Madison firefighters stands by other unions
By Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel
Feb. 18, 2011 10:01 a.m. |(1) Comments
Madison - Much has been made of Gov. Scott Walker's exemption of law enforcement agencies in his budget-repair bill and provisions that allow those groups to continue to bargain collectively on new contracts.
Joe Conway Jr., president of Madison Local 311 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said Friday that his union, which represents Madison firefighters as well as fire departments and first responders in other Dane County communities, said there is good reason why law enforcement groups have generally backed the unions.
"What could happen to other unions will happen to us," he said. Conway reasons that, if the bill passes, local governments with wage deals with other unions will want the same for firefighters and police officers.
"If they have to take an 8% pay cut, they would want the same for us," Conway said. "And if we took it to arbitration, there would be no arbitrator who would rule in our favor."
Conway was a speaker at Thursday night's workers' rights rally outside the Capitol, which featured a number of national union heads.
On Thursday night, the Madison City Council voted unanimously to extend a number of the city's agreements with unions to the end of 2012. The extension is for one year, Conway said.
Conway estimated the extensions cover an estimated 2,000 Madison city employees.
"This creates labor peace," Conway said. -- Andy