The Wisconsin AFL-CIO is firing back at Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) Monday press conference, in which he attacked state Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D) and his caucus for not returning to the state — and accused Dems of secretly taking their marching orders from the unions instead of having real negotiations. In response, the union says Walker is the one who isn’t negotiating in good faith — and is also the one who was caught on a phone call with someone he believed to be an out-of-state backer.
“Given that Walker’s refusal to negotiate in good faith was embarrassingly revealed in a phone call with someone he believed was his billionaire political benefactor David Koch, it is beyond comprehension that he would suggest Democrats are taking direction from out-of-state phone calls,” says a statement from the state AFL-CIO. “Indeed, it was an out-of-state phone call from ‘Koch’ that directed Walker to take his ‘baseball bat’ to Wisconsin’s working families and launch an all-out assault on the middle class.”
TPM also asked Miller spokesman Michael Browne for comment on Walker’s allegations of secret calls with union leaders, and got a short response:
Sorry, no secret calls.
Here’s the full AFL-CIO statement:
Walker Continues Lying and Posturing In Circus-Stunt Press Conference
Despite his posturing to the contrary, it is Scott Walker who is unwilling to engage in good-faith negotiation with Democrats who are standing up for the 74% of Wisconsinites that oppose his budget repair bill. The recent Reuters headline – “Wisconsin’s Walker vows no compromise on unions” – demonstrates clearly he has no interest in compromising, just creating the illusion of compromise as his polling numbers sink to record-low levels.
Walker again today reiterated the lie that all he is asking for is modest contributions from labor on health care and pension contributions. We have already accepted every sacrifice on wages and benefits Walker insisted upon and yet he won’t take ‘yes’ for an answer.
When are corporations going to make their shared sacrifice to fix Wisconsin’s budget? In fact, Scott Walker’s plan calls for huge give backs to the corporate special interests that bankrolled his campaign. Walker’s power grab has nothing to do with the budget and everything to do with stripping workers of our bargaining rights.
Given that Walker’s refusal to negotiate in good faith was embarrassingly revealed in a phone call with someone he believed was his billionaire political benefactor David Koch, it is beyond comprehension that he would suggest Democrats are taking direction from out-of-state phone calls. Indeed, it was an out-of-state phone call from ‘Koch’ that directed Walker to take his ‘baseball bat’ to Wisconsin’s working families and launch an all-out assault on the middle class.
It’s time for Scott Walker stop the lies, end the showboating, and come to the table to negotiate a deal that gets Wisconsin moving forward again.
