Clearly, everyone wants the budget to be passed.
And the only reason that Rendell is withholding pay from some 88,000 Commonwealth Employees is to put pressure on the legislators.
They’re being used as pawns in a political game which is benefiting no one but special interest groups, lobbyists and the upper one percent looking for more money in their pockets.
So here’s my suggestion to the state workers who aren’t getting paid or receiving reduced pay:
WALK OFF.
ALL OF YOU.
I’m fucking serious. Imagine this situation on a smaller scale. Say a restaurant which employs ten people says to it’s employees “Yes, we have the money to pay you. But we’re fighting internally here and decided that we’re not going to pay you until we come to an agreement. Yes, yes…I know you’re all doing your jobs…but I’m going to use you as a way to get what I want.”
You’ve got the ability to bring this Commonwealth to it’s KNEES. Imagine 88,000 state employees ALL walked off their jobs at precisely the same time? Watch how quick they pass the budget then!
But do we have that in us anymore? As a whole? As a society? Or are we too euthanized by our flat screen TV’s and Facebook accounts and fast food and alcohol and tobacco that we couldn’t possibly fathom giving up these things they call “luxuries”?
“Sacrifice of the few for the good of the many”.
If that were the scenario in a restaurant which employs ten people, they would ALL QUIT.
So multiply that by eighty-eight thousand…they can’t fire ALL of you.
But by you guys continuing to go to work and not organizing en masse you’re sending the message to Rendell that you’re a bunch of pansies who can be walked all over with no regard to your dedication to your trade.
This would not be tolerated in any other industry.
(Let me repeat that…this WOULD NOT be tolerated in ANY OTHER industry.)
Lemme bring this home for a second…a promoter (like myself) says to his production staff “Hey guys. Look. I’m battling with the venue owners to get more money for projects I want to do…and until we get it resolved, I need you to keep on working as hard as you do and I’m not going to pay you until I get this resolved.”
I’d be out a sound crew quicker than you could say “load out”.
So WHY are you all still working!?
Certainly, only a handful of you couldn’t accomplish this.
You need to ORGANIZE.
Union leaders: what the fuck are you guys waiting for!?
Isn’t that what a Union is in place for? Isn’t that why some of you higher ups get paid six-figure salaries? To PROTECT the best interest of the unions membership??
I’m SO sick of the political posturing that happens in this god forsaken Commonwealth.
And it’s not just the State. Harrisburg politics are JUST as fucked up. (Probably even MORE fucked up if you think about it.)
And the politicians who will shake your hand and kiss your baby for the months leading up to their elections are the SAME ONES who are doing this to you right now.
Stand up.
Be counted.
You’re better than this. And deserve more.
Sorry… can’t go with you on this one.
The people already paid my salary. The people expect me to do what I’m supposed to for them. Just because some big waste-wad (and a bunch of little ones) have thrown a wrentch into it all… it doesn’t get me off the hook of doing what I’m supposed to.
(stealing a page from your book…let me ‘take this home’). You have a loved one facing life-saving surgery today. Part of the process is State-related paperwork…has to be there or there can be no operation.
I call you up in the morning… tell ya I’ve got to fight the power. I won’t be doing that paperwork. Don’t come looking for it till I’ve got a check in hand. Sorry… but you know I’ve gotta do what I gotta do.
We’re all ok with that?
My Morale: Just because my life is f’ed up, doesn’t give me the right to f-up the lives of a bunch of people who didn’t cause the problem (and they do rely on, up to and including life and death situations).
Good point, Inca…and thank you for delivering it with balance and reason.
I think many aren’t walking off b/c if we file a federal case, we have to show that we continued to work without pay and that it was the Commonwealth politicians who erred in their ways by violating federal labor laws.
They could pass a bill so that the state workers could get paid until they pass the budget, but they aren’t even doing that either, which makes this all the more a slap in the face of all Commonwealth workers.
I would love to agree with you on this and I kind of do to a point. Inca made a great point and while my job is not remotely close to that I still wouldn’t be happy with myself for doing that.
I do agree though that if we did that for 1 or 2 days they would at the very least pass the stopgap budget which would allow us to be paid. So it is definitely a thing to consider.
It might yet happen…remember many of us were still paid 70% of our checks last Friday. Next week will be the first ‘payless payday’ which might cause an uprising.
Jersey,
This is something that we have talked about on end in our office and while my section was all in favor for a statewide call off day, there is no way that 77,000 people would call off on the same day. Unfortunately, the unity just does not exist. Especially when there are so many intangibles that get in people’s way. However, we are truly being held hostage by the budget. I don’t work at the state to get rich. In fact, being the only bread winner in the household has left us scrambling to pay bills and put food on the table (and not food bank food either,come on people, we knew about this since June. Not directed at struggling single mothers, directed at management who I know went to the foodbank b/c it was available). My wife is pregnant with our second child, and while I am not getting a pay check currently, we need the benefits to pay for her doctor’s visits. I also have one more year until I am vested, which may not mean a lot to some, but because of my responsibility to my family I can’t afford to start at a new job, but I can’t afford not get paid either. Thank you legislators and Governor Rendell
My biggest problem with an organized walk-off is that we would all be fired. And while we may have legal recourse in any private industry, our employer is the commonwealth; we can not sue them for wrongful termination. Hell, we can’t even sue ‘em for unpaid wages. We’re pretty much hosed.