Tom Barrett in Politico.com


On Jobs: Restore state's collective bargaining; I respect unions

The two rivals spent the first 15 minutes of the debate sparring over the issue that sparked the historic recall in the first place: the governor's decision to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees.

Walker framed his budget bill as a bold but necessary action taken to get the state's finances in order and pointed to a $154 million surplus and the addition of 23,000 jobs this year as evidence his reforms had already produced results. "The mayor has said repeatedly throughout the primary he wants go to back and restore collective bargaining," Walker noted.

Barrett acknowledged as governor he would restore collective bargaining rights, but pushed back on the assertion that he would be a pawn of the unions. "The difference is I'll allow them to be at the table. He doesn't even want to have a conversation with them. They know that I'm not a pushover, but the difference is I respect them to be at the table, not to own the table, but to be at the table," he said.

Source: Politico.com on 2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall debate Jun 1, 2012

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