Police, fire unions speak out on CB law

GREEN BAY - Wisconsin's Republican lawmakers re-opened the fight over collective bargaining rights Friday, proposing new police and firefighters pay more for their health insurance and pension benefits.

The change, approved by the Republican-controlled budget committee on an 11-4 party line vote, would force some police and firefighters to make the same contributions toward their benefits as other public workers under a bill signed by Gov. Scott Walker.

Police and firefighters were exempt from that law, which is now tied up in the courts.

The committee's proposal would force police and firefighters to pay five-point-eight percent of their pension benefits and 12 percent of their health care costs, just like other public workers.

Committee Republicans say morale issues were the driving force behind their proposal aimed at police and firefighters.

"So we're trying to smooth those over and to try to alleviate some of the morale problems that were created with the uneven application of these new policies," said State Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills.

But the Green Bay Area Firefighters Union said because the new measure affects only new hire, it will cause even more division.

"Any new hires that we get, there's going to be a split there, and any time you have a split you get some tension. It definitely affects morale. It affects your working conditions," said president Chad Bronkhorst.

The Green Bay Police Department is looking to hire 15 new officers this year and union president Ben Allen said he'd also prefer a level playing field for all members. And while veteran officers remain exempt, Allen is worried this is the beginning of a slippery slope.

"Absolutely, and that's why we don't like any portion infringing on any portion of our membership. Eventually it's a small group, and then all of a sudden it's the entire group and that's a big concern," said Allen.

Since the beginning of the collective bargaining debate teachers knew they would be impacted. So are they satisfied police officers and firefighters are now in the same boat?

"We don't see anything being really fair about this process. I mean when they're taking away our rights to collectively bargain. It's not fair to anybody for them to do that," said Bay Lakes United Educators director Dave Campshure.

The president of the Greater Green Bay Labor Council said he's also more concerned about union rights rather than who must pay up.

"This shouldn't have happened at all, taking away the democratic right of people to form unions for the purpose of collective bargaining - wages, hours of work and other conditions of employment," said Tony Vanderbloemen.

Vanderbloemen feels the committee's decision was simply a political move.

"To make it look good, like hey, we're beating up on these guys too," said Vanderbloemen.

Committee Republicans said the proposal gives local governments "reasonable tools" to help save money.

But Democrats blasted the measure saying police and firefighters don't deserve it.

Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie wouldn't say whether the governor supported the move.