Union Busting Plain News Today

>> reporter: good morning. in a lot of ways this is tougher than wisconsin, and it could be the law in ohio by next week. as you said, the ohio senate last night by one vote passed that republican-sponsored bill that does away with many of the time-honored union benefits, unlike the wisconsin proposal, it could allow for collective bargaining but it restricts the public employees right necessary some areas. union workers can still negotiate wages, hours and working conditions but not health care...

They say the bill is aimed at union busting plain and simple. over the weekend they faced off with supporters of the bill. the new republican governor says cuts are needed to fix a broken budget. hell have to lay off 1,500 employees if the bill isnt passed. as i said, union say the efforts to eliminate collective bargaining isnt about budgets, but union busting. in the meantime, 14 democratic state senators are basically boycotting the bill. theyve left the state to stall a vote on it. joining m...

But union busting. 15 state senators are boycotting. governors across the country are watching the budget battle very cleesely. joining me now is eliot spitzer and ed rollins. do you agree this is about union busting? >> yes. >> i should have asked that question to ed. >> no, ill answer for him. >> this is about altering the power that unions have had. democratic legislators, wisconsin has been a state for 50 years, has had these kinds of rights. they have basically gotten great advantages, i th...

In wisconsin, the tense political stanoff continues. demonstrators have filled the state capital. they say the bill is aimed at union busting plain and simple. over the weekend they faced off with supporters of the bill. the new republican governor says cuts are needed to fix a broken budget. as i said, union say the efforts to eliminate collective bargaining isnt about budgets, but union busting. 15 state senators are boycotting. governors across the country are watching the budget battle very ...

Have fiscal problems. >> can i say something? this is really a misperception of what is the issue driving states into bankruptcy. yes, there are pensioner issues that are significant. there are issues of wage levels that have to be dealt with. the crisis for states is a revenue crisis, we have had the worst recession/depression since 29, revenues are down 15%. all of the states costs are fixed costs, and so when you have that gap, you have a crisis, this is not suddenly the civil service workers...

Have that gap, you have a crisis, this is not suddenly the civil service workers are being paid so much more than they were two years ago, when states were doing fine. lets not confuse the issue, i disagree about union busting, he wants to do it, he may have the votes for it. >> this is about the budget? >> no, i dont buy that. the unions have agreed with him on the give backs, this is prospectively as ed said, who will have how much power in the politics of wisconsin. >> they have used the powe...

In the meantime, 14 democratic state senators are basically boycotting the bill. theyve left the state to stall a vote on it. joining me now is eliot spitzer and ed rollins. elliott youre a democrat. >> yes. >> do you agree this is about union busting? >> yes. >> i should have asked that question to ed. >> no, ill answer for him. >> this is about altering the power that unions have had with democratic legislatures. wisconsin has been a state for 50 years, has had these kinds of rights. they have...

Have that gap, you have a crisis, this is not suddenly the civil service workers are being paid so much more than they were two years ago, when states were doing fine. lets not confuse the issue, i disagree about union busting, he wants to do it, he may have the votes for it. that is not why -- >> this is about the budget? >> no, i dont buy that. the unions have agreed with him on the give backs, this is prospectively as ed said, who will have how much power in the politics of wisconsin. >> they...

This is really a misperception of what is the issue driving states into bankruptcy. yes, there are pension issues that are significant. there are issues of wage levels that have to be dealt with. the crisis for states is a revenue crisis, we have had the worst recession/depression since 29, revenues are down 15%. all of the states costs are fixed costs, and so when you have that gap, you have a crisis, this is not suddenly the civil service workers are being paid so much more than they were two ...

There. unlike the wisconsin proposal it tries to do away with collective bargaining. the ohio version does keep collective bargaining but it restricts workers rights in other areas. they can negotiate wages, hours and work conditions but not healthcare, sick time or pension benefits and no more automatic pay raises. the changes management practices in use for decades such as eliminating binding arbitration, where a third party decides labor disputes. some say its union busting plain and simple b...