We don't cotton to other states elbowing in on Arizona's limelight of the crazy, so when Wisconsin and others voted to curb the influence of collective bargaining (and Ohio repealed the same), the dunderheads at the Arizona legislature decided to wipe out public employee unions altogether, writes Channel 12 reporter Brahm Resnik.
Wisconsin's collective bargaining law enacted last year made unions effectively irrelevant by limiting issues that could be bargained by a government and an employee group. Arizona's bills would do away with collective bargaining entirely and also go beyond Wisconsin law by including public safety unions. azcentral.com
As a "right to [not] work" state, Arizona already does not recognize collective bargaining by the public sector, but that's not good enough for anti-union zealots like the Goldwater Institute, the influential libertarian gaggle that hosted Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker at their annual power-fest in November. During his talk and in an NBC interview, Walker touted his policies as creating more jobs and better schools: "People see the reforms are working." Yup, they see they're working so well that more than a million Wisconsinites signed up to recall your ass. After Walker's visit, the Goldwater Institute sat down with key Arizona lawmakers to write the new anti-worker legislation:
Despite claims that "right to work" states do not recognize collective bargaining by public employees, the truth is that "meet and confer" laws are collective bargaining laws... That's why a total ban on public-sector collective bargaining, like the state of Virginia's, makes fiscal sense even in "right to work" states like Arizona, Texas, Mississippi and Georgia. Goldwater Institute
That's right, employees can't "meet and confer" even if the get-togethers are non-binding. The state certainly wouldn't want to hear what representatives of employees have to say! So, to head off any such likelihood, the first of three new Arizona bills goes way beyond Wisconsin's attack on public employees by including fire and police in the mix, and by restricting all union activity:
23-1422. Public employees; unions; prohibitions; enforcement
A. NO STATE AGENCY OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE IS VESTED OR POSSESSES ANY AUTHORITY TO:
1. RECOGNIZE ANY UNION AS A BARGAINING AGENT OF ANY PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE.
2. COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN OR ENTER INTO ANY EMPLOYMENT BARGAIN WITH ANY UNION OR ITS AGENTS.
3. MEET AND CONFER WITH ANY UNION THAT REPRESENTS ANY PUBLIC OFFICER OR PUBLIC EMPLOYEE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING OR REACHING ANY EMPLOYMENT BARGAIN. SB 1485
Shut up, go away, nobody here wants to talk to anyone who represents workers. Another bill ends the practice of automatic payroll deductions for union membership fees:
THIS STATE AND ANY COUNTY, MUNICIPALITY, SCHOOL DISTRICT OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE MAY NOT WITHHOLD OR DIVERT ANY PORTION OF AN EMPLOYEE'S WAGES TO PAY FOR LABOR ORGANIZATION DUES. SB 1487
We're going to make solidarity more expensive and more difficult, so there! A third bill bans compensation by public employees for union work:
ANY EMPLOYMENT BARGAIN THAT INCLUDES COMPENSATION TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OR THIRD PARTIES FOR UNION ACTIVITIES IS DECLARED TO BE AGAINST THE PUBLIC POLICY OF THIS STATE AND IS VOID. SB 1486
This three-pronged attack is in addition to Governor Brewer's plan to revamp the public employee system by offering state workers 5% of their salary to forgo union protections, as she told the annual ALEC gag-fest in Scottsdale:
Gov. Jan Brewer's proposal to offer 5 percent raises to state employees who agree to give up job protections under the merit system isn't sitting well with some workers... The proposal requires employees to opt out of the system, which reduces certain protections such as the right to appeal demotions and protection from termination without cause. Arizona Republic
According to the Blog for Arizona's story about the ALEC presentation, Brewer's proposal amounts "to returning to the spoils system of political patronage and cronyism." Not surprisingly, many public workers are not lining up to collect their 5% bonus:
Valerie LaMar, who works in the child-support division of the Department of Economic Security, said Brewer's proposal will make it easier to fire employees based on politics, gender, age, race and ethnicity.
"It's a complete set-up," said LaMar, who has worked nearly 17 years for the state. "It would lead to cronyism. I want a pay raise, but as far as going uncovered, I don't want any part of it. This is where the nail hits the coffin." Arizona Republic
And more!
Finally, if citizens are concerned about groups like ALEC and the Goldwater Institute throwing their considerable weight around on issues like corrections, immigration, campaign finances, education, and collective bargaining, don't worry. In the future you won't know about it. A bill being heard this week seeks to exempt nonprofit groups from registering as lobbyists or declaring their affiliation during testimony -- all nonprofits, even those like Goldwater engaged in political activity.
House Bill 2565 is aimed at resolving a dispute about the Goldwater Institute, which frequently sends staffers to legislative-committee hearings to testify about bills -- some of which the conservative think tank has also drafted. Arizona Republic
If passed, the bill will exempt Goldwater and similar advocacy heavyweights from registering as lobbyists, making it harder to follow their legislative tracks; it will remove the limits on gifts that lawmakers can accept from these yahoos; and it eliminates quarterly lobbying reports.
In sum: Let's shit all over employees but not tell anyone who is sitting on the pot.