Boss Tweed: destroy civil service system before destroying public employee unions

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Senate Committee on Government Reform approved four anti-worker bills on Wednesday on a party-line vote, bills that were introduced only on Monday by its chair, Sen. Rick Murphy, R-Glendale, and fast-tracked for swift passage in the Senate to limit public testimony and to not leave enough time for public opposition to build against these bills as occurred in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.

The four bills approved are:

SB 1484   Paycheck Deductions

SB 1485  Unions; Public Employees; Prohibitions

SB 1486  Public Employees; Activities; Unions; Compensation

SB 1487  Government Employees; Union Dues; Withholding

These bills were to be fast-tracked for a full Senate vote next week.

But Gov. Jan Brewer, aka "Boss Tweed," wants her bill to destroy the civil service merit selection system acted upon first before our Tea-Publican legislature destroys public employee unions. And for this we are to be grateful? Brewer's ultimatum: State personnel reform or no union-busting bills – East Valley Tribune:

Gov. Jan Brewer is threatening to veto some union-busting bills unless lawmakers first give her what she wants: reform of the state personnel system.

And even then, she's not promising to sign anything.

The unusual warning from the governor comes less than 24 hours after the Senate Committee on Government Reform approved four separate measures aimed at undermining union membership. The most sweeping would make it illegal for state and local governments and school districts to have collective bargaining with employee groups; others would restrict payroll deductions for union dues.

* * *

[The governor's] press aide Matthew Benson said she believes it is far more important that she get the changes she wants in personnel rules, changes that would give department chiefs more power to fire and discipline workers.

"What we're saying (to lawmakers) is, before you pursue this other stuff, you need to take up personnel reform," he said. "That is the governor's priority."

Benson said draft legislation for personnel reform is coming "very soon." Benson said that is more important to the governor than any efforts to go after unions. He stressed that even if Brewer gets what she wants, that does not mean she will sign any of the anti-union bills if they reach her desk, saying the fate of those measures is "an open question."

Seize the day, people! We have a window of opportunity here to rally public opposition to this assault on working people and America's middle-class.