Labor & Employment Law

The nation’s governors are meeting right now in Washington, D.C., for their annual conference. Well, not all of them. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is a no-show, preferring to make the rounds on the weekend television interview programs to explain away why he wants to take away the freedom of public employees to bargain for good middle-class jobs.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) also is meeting this weekend. Here are excerpts from the statement Labor Secretary Hilda Solis made this morning when meeting with the DNC. Walker needs to read these remarks. And so does Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who’s right on the heels of Walker in his attacks on nurses, teachers and EMTs.

I’ve been following the developments in Wisconsin, and Ohio, and many other states across the country.

We know that many states are facing tough budget decisions. We know that there’s room for shared sacrifice.

And we’ve seen our brothers and sisters in the public employees unions willing to give there share, and to negotiate in good faith to help their states get through tough times.

But the governors in Wisconsin and Ohio aren’t just asking workers to tighten their belts, they’re demanding that they give up their uniquely American rights as workers.

These are our neighbors, our friends, our family.  They teach our kids and risk their lives to keep us safe.  And all they’re asking is to be treated with respect.

All these workers want is the opportunity to sit down at the table, like grown ups, and work together to solve problems.

That’s what collective bargaining is all about.

We know that sitting down together and working through problems doesn’t cause budget problems.  In fact, that’s how we solve budget problems.

In every family in America, that’s what they do when times are tough.  They talk.  They negotiate. And that’s what these Governors ought to do.