Professional Police Association and 10 public utility employees are represented through Teamsters Local No. 695.
Their contracts were settled Jan. 1 and ratified in February shortly after municipalities statewide learned of Gov. Scott Walker’s collective bargaining proposal.
The union members will be shielded from the full impact of changes to collective bargaining through Dec. 31, 2013, when their contract expires.
Under terms of the contract, members of both unions must contribute 5 percent of their health insurance premiums, which will be stepped up to 7 percent next year and 10 percent in 2013. Under the contract, neither group pays a pension contribution.
The city has been in talks with both unions this spring over a request that the unions reopen their contracts and increase insurance and pension contributions to bring them more in line with concessions outlined in the pending collective bargaining law.
Neither union has agreed to reopen.
Nonunion employees will face insurance and pension concessions required by the pending collective bargaining law, city officials said.
Edgerton School District
The Edgerton School District reached terms on a two-year contract extension with its unions in March, when the state’s proposed collective bargaining changes still were locked in a legislative battle.
Superintendent Dennis Pauli said proposals for the state budget and changes to collective bargaining at the time weighed largely into concessions written into contract agreements with the unions. He said the pending collective bargaining law won’t have further impact on the district for the next two years.
Pauli said the district is now focused on immediate budget issues.
“At this point, we’ll focus on the academic needs of our students for next year, and being good stewards of our taxpayer’s dollars,” Pauli said.
The district has two unions: the Edgerton Education Association, which represents 132 teachers, and the Edgerton Education Support Staff, which represents 39 school support staff. It has about 60 nonunion employees, according to the district’s business office.
Through contractual terms, all employees of the district, both union and nonunion, will contribute 5.8 percent to pension, and some will pay about 6 percent toward healthcare coverage.
The district will continue to pick up the tab for employees with single coverage, said Business Manager Mark Worthing. That’s less of a concession than the state mandates in the pending collective bargaining law, but it’s allowed because the district on July 1 is switching from a state healthcare plan through the Wisconsin Education Association Trust to a less expensive Dean plan, Worthing said.
Evansville School District
All four bargaining units that represent about 231 employees in the Evansville School District agreed to new contracts this year that run through at least June 2012.
The Evansville Education Association, which represents about 158 teachers, and the district in late February reached agreement in record time—the whole negotiation process took about 30 hours. The contract expires June 30, 2013.
Under the contract, employees are paying 5 percent of their health insurance premium and 5.8 percent of their retirement. The same terms apply to the district’s three other bargaining units.
The unions representing custodians and food service employees have a contract through June 2013 while the union that represents about 41 clerks and educational assistants has a contract through June 2012.
The district has about 30 nonunion employees, which will be impacted when the law goes into effect.
“It really is a significant salary cut for people,” Superintendent Heidi Carvin said. “The majority of our employees are women, and many of them have been the provider of health insurance for their families, and in many cases their spouses either lost jobs or had salaries reduced, so this is another whammy onto them.
“It will certainly have an impact on them for their ability to contribute to the local economy,” she said. “It’s a hardship for them in terms of sending their own kids to college—the same things many people are struggling with during this economy. It will certainly have an impact.”
Walworth County
Walworth County Administrator David Bretl said he was unsure on how the court ruling ultimately would impact the county’s seven labor unions.
Six of the seven unions have contracts that expire at the end of the year.
The contract for teachers at the county’s Lakeland School expires at the end of this month. Lakeland operates programs for special education students.
The number of Walworth County employees covered by collective bargaining agreements is 611 or 73.5 percent. County employees that are nonunion total 220 or 26.5 percent.
The court ruling will not affect employees’ contributions to health care because the county is self-insured, although bargaining rights for the next contract are diminished, Bretl said.
The county is part of the state pension system.
“It will be happening sooner for teachers and non-reps,” Bretl said of the effect of the court’s decision on county employees. “The rest of the unions will chug along under their current contracts until the end of the year.
“I would say with caution not to draw too many conclusions at this point. It’s just been a roller coaster. I don’t know what the status of the law will be until the dust really settles, and there are other lawsuits pending.”
Jun 24, 2011 at 6:13 p.m.
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Go to a Muslim country, and when you see some guys head rolling down the street as his body lies there and bleeds out, you be sure to yell after that head of his, "Don't fret, now. Your rights are all intact. They cannot be abrogated! You retain your rights!!! No one can ever take them from you!! After all, I believe they were bestowed upon all of us by some invisible guy in the sky, so how can they possibly be abrogated? You may have lost your head, but you don't really need that, anyhow, as long as you still have your rights."
Jun 24, 2011 at 5:58 p.m.
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no--C'mon, are u kidding? You stated that "Natural rights cannot be abrogated by the law of any government."
Well, that is the silliest thing I've ever heard in my life!! What rubbish!! The Webster-Merriam online dictionary defines the word "abrogate" as "To treat as though non-existent."
