Lee Saunders, AFSCME, Targets Scott Walker

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has a "score to settle" with Scott Walker.

From the Washington Post:

The nation’s largest public sector union is mounting an intense effort to eject Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from office this fall, determined to oust the Republican who punctured the power of organized labor in the state.

“We have a score to settle with Scott Walker,” Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said in his first interview about the union's midterm strategy.

“He took collective bargaining away from us,” Saunders added, noting that the union was first started in the 1930s by state employees in Madison. “He stole our voices, in a state where we were born.”

...Saunders declined to specify how much AFSCME would pump into politics this year, saying only: “We play hard.”

That sounds rather thuggish.

...The union’s top target is Walker, whose 2011 legislation curbing the collective bargaining rights of public employees set off a political storm. The law, which prevents the automatic deduction of union dues from worker paychecks, has cut deeply into the membership of AFSCME and other unions in Wisconsin.

“We’ve lost 70% of our membership in the state,” said Saunders, adding that the union is down to about 25,000 members there. “But let me tell you something: the members that remain are some of the most committed and dedicated members that we have all across this country.”

Walker survived a contentious recall attempt backed by AFSCME and other unions in 2012. But labor officials said that they believe they have a better shot defeating the governor in a normal election year.

Why did the union lose 70 percent of its membership in Wisconsin after Act 10 became law? What does that tell you?

The union wasn't outlawed. Members CHOSE to leave the union.

In effect, Scott Walker and the legislature gave the members their freedom to choose, and the members acted.

No wonder Walker is AFSCME's Public Enemy No. 1. The union leaders don't want people to have a choice.

This "[Walker] stole our voices" crap is crap.

Hey, Lee! Your past members decided to bail. Walker isn't responsible for your membership bleed.

AFSCME wants power and control. The union wants to force people to serve the organization. Unfortunately, for Saunders and his brethren, the members aren't cooperating, 70 percent, 25,000 strong.

Scott Walker didn't steal their voices. He gave them a choice.

Free will is a bitch, isn't it Lee?
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Full disclosure: Years ago, under previous employment, I was forced to be a member of AFSCME. Back then, I wish I would have been able to make a choice.