Massachusetts Democrats vote to strip rights from public sector unions
Well, well, well, isn’t this interesting?! Democrats in the Massachusetts State House (I know, Massachusetts and Democrats is redundant as they are for all intents and purposes a one party state) have voted to strip some collective bargaining rights from certain public sector unions.
House lawmakers voted overwhelmingly last night to strip police officers, teachers, and other municipal employees of most of their rights to bargain over health care, saying the change would save millions of dollars for financially strapped cities and towns.
And at 111-42, the vote wasn’t even close. By this time we have all seen the reaction to Scott Walker and the Republicans in Wisconsin for their vote to do the same. The unions have bused in thousands of “protesters” and doctors have abused their power in order to write fake sick notes to the teachers who have foregone their duties to educate their students in order to attend these protests while still being paid. Hell, even Barack Obama weighed in on what should be a state issue when he said that this seemed like “an attack on unions.”
The media and the president were quick to jump on Wisconsin Republicans for being union busters, so the obvious question is; Will they be so quick to criticize Massachusetts Democrats for following Scott Walker’s lead, or will the Massachusetts House get a free pass with Barack Obama and in the media because it was Democrats who passed this “union busting” bill?
Why do I get the feeling that instead of being labeled “union busters” the Massachusetts House will be called fiscally responsible?
America's Watchtower 
Gee, why didn’t they raise taxes? Running out of other people’s money? Imagine that!
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I guess there is only so much they can take from the people.
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Well where is the outrage Steve? Where are the sit-ins and protest? Oh I see, because the Dems voted to strip unions of their collective bargaining power it must be ok, because after all Dems are all knowing and Repubs know nothing. Bunch of hypocrites!
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I’m waiting……but I for some strange reason I don’t see any.
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They’re playing the same “protect us from ourselves” game that Walker is playing, though I’ve got to say I’m surprised to hear of it in Massachusetts.
Me, I prefer to leave collective bargaining rights intact and then bargain seriously and in good faith. More than once I was part of a mangement team that explained the facts of life to a union that, like most workers in the late ’70s and early ’80s, had gotten very used to employer-provided health insurance. We could have given them what they wanted, but we knew that the money wasn’t there to pay for it, and so it fell to us to convince them of that fact.
Taking away those collective bargaining rights takes away their right to have those facts explained to them. I think it’s a good thing that the state should have to explain and defend its parsimony to its workers, especiallyu because most of them are also citizens of the state as well.
I think Wisconsin is wrong, and if it’s as you say for Massachusetts, then they’re wrong as well.
Take good care and may God bless us all!
TGY
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I doubt this scheme will come to pass as the House passed it, in fact.
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It is surprising to see this happen in Massachusetts, but perhaps this goes to show the true gravity of the situation. I don’t think that this is going to become law either, but in Wisconsin nobody waited until it was law so I expect to see protests in Massachusetts if these people are like you and think that if Wisconsin was wrong that Massachusetts is wrong regarless of the party.
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We’ll be lucky to see this buried on page 30 of the local paper.
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I will be checking out the Boston Herald today to see where it is in there. I know the Globe will bury it.
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Is it possible that the tide is turning when all hope appeared lost? Good bit of news here today!
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I hope so, but I would hold my breath because I find it highly unlikely that this will ever see the light of day in Massachusetts.
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There was a related story, I think on Newsbusters, that cited the lack of media coverage of this. It would seem that the unions or MSM don’t want this type of action associated with the Democrats.
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I would agree, while they oppose this action they oppose Republicans more and they will not mention this in order to protect the Democrats.
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