So "forced union states" depress wages, interesting. All the union haters have always stated otherwise. Maybe you should pack your bags and move where the money is. Most of your anti union friends on this blog don't want their tax dollars spent enriching your salary so you should maybe keep quiet about this statistic.

Are you going to tell me the union folks aren't getting paid descent wages? Are you going to tell me the GM workers weren't getting paid very descent wages? The union didn't do them much good, did it?

"Why don't you check out the wages for the same job you have, in those right to work states. I would like to know how they compare to what your hourly wage is here in a "union state."
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According to the website Indeed.com (http://www.indeed.com/salary/Police-Offi...) the average salary for a police officer in Wisconsin, a forced-unionism sate, is $38,000. Following is a list of average police officer wages from several Right To Work States:
Iowa - $47,000
Nebraska - $44,000
South Dakota - $44,000
North Dakota - $48,000
Wyoming - $54,000
Kansas - $42,000
Oklahoma - $44,000
Texas - $46,000

Call or write your Wisconsin representatives and demand they pass Right to Work legislation!

With MM, if they voted no, they the old contract that was signed like a year ago stays in affect. In that contract there were stipulations that the company had to keep X number of employees and stay in FDL for at minimum a certain amount of time (I think 18-36 months). If they were to vote yes, the number of employees and having to stay in FDL part of the contract were stripped out.

I'm so glad you're leaving office Doyle. The union rejected an offer and you want to give the company incentives to stay. Incentives equal tax payer dollars or lack of taxes for them. Life isn't fair but this is crap. Let the union lie in the bed they made. Stupid union. Who on earth in today's economy will say I'd rather live on unemployment than make a concession? I'll tell you....complete morons.

Sparky; the kool aid is being made by the truck load now - the corp welfare as you call it, would be a subsidy that would goto the EMPLOYEES - do you really think the Co. just simply pockets this money - it OFFSETS the enormous union wage package to allow them to stay here! ---- how about this "spin", unions know (especially because Sheridan is in Madison) - that the state has this money (our money) set aside from the GM negotiation & will do "whatever it takes" to save jobs. Did it ever occur to you that the union based their no vote to concessions on the fact they "knew" an offer would be forth coming? Whose greedier? Corporations for trying to make a profit or unions for "forcing" tax payers into paying a portion of their wages?

Yeah Sparky55-I sure Mercury is making money hand over fist! Because we all know that in the middle of the worst recession in decades that everyone is running out to buy a new ski boat to zip around the lake on.......Seriously.......I haven't looked for their financials, but I would bet that Mercury could hardly be considered "very profitable" at this point and probably does need to reduce expenses where ever possible......

Just another example of Wisconsin kissing the rear of these corporations to placate them for the short term, just to have them run out in the end anyways...I say don't do it, if the employee were so concerned about keeping their jobs, they would have voted the new contract in.

Who are they trying to kid. Mercury Marine is a very profitable entity that more than likely drew the line in the sand for the sole purpose of squeezing some corporate welfare out of the state. Just another example of corporate greed that gives the clueless anti-union bottom feeders another opportunity to ridicule anyone making more than minimum wage.

I am glad to see that companies are beginning to stand up to unions. Unions have inflated our products we buy by demanding higher then average wages and benefits. I am sure you union people will argue this because you are not living on normal every day wages like the majority of this county is.

areyouevenlistening - Poor workers? You're joking right? They have a job and I'd being willing to bet, they get paid pretty damn good. They turned down an offer and they just rolled the dice. Dumb move. Unions eventually grumble and cause more harm than good.

Goremly.......That's great that unions help support inflated wage and benefit rates until the corporations that are sick of dealing with their crap close down the factories and leave town. Wisconsin does need to become a right to work state. The end result of the blessings that unionized labor bestow on a community will be very apparent right about the time that unemployment benefits run out in the cities of Janesville and Fond du lac......

I would like to hear more about the package before forming an opinion here. I understand the feelings behind most of the comments here because I, too, believe the workers' own actions killed their jobs. By the way, I thought the wage freeze was only for two years and not seven as some state here. Regardless, we need to do something to keep jobs here in Wisconsin. What that "something" would be is beyond me however.

Why don't you check out the wages for the same job you have, in those right to work states. I would like to know how they compare to what your hourly wage is here in a "union state." People seem to forget that even if you don't belong to a union you are still benefiting from unions. They help keep wage and insurance standards up for everyone.

news, absolutely! http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm

Wisconsin needs to become a "Right-to-Work" state.

Lets not look at this as a union-non-union thing. We need both sides just like our gov. to keep the public happy. Lets look at it as a wisconsin persons job and support them. Would you vote for a seven year wage freeze?

The voted NO, end of story. This is different from GM because GM workers voted YES. I don't want my tax dollars helping people that QUIT.

If it's anything like the GM package those poor workers may as well wave good bye to their jobs, Doyle is such a putz. Next year can't get here soon enough, then instead of waving good bye to jobs we can just wave good bye to him!