Some union busting isn't at a state level as in Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio, it's at the local level such as this action February 7th in Brockton, Massachusetts that saw the struggle for union rights play out in the microcosm of a city council finance committee meeting. (http://brocktonfirelocal144.org/...)
On February 7, 2012 in Brockton, MA, the City Finance Committee heard a bill that would move the city workers (including teachers, police and firefighters) health insurance from the city to the state. It would reduce their weekly premiums but raise their co-pays and begun annual deductibles which are not required in the city's health plan. The move would save the city just under $5 Million but also would chip away at the employees' union collective bargaining by removing health insurance from the table.
Curiously, the move from city to state was being considered without first consulting with the employees' unions. It was a suspicious end-run that would have reduced the collective bargaining power of the unions by removing health insurance as a city benefit. This appears to be part of a pattern of moves by CFO Condon to reduce the power of the unions. In recent years, the teachers were moved from the board of education to become city employees. They were added to the police, firefighters and administration employees; consolidating them under the control of Condon. Then, this effort to move the health insurance from the city to the state. The mayor introduced the bill for consideration, explaining it as "the law required the city to consider it and report back to the Massachusetts Department of Administration and Finance and that it was her obligation to put it before the Council." In the committee hearing the CFO claimed the health insurance move was in needed to reduce a possible $12 Million budget deficit in the next year. But some reading and investigation finds complaints by some residents of "backroom deals" involving the mayor and city CFO. They claim this was yet another deal and one that would have significant impact on union collective bargaining.
In the last mayoral election, two significant issues were debated. One candidate, Ron Matta, wanted to replace the long-standing CFO, John Condon, and end a costly contract with the local desalinization plant. The incumbent Mayor, Linda Balzotti wanted keep both the CFO and the contract with the plant. Balzotti won the election and a second term. The contract and the CFO remain in place. A quick look into the contract issue turns up an interesting fact. The city is paying the plant about $4 million a year and, for that, gets nothing in return. Further, during the election, Matta raised the fact that the city showed $122 million cash on hand in the 2010 financial statement.
Fortunately, the police, firefighters, teachers, and their supporters turned out in huge numbers. The entire chamber was filled to capacity. Claims were made by the city's CFO, John Condon that the city is facing a $12 million budget deficit next year and health insurance was the largest cost savings target. He also claimed that the health care costs have "eaten up all of the extra property taxes paid by city residents in the past 10 years". However, he didn't offer an explanation or justification for the $4 million paid to the privately owned desalinization plant for which the city receives nothing in return. Ending that contract would result in savings that would almost completely offset the additional cost of employee health insurance.
The bill was voted down unanimously (11-0) in committee. It will move next to be heard by the entire City Council and the same voting results are expected. The unions' power remains in place but it took vigilance on the part of the people and the union members to maintain the status quo. Without a strong public showing of support for the unions, yet another bargaining position would have been eliminated. Similar to efforts at the state level such as Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin, this one used the "budget deficits" as justification for chipping away at, or eliminating, unions and collective bargaining. Those who would work against the peoples' collective bargaining are not just at the state level, they are also working at the lowest levels to eliminate the unions, one small step at a time.
(I came across this seemingly minor event while researching another topic and was struck by the fact that union busting is playing out in the most minor battlefields across the US and just had to share my thoughts with the DailyKos readers.)