Unions Threaten Wisconsin Businesses

In Wisconsin, unions have not yet gotten the message that taxpayers have had enough. In the wake of much needed legislation signed by Governor Walker, Unions Threaten Wisconsin Businesses.

Here is a snip of a letter sent to Mr. Tom Ellis, President of Marshall & Ilsley Corporation:

Dear Mr. Ellis:

As you undoubtedly know, Governor Walker recently proposed a “budget adjustment bill” to eviscerate public employees’ right to collectively bargain in Wisconsin. …

The undersigned groups would like your company to publicly oppose Governor Walker’s efforts to virtually eliminate collective bargaining for public employees in Wisconsin. While we appreciate that you may need some time to consider this request, we ask for your response by March 17. In the event that you do not respond to this request by that date, we will assume that you stand with Governor Walker and against the teachers, nurses, police officers, fire fighters, and other dedicated public employees who serve our communities.

In the event that you cannot support this effort to save collective bargaining, please be advised that the undersigned will publicly and formally boycott the goods and services provided by your company. However, if you join us, we will do everything in our power to publicly celebrate your partnership in the fight to preserve the right of public employees to be heard at the bargaining table. Wisconsin’s public employee unions serve to protect and promote equality and fairness in the workplace. We hope you will stand with us and publicly share that ideal.

Here is the group threatening Marshall & Ilsley

• James L. Palmer, Executive Director Wisconsin Professional Police Association
• Mahlon Mitchell, President Professional Fire Fighters
• Jim Conway, President International Association of Fire Fighters Local 311
• John Matthews, Executive Director Madison Teachers, Inc.
• Keith Patt, Executive Director Green Bay Education Association
• Bob Richardson, President Dane County Deputy Sheriffs Association