Well, sorry, pal, but no matter what goofy nonsense you may believe, there have been more governments than you can count which have treated ALL rights as though they did not exist. And when they shot a citizen in the head for smiling, or beheaded a citizen for sneezing, I think it is very safe to say that they abrogated someone's rights. How's life in the fantasy land of Shangri-La, anyhow?
Jun 22, 2011 at 4:56 p.m.
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*no--Please list those rights which "cannot be abrogated by the law of any government." *
I'm not going to do your homework for you.
*The laws of the Nazis, the Soviets, the Cubans, the Chinese--have ALL abrogated what we have come to regard as "Natural Rights." *
They don't have a Constitution or a Bill of Rights in those countries. Their governments are tyrannical and violate basic human rights that all free-thinking people take for granted...but you knew that.
Collective bargaining is not one of those "rights" by the way. Neither is the "right" to drive a car, for example.
Jun 18, 2011 at 6:05 p.m.
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worriedcitizen... I wholeheartedly agree. If we really strip away all the political bantering, it simply comes down to paying off debt. Our federal limits are maxed out as well. We nearly had a shut down of our federal government. Its happened before.
This last generation or two, for some reason, believe having credit card debt is no big deal. But if you can't pay your bills, you have too many bills.
This is the mess Walker must deal with. Also as conservative republicans we expect to have LESS government in our lives. We want to get back to the basics... If you're in debt, get OUT of debt. It honestly is doable. Living beyond our means, is what has put this state in this mess.
Also, being fiscally responsible is what you SHOULD be striving for. Not just in government but in your personal lives. Do not strap your children with the debt your greed produced.
Jun 18, 2011 at 4:21 p.m.
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Thank you for answering. Good points but somehow I don't see it. I think those that voted were strong defenders of their parties and the "casual" voters weren't their. It may be the same for recalls.
It makes for good news though. Thank you.
Jun 18, 2011 at 9:35 a.m.
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worriedcitizen,
I understand the health insurance costs. They are astronomical. Your effective tax rate, however, is most likely far less than what is being taken out of your check. If you want that money in your pocket during the year and not coming back to you as a return, increase your dependents on your W-4 you file with your employer. You'll end up with more money in your check and a smaller return. Nothing illegal about it, as far as I know, as long as you claim the accurate number of dependents on your annual tax return. Plus, you won't be giving the government an interest free loan.
Jun 18, 2011 at 9:18 a.m.
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I pay 27% of my earnings for health insurance and because of it I can't afford to put anything away for retirement so I have no pension. I pay 15.3% of my earnings for social security, 25% for federal tax and 6% for state tax. My real estate taxes are 8% of my earnings. That's 81% of my earnings before I get to spend a dime on other bills or entertainment. I can't afford to pay anymore in taxes so like most other people we
need to cut back somewhere. Credit and overspending are not the answer for this state. If these union people feel they are the only important people in this state and they are being mistreated, please feel free to leave the state.
Jun 17, 2011 at 10:35 p.m.
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Let's check the records to see how much Walker's puppet Knilans gave back as a UAW employee to help address the financial woes of his employer GM. Keep mixing the kool-aid Joe, enjoy your one and done term :-)
Jun 17, 2011 at 9:48 p.m.
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No where in this article does it say how much the average union worker will save now that they do not have to pay in union dues.
Jun 17, 2011 at 9:41 p.m.
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GlennBeck: You're wanted back at FOX with all of the other blowhards.
Jun 17, 2011 at 8:38 p.m.
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What a great and historic week for WI taxpayers. Thank You Scott Walker. Plenty of open camp sites available up at the Capital's Entitled Town. Boy I hope that Progressive Feingold tries to unseat Walker and the control power lefty gets his final boot out of politics. Is it just me or do alot of these lefty liberal progressives look the same..feingold, emanuel, obama, abrahamsom, kloppenhoppin, weiner,maher, pelosi, holder, they got that dark look to them..maybe its just my dislike for them cause of they know best for me....NOT
Jun 17, 2011 at 4:52 p.m.
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no--Please list those rights which "cannot be abrogated by the law of any government." The laws of the Nazis, the Soviets, the Cubans, the Chinese--have ALL abrogated what we have come to regard as "Natural Rights." Our founding fathers may have considered them to be inalienable, but Hitler and Stalin and Castro and Pol Pot and Mussolini surely did not. The laws of these governments surely did abrogate these "rights." They are only "rights" if they are bestowed by governments.
Jun 17, 2011 at 4:38 p.m.
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bowlgal,
the voting trends from the election in november no longer accurately depict the public sentiment toward the Republicans in office. The state supreme court race proved that as the final margin was extremely slim. In a matter of months Republicans went from a position of dominance at the polls to winning by a slim margin. Certain Republican senators up for recall will end up staying in office. Their base of support will come through. Others that represent more split districts will be gone. Kapanke out of the La Crosse area is one who has many many public employees in his district and has little hope of making it through the election. Many voters feel as though they have been duped. Scott Walker's focus on removing collective bargaining abilities from unions has put many people off, union and non-union alike. There are those that voted for him in November that are now turning against him and the Republican senators up for recall in turn. Ultimately, the way the Nov '10 elections turned out pretty much means nothing already. The voting landscape has changed and the Republicans have only themselves to blame. The budget could have easily been squared while leaving workers' rights granted them by law out of it. He's already proven that. Obviously, he doesn't give a rip about education, but that's a whole different debate. His bullying of the unions was only to pay off his corporate campaign donors. He has been put in charge (by the Koch brothers and others like them) of making it as difficult as possible for Democrats to raise campaign funds. The more he can do to make the political playing field uneven, the more the corporate world will do for him.
Jun 17, 2011 at 3:21 p.m.
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What evidence do you have the recalls will be in your favor Democrats? I brought up a map of the latest election and it doesn't look good. Why do you think recalls will work out for you?
Open Question for all....
Jun 17, 2011 at 3:01 p.m.
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Legally and constitutionally, a right granted by law has the same status as any other right. Certainly, there are different types of rights, but just because one is derived from law does not change the definition of the word. A constitutional right, for instance, could be "taken away" by an amendment to the constitution, and even the constitution has been known to abrogate rights, such as that of non-whites or women to vote, that are now seen as "natural law" (whatever that is, it's a niche view that these exist).
Jun 17, 2011 at 2:35 p.m.
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TL;DR: They are not "rights". Rights are something the government does not have the power to give or take away. Those would be privileges. Natural rights cannot be abrogated by the law of any government.
Jun 17, 2011 at 2:17 p.m.
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People, you just don't get it, do you? Teachers, firefighters, police, all positions who teach us and keep us safe. They don't work at Stop N Go or WallyWorld, they help run our country the right way. What is so hard to understand about that? Even a teacher nowadays take risks going to work with the kids today. I believe they deserve every penny they make and more. Enough with the jealousy, that is all it is.
Jun 17, 2011 at 11:47 a.m.
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Why do so many still call it stripping the rights away, like they are civil rights or something?? It's not in any Constitution, you know. Privileges, not rights. Wow, paying toward your healthcare and pension like I have to. Pretty horrible.
Jun 17, 2011 at 10:47 a.m.
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Let the recall begin.
Jun 17, 2011 at 9:54 a.m.
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I hope the JEA is smart enough to NOT re-open their contract! They school board bargained in good faith and executed a contract in good faith. The school board has proven time and time again that they cannot be trusted to take care of the very people that work for them! The layoff scare tactic they pulled back fired and made us taxpayers realize how low our school board has gone! It is time to get some real leaders in Janesville!
Jun 17, 2011 at 9:49 a.m.
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You should have investigated how many Rock County workers are State Employees about to take a paycut. These are the workers who COULDN'T get contracts approved because the legislator refused to approve them last November. All the district attorneys, public defenders, and department of justice personnel don't have a contract.
Jun 17, 2011 at 9:18 a.m.
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Just and FYI...
The Janesville school district health care plan is self funded so don't worry Autoworker2 you aren't paying for their healthcare.
Secondly....
There was never an argument about paying thier own retirement, They just don't want to re-open the contract and loose everything. If that would have been in the original language when the contract was settled BEFORE the anti-union bill came about it probably would have passed then. Thats like giving someone a steak (that was agreed on ahead of time) and when they are a few bites into it taking the plate away and giving them a penut butter sandwich. With the bill passing I agree with orange... Don't do it!!!
Wait for the recall and see what happens after that.
Have a nice day everyone and God bless :-)
Jun 17, 2011 at 7:36 a.m.
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Government workers should not be unionized in the first place. It is a conflict of interest to the rest of us who pay taxes and elect our officials to represent the people not the unions.
Jun 17, 2011 at 6:34 a.m.
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I find it laughable when people blame the unions for the benefits they receive. Didn't it have to be agreed upon BY MANAGEMENT, a.k.a. Republican ruling class??? Isn't there a little irony in that?
Jun 16, 2011 at 11:55 p.m.
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How about a thank you for the bailout?
Jun 16, 2011 at 10:42 p.m.
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About time these drones paid part of their way in this world just like the real people do. Why do they feel they are so special that I should have to pay their pensions and healthcare? I pay my own way in this world and surely do not expect (demand) others to foot my bills. Quit your whining and welcome to the real world. You are <NOT> the ruling class.
Jun 16, 2011 at 9:19 p.m.
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Hang on for the recall....our only hope.
Jun 16, 2011 at 7 p.m.
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Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it ! Do not re-open those contracts , you will only get screwed worse than you have already.
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