Debt in the five states that forbid it totals $222 billion. In the 11 states that don't ban or require collective bargaining with public employees, their finances are not any better whether or not they do it. In Arizona, where the law permits bargaining but the state chooses not to do so, its total debt stands at $22 billion with a yearly deficit of $2 billion (despite laying off 2,000 state workers in recent years).
To say the least, it is rather difficult to prove that ending collective bargaining, as is now proposed in Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere, offers any guarantee that states can close their budget gaps.
States Where Collective Bargaining is Explicitly Illegal
(in billions)
Debt: Total outstanding when calculated by adding all debt, including pension obligations and unemployment trust funds
Deficit: Yearly or bi-annual budget shortfalls
Sources: Sunshine Review, National Council on Teacher Quality
Craig blogs daily for CQ ROLL CALL.Follow Craig Crawford on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craig_crawford
Bernard Weisberger: Onward Wisconsin
1. no contract is a one party contract. there are two parties in ever contract. the workers are only one side. the employers are the other. no one is talking about getting rid of the ability of the legislature to bargain, only the right of the union to bargain. why can one side bargain and the other not?
2. the union members are hard working taxpayers. how can one protect the hard working taxpayers from the hard working taxpayers?
Seriously, if Scott Walker was serious about the state's pension mess he would sue the Wall Street banksters that ripped them off. But he's not, so he won't....