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RUSS DECKER ADDRESSES CONTROVERSIAL UNION VOTE
WPR News - Russ Decker addresses controversial union vote
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Monday June 04, 2012
by Glen Moberg
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Former Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker is speaking out on the circumstances surrounding his controversial vote in late 2010 on public union contracts, and the governor's stance on collective bargaining.
In the last days of Jim Doyle's administration, longtime union supporter Russ Decker shocked his colleagues by voting against a set of contracts with public workers that would have tied incoming Gov. Walker's hands. On a Wisconsin Public Radio talk show, Decker says he did not expect the new governor to strip away collective bargaining rights in the weeks that followed, "I didn't think they would strip collective bargaining rights. I knew that they would go after them to pay more health care and retirement benefits, and the public employees agreed to that."
Decker told his colleagues on the Senate floor that they needed to work with the new Republican administration. The head of the state employees union, Marty Beil was outraged. He suggested that Decker voted against the contracts because Jim Doyle wouldn't pardon former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala. Decker says it's not true.
Decker says Walker won with a lot of union support in 2010 and he predicts the governor will try to make Wisconsin a right to work state if he survives the recall, "The divide and conquer comment that Scott Walker made shows the true belief that he has, and he did sponsor right to work legislation when he first got in the Assembly. So you know, it's hard to change your colors."
Decker served in the Senate for 20 years. He says he has no desire to run again.
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