Poll: Public Opposes Taking Away Freedom to Bargain
A new poll shows the public strongly opposes laws taking away the collective bargaining power of public employees to address budgets. Some 61 percent of the public say they would oppose a law in their state similar to one being considered in Wisconsin, compared with 33 percent who would favor such a law, according to poll out today by USA Today/Gallup.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, widely perceived to be on the verge of attacking the rights of public employees to bargain for middle-class jobs, already figured that out. Scott said today he would not consider taking away bargaining rights from public employees. Instead, Scott said in an interview:
as long as the discussion is honest about what benefits employees are getting, he has no objection to public employees being members of unions.
Maybe Wisconsin workers had something to do with his opinion?
Jobless Workers Can’t Feed Their Families While States Sit on $3 Billion in UI Funds
 |
|
With unemployment at its highest levels in decades, it’s unbelievable that some $3.1 billion in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits included in the federal economic recovery package is not being spent because 23 states have not yet revised state rules covering jobless benefits.
Today’s USA TODAY reports that nearly 350,000 out-of-work Americans could get benefits if all those states revamp their unemployment systems to qualify for money that is included in the federal stimulus package.
In 11 of the states, Republican governors or legislatures have refused to modify the rules governing unemployment insurance to qualify for about $1.7 billion in stimulus funds. The other 12 states have made only some of the changes, not applied for the funds or not taken legislative votes on the changes. Although the states have until 2011 to change the laws, the reality is that many states need the money now and the workers really need it now.
