但這種膠着的情況在本周發生了轉變。周三,共和黨占多數的州議會在本周三晚上緊急集會，提出將有關工會的議題從原來的財政提案中分離出來單獨投票----因為按照威州有關法律，如果議案不涉及財政議題，則不必有超過2/3 的議員在場就能進行投票。周四，在14 名民主黨議員仍然缺席的情況下,州議會投票以多數通過了限制公共事業工會會員們 collective bargaining 的法案。周五,州長簽署了此法案,並取消了前幾天發出的可能因為財政預算缺口而對 public sector 進行裁員的“威脅”(因為雖然沒有通過具體的財政提案，但有了這個法案中限制工會 collective bargaining rights 的條款,州長就可以對公共事業工會會員的福利進行調整，並間接達到減少開支的目的)。根據威州州法,此法案現在交付州務卿手上,將在未來十天中對全州公民發布,成為 “The law of the land” 。對此,民主黨和工會代表們自然非常憤怒,聲稱將挑戰這個“用卑鄙手段達到削弱工會和民主黨力量”的投票。除了繼續在州議會進行抗議活動以外,反對者們還聲言將對這個法案提出上訴;工會組織和民主黨人們並誓言要在2012 年的選舉中讓Walker 和共和黨為這個決議付出代價。
THanks for the comments! I agree that many "ordinary people" have suffered becuase of the globalization - in the form of lost jobs, but they also benefited from low cost goods that are produced in other countries where labor costs are low. So it's not really a "one-sided" loss or win.
I agree that "each and every one of us is weak in front of any great enterprize, we need to unionize in confroting a strong corpprate." But in the case of public sector unions, they are not organized to "confront a strong corporate" - they are unionized to confront - you and me, the taxpayers.
Ding! 工會大興旺 is good, it's good to the common people.
I personally sympothetic to the Union and most of time support them. I will be very encouraged to see the revitalization of union.
Look people, each and every one of us is weak in front of any great enterprize, we need to unionize in confroting a strong corpprate.
Globalization is harming ordinary people and benifiting only a few. Most american are happy to buy cheap foreign goods, including Chinese goods, but they don't understand that is actually undermining their future opportunities.
I have traveled so many places in US, I have seen so many poor people, and poor towns, it's heart-broken.
政府公務員也好，私營公司也好，都是打工的，付出勞動拿工資。有些人看到的只是政府公務員的好處，怎麼不看壞處？美國有一句口頭禪：Morons work for governments? 為什麼？原因之一是工資低，經濟大環境好的時候也沒獎金，有兩個孩子的話那點工資不能養家， 所以有人根本就不去政府工作， 但政府工作又得有人干，所以就在長遠福利上有好的地方。人各有所投，有些人願意到私有公司掙高工資甚至發財，有些人要過平淡但穩定的生活。所以政府和政府顧員可能是有某種類似合同的東西的。大家願意看到朱容基把為國有企業工作低工資奉獻了一輩子最後一角踢開的情況嗎？
vmvm 說出了所有我想說的話（and more)，深表欽佩。僅補充兩點： 1 Walker (and I am on his side on this) may won the battle, but he might lose the war 2 威州及其鄰州關於公會的這場爭論的結局會影響未來二十年美國的走向
Thank you 昭君 for the article. I was looking for your piece right after the Bill was passwd.
This bill hurt a lot to state univ. faculties and staffs, because first their salaries are lot lower comparing to private sector for the same qualification, second, many of them have a have had raise-freeze for the last 5-7 years while all the other cost is going up,up up, so their income us worse, worse and worse.
The passing of the bill put more restrain to their aleady encumbered capability in defending their interest and should put out lot discouragement for people who wish to pursue an acadneic career. I am actually fear it shoyld cause further brain-drain to US intellectal society. The lavish benifit for the firefighters and police officers make the state U employee look pity and embarrass.
The Wissconsin politacal event should serve as a wake-up call to all the middle-income people to stand up and unite to defend their interest and fight the encrochment of serve-for-the-rich Replucan movement.
首先，就事論事的評論： 1. In 1959, Wisconsin became the first state to pass a collective bargaining law for public employees, 現在又領風氣之先，第一個廢除公共事業工會collective bargain right, 引人思索。
2. In private sector, 工會代表員工利益，其collective bargain具有重要與積極作用；必須要指出的是，工會和員工都清楚雇主有破產風險， to avoid a lose-lose situation, 勞資雙方都有興趣達成妥協。
3.公共事業員工與工會則鮮有以上考慮；更重要的是，其雇主是代表你我所有納稅人的政府或公共機構，換句話說，公共事業工會是在bargain with 納稅人。
4. 如果你贊同以下任何一種對於政府或公共機構的看法 -- “效率低下”，“浪費”，“代表利益集團”，“落後於國際競爭”，“傲慢與死板”，那麼你就很難會對公共事業工會有好感。舉個例子，在教師與學生有利益衝突時，教師工會只會偏向教師一方，所以教師is largely paid by seniority than performance, and it is very hard to remove "bad" teacher.
就事論事雖然簡單，但實際情況總是更複雜；再繼續往下討論實在有點力不從心，但願意在此拋磚引玉，provide some foods for thought –
6. Like it or not, 這一事件的討論又成為 Dem vs. GOP。 與很多人一樣，我並不贊同某一黨的全部主張。對於改善債務窘境，常識告訴我們需要開源節流並舉。兩黨政客並不傻，也許是他們太聰明了，知道如何取悅於其代表的利益集團來保住選票。工會就是一個利益集團。
7. 很多爭論焦點都集中在個人所得稅： a). 誰是富人? Is $250K/year the magic number? I am afraid not. b). 是否應對富人收更多的稅？I am afraid yes. 但同時，今天的真正富翁據有更多的逃稅或合理避稅辦法。單純靠提高稅率並不是最好的辦法；在全球化的時代，資金總是會很快流向收益更高的地方 – 更加富裕的個人與企業並不總是(或總能)把益處帶給本國政府與人民通過傳統的就業與稅收。
8. Globalization has changed the whole game! 在美國的 private sector, 工會伴隨着製造業在進一步萎縮，面對全球化競爭，they have little leverage or choice! 公共事業工會已成為美國工會的絕對主體，這實在不是什麼令人欣慰或自豪的事。The American has been spoiled； too many folks are good at complain and protest, only.
9. Globalization has changed the whole game!! 但美國政府與人民還沒有真正的危機感與緊迫感。兩黨不是致力於提高美國的競爭力與應變能力，而是繼續，甚至越加的互相攻擊，究其一點不及其餘。我們所需要的是思辯而不是謾罵，勇氣而不是逃避，活力而不是懶惰，信心而不是僥倖，行動而不僅是心動 ^_^
