Act 10 Keeps "Saving" Taxpayers Money - The Corrections Edition

[Scuba]

http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2013/08/act-10-keeps-saving-taxpayers-money.html

One statewide area that has also been hit extremely hard by Act 10 is the Department of Corrections. There has been a spike in assaults and injuries to correction officers. This led to a cover up and might eventually lead to Walker trying to privatize the system. But the corrections officers aren't sitting back and just taking it. They are fighting back in the only way left to them - the courts. And it looks like it will cost the taxpayers plenty (emphasis mine):

According to the lawsuit, the state Department of Corrections issued a policy on Jan. 29, 2012, stating that employees are considered “on duty when they are present at their assigned post/work location prepared to assume their duties at their designated start time.” But the guards allege it means they aren’t paid for pre-shift work that serves DOC’s interests, such as passing a security screening, participating in roll calls and fitness for duty checks, checking out and receiving equipment and traveling through prisons to their assigned posts, all while being ready to respond to emergency calls. They also alleged they are not paid for post-shift work that includes communicating with relief officers, checking in work equipment and passing a security screening, again while being available for emergency calls.

The DOC’s failure to pay guards for that time is “willful and in bad faith,” the lawsuit states.

A class action lawsuit was filed because Act 10, signed by Gov. Scott Walker in March 2011, removed collective bargaining as a means to resolve disputes like this one, the lawsuit states. Individuals lack the means to file separate lawsuits, which would also be expensive to the state, the lawsuit states. “Wisconsin 2011 Act 10 prohibits members of the class from collectively negotiating with the DOC to seek redress over issues of wages, hours and working conditions,” the lawsuit states. “This leaves a class action complaint as a sole means to seek redress from a neutral decision-maker.”

[Jackpine Radical]

1. FWIW, for the most part the prison guards supported the recall.

Some of this may be Walker's revenge for not letting themselves be split off from the rest of the state employees.

[Scuba]

2. Indeed they did. I have the pics to prove it!

[midnight]

3. Isn't this against the law to retaliate against workers for trying to better their work environment

[Jackpine Radical]

4. That's what we used to think.

Turns out the law is actually whatever the teabag Guv, fascist gerrymandered legislature & Koch-owned Supreme Court of Wisconsin declare it to be.

[midnight]

5. This is the most lawless oath taking bunch.... If they can't uphold the law they need to leave.....

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Apparently the voting machines of Waukesha County do not agree.

[midnight]

7. And that is a fact....

[dembotoz]

8. have a friend whose daughter works at walmart--ya i know.....

she has special needs and they seem to treat her very very well-she loves it.

anyway the point of this post is
Walmart is very careful now about making sure they do not do anything off the clock.
If she has a question for her boss, her boss makes sure it is on the clock.

so the off the clock lawsuits seem to have worked.

It is a pity that walmart can be held up as an example of good employer actions as opposed to the state of wisconsin