Wisconsin Union Goes After Right-to-Workers: “It is unfortunate that you have chosen ‘not’ to support public workers rights in Wisconsin”
Guess they missed Obama’s anti-bullying conference.
(JS Online) — Members of Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24, have begun circulating letters to businesses in southeast Wisconsin, asking them to support workers’ rights by putting up a sign in their windows.
If businesses fail to comply, the letter says, “Failure to do so will leave us no choice but (to) do a public boycott of your business. And sorry, neutral means ‘no’ to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members.”
Jim Parrett, a field representative of Council 24 for Southeast Wisconsin, confirmed the contents of the letter, which carries his signature. But he added that the union was also circulating letters to businesses thanking them for supporting workers’ rights.
Parrett said that since the letters were sent out, he has received threatening phone calls as well as calls from people supporting the state workers.
“I’ve gotten a lot of threatening phone calls,” Parrett said.
Parrett said he believed the letter campaign was going on in other parts of the state. His region includes Racine and Kenosha counties, as well as parts of Waukesha and Walworth counties.
“It’s going on in other parts of the state,” he said Wednesday.
Parrett referred questions to Marty Beil, the head of the Wisconsin State Employees Union. Beil was not immediately available for comment.
In the letter from Parrett to some businesses, he says that, “It is unfortunate that you have chosen ‘not’ to support public workers rights in Wisconsin. In recent past weeks you have been offered a sign by a public employee who works in one of the state facilities in the Union Grove area. These signs simply said, ‘This Business Supports Workers Rights,’ a simple, subtle and we feel non-controversial statement gives the facts at this time.”
Parrett said a number of WSEU locals in his region represent more than 1,300 union workers who have a combined yearly income of more than $56 million.
“The recent actions taken on the governor’s budget repair bill have taken more from workers than dollars. It took away our right to bargain things such as: sick leave and how it is used, vacation and how it is used, overtime and how it is ‘fairly’ distributed. Our grievance procedure has been virtually destroyed. These are things that make life working in a 24/7 facility tolerable,” Parrett wrote in the letter.
Parrett adds in the letter: “State employees fully expect to take some lumps financially in these tough economic times, we have offered and we will. But don’t take away rights to what has kept workplace peace for half a century and has worked well.”
Terri Gray, executive director of the Union Grove Chamber of Commerce, said she had received many calls from member businesses about the union-led effort. She said most of the calls came from businessmen and women who preferred to remain neutral in the dispute between Gov. Scott Walker and organized labor.
“They don’t want to pick a side,” she said. “I told them, ‘I believe you can choose to not choose.’”
Gray said the campaign appeared to have started a day or two ago. She said she didn’t know whether the sign campaign was having an impact.
Asked Wednesday about the boycott effort, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said “that any nonviolent tactic used to get attention to the steamroller tactics it seems to me are reasonable. I encourage people to remain nonviolent and disciplined in their protests.”
Asked if he supported boycott efforts in Wisconsin, Jackson did not directly endorse them.
He said: The best way to resolve conflict is when everybody is at the table and they can negotiate through some rational institutional process.”
HT: Hot Air
Posted by WM on Thursday, March 31, 2011, at 9:16 am | 
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“It is unfortunate that you have chosen ‘not’ to support public workers rights in Wisconsin.”
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Dis is a nice little business you have here, Mr Smith. It would be a shame if something bad was to happen to it.
Why don’t you, me, and ‘Joey Two-times’, discuss the matter further and see if we can resolve this most unfortunate turn of events?
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“It took away our right to bargain things such as: sick leave and how it is used, vacation and how it is used, overtime and how it is ‘fairly’ distributed. Our grievance procedure has been virtually destroyed. These are things that make life working in a 24/7 facility tolerable.” –Jim Parrett, union rep
This statement inadvertently shows what spoiled whiners these folks are: The author whines that the various things are what “make life working in a 24/7 facility tolerable.” But Jim, snookums, I’d be willing to bet all the money you’ve got that *you* don’t work 24/7. In fact, I’ll bet you work the same 8 or 9-hour day as us non-union schmucks.
The fact that your “facility” is open longer doesn’t affect your hours a bit.
