In wake of Act 10 ruling, Dane County Board plans to approve new contracts for union workers

[hue]

http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/in-wake-of-act-ruling-dane-county-board-plans-to/article_877d277c-02c1-11e2-b50f-001a4bcf887a.html

While Republicans attacked a ruling that overturned parts of the state law limiting collective bargaining, pro-labor Dane County government leaders scrambled to use the court action to extend the lives of its employee unions.

County administrators were negotiating with workers Wednesday night on contracts that could keep its unions alive through 2015. The County Board was poised to vote on the pact tonight.

"We have a window here, and we're going to take advantage of it," said County Board Chairman Scott McDonell.

A spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker said it was unfortunate that the county wasn't using the cost-cutting "tools" provided by Act 10, which in 2011 all but ended public employee union rights in the state.

On Friday, portions of the law were ruled unconstitutional by Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas. State officials asked Colas to delay enforcement of that ruling until after appeals can be heard by higher courts, but it may be days or weeks before he decides on that request.

As long as the ruling is in force, McDonell said, local governments can negotiate new binding contracts with employee unions.

[Scuba]

1. Suck on it, Squat.

[midnight]

2. Great for Dane county, any one hear about Milwaukee county?

[SWTORFanatic]

3. I so wish I worked in Dane County... maybe I'll look for a job there :)

[lutefisk]

4. ...causing Steve Nass to vow "I will fight any effort to send more state money to this county"

Once again, state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Town of La Grange, is taking aim at "Dane County liberals."

The 12-term legislator is best known for his attacks on what he sees as liberal academics and policies at UW-Madison, whose budget he partially oversees as chair of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities.

This week, however, the target of his derision is Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and his allies on the Dane County Board, who on Thursday approved a new contract with the county's union employees. The contract comes in the wake of the recent circuit court ruling that struck down part of Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10, which had barred local government employees from collectively bargaining over everything but wages, and had prohibited wage increases beyond similar increases in the consumer price index.

"Dane County is about as close to a Banana Republic as you can find," said Nass in a statement. "Eventually the house of cards will collapse in Dane County with significant costs. In the next budget, I will fight any effort to send more state money to this county."

What an a--hole.

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/politiscope/madison-politiscope-steve-nass-blasts-dane-county-liberals-over-new/article_178ad38e-0392-11e2-9aac-001a4bcf887a.html