Legislators Target Workers

Submitted by AFSCME Council 5 on February 17, 2011 - 11:21am.

The Legislature is only a month old and it is already painfully clear what the priorities are for Republican legislative leaders. First, increase corporate giveaways. Second, protect the rich. Third, attack public workers, cripple unions, undermine collective bargaining rights, and dump an even bigger burden on local taxpayers, students and their families. Members can do their part to fight the ongoing attacks by attending Council 5’s Day on the Hill March 22 and contacting their local legislators.

Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed Republican legislation that chopped nearly $1 billion in spending, primarily through cuts to cities, counties, higher education, and services such as child protection. Gov. Dayton called the bill “piecemeal” legislation filled with “misguided priorities” that would cut services but raise property taxes by $448 million.

Among Republican proposals:

• Cut corporate income taxes – even though it makes the state’s budget deficit $200 million worse. (SF1)
• Cut corporate property taxes – even though it squeezes schools and local governments even more. This corporate tax break means homeowners will have to pick up more of the property tax tab. (SF1)
• Cut the state workforce by 15 percent, which will eliminate 5,000 jobs in the middle of a recession. (HF4) 
• For state workers who jobs remain, impose a two-year wage freeze (HF127); increase the threat of privatization (HF53); force them to compete to keep their own jobs (HF192); and pave the way to eliminate their pensions. (SF81)
• Consolidate all accounting, financial, procurement, fleet service, human resource, and payroll functions of all executive branch agencies into one agency – or allow them all to be privatized. (HF418)
• Strip state government down to eight departments by merging Corrections, DEED, Health, Human Rights, Labor and Industry, Management and Budget, Revenue, Transportation and Veterans Affairs into other departments. Also merge Housing Finance, the Iron Range Resources Board, Mediation Services, and Pollution Control into other agencies. (HF419)
• Impose a two-year wage freeze on all public school employees and outlaw economic strikes by school employees. (SF56, HF381)
• Drive down wages for all workers – and handcuff unions and their members’ power to improve wages, benefits and working conditions – by adding “work for less” loopholes to the state constitution. (HF65)
• Eliminate equal pay for women (HF7, SF282)
• Allow MnSCU to deny seniority raises to full-time faculty (SF253)
• Muck up the ability of public employees and retirees to participate in insurance programs (HF371,SF247)
• Drive up costs of retiree health insurance (HF404)
• Limit teacher tenure to 5 years and give school districts the ability to unilaterally terminate teachers at the end of every 5-year period (SF251)
• Cut more state aid to higher education, which means more layoffs, fewer courses, but higher tuition. (SF60) Cut tax breaks for renters, but keep the decade-old tax breaks for millionaires. (HF129,SF82)

Gov. Mark Dayton has criticized the raft of Republican proposals as an attempt to demonize public workers and drive a wedge between Minnesotans. “Most public employees,” Gov. Dayton said, “are extraordinarily dedicated, hard-working people who are striving to make ends meet for their families, just as people in the private sector are.”