But of course just saying “the things that make working an 8-hour day tolerable” wouldn’t be dramatic–since we all do it–and would expose you as a spoiled baby.
Just keep writing threatening letters, Jim. It’s what you goons do best.
Out darn sock. (typical leftist moonbat)
Thugs R Us…this issue is gearing us up for civil war, with faux class warfare being fomented by the unions and aided by leftists. And our president doesn’t intend to even try to quell the hatred and or the lies they spew.
We have been duped into this presidency by the leftists and other morons who didn’t vet this man for a second, or who intentiionally ignored the things we were able to find out about him. As well as the things he had never achieved, run or handled in his entire adult life. I want to personally thank them for ruining a great nation, or at least for putting us at such risk. The only upside to this presidential nightmare, is that we have awoken. I truly hope we can keep the fires lit through 2012.
Between these guys and the German supremacist…
we’re going to be in for a bumpy ride
Union worker story:
this kid (22 yrs old) was pulling something like $18.00/hr to work in a garage servicing state trucks. his actual work time was something like 1/2 hour a day, due to “insurance” (it’s dangerous work being a mechanic/sarc)
one week he didn’t show. after three days of calling the guy, he finally answers his cell to say that, no he won’t be working there anymore (this cushy jobfor which he grossed 720/week for basically doing 1.5 hours of actual work a week) because he is getting married and going on welfare.
I think if they take this approach it might backfire and the places without the sign will do a better and the places with the signs will not. Doesn’t this union get it that the voters have spoken?
Please send us a list of all those companies you are planning on boycotting so we can get the word out that everybody needs to buy their products. Thanks!
This is a blackmail / intimidation / protection racket. Pure and simple. Al Capone and Sam Giancana would be so proud.
This might end up winning them more enemies than friends.
The UNIONS are known to bite the teat that feeds them………
until that teat just dries up and moves away……….
Big Steel in the Northeast……..
American Manufacturing in the North………..
Automakers in the Detroit area……….
and NOW TAXPAYERS ALL OVER THE NORTH………..
Do you see the trend?
UNIONS + NORTH = MANUFACTURING JOBS AND TAX PAYERS MOVING AWAY.
This letter, is nothing but extortion and should be prosecuted under the RICO
Act. The rule of law, being under temporary suspension, according to political party, would be enough to end this blatant threat, if we had a Justice Dept.
that was not in the tank for the aspiring Communists.This present administration would prefer anarchy and revolution to the Rule of law, and the Constitution.
I am not sure but I think use of union funds (against some members wishes) and the extortion (support us (gives them money and benefits) or we cause financial harm) may be rico level.
Yess, hallo zere, capitalist business owner.
Ve reprezent ze “Socialist” vorkers of the nation. Yess, you vill now support us, or ve vill destroy you. Sank you.
The unions are only doing what good gangsters from Chicago have always done – extort businesses.
“And sorry, neutral means ‘no’ to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members.”
Gee. That sounds a lot like saying “either you are with us or you are against us.” The left gave George Bush a ration of fecees when he said something similar about countries supporting terrorism.
What do you expect from a union except use of coersive force. That is what unions are all about. “You give us what we want or else we strike.” It’s great when coersive force is used on your behalf. It isn’t so much fun when coersive force is used against you.
Remember all those stories we used to hear growing up about “protection rackets?” Well, now the good citizens and business owners in Wisconsin get to see first hand what it is all about. “Gee, that’s a nice store you got here mister. Be a shame if something bad happened to it, ya know?”
And keep in mind; all of this is over the “right” for public sector employees in Wisconsin to have their health care insurance paid for 100%, and their pension plans paid for 100% by the good citizens of Wisconsin. It’s a civil rights issue, on par with women getting the right to vote, and blacks fighting for equality in the ’60s. And it will be coming to a city near you in the near future.
http://federaldaily.com/articles/2011/03/29/union-calls-on-public-workers-to-rally-against-budget-cuts.aspx?s=fd_033011
So it looks as though AFSCME is gearing up for a Kristallnacht of their very own, doesn’t it?
Want some cheese with your whine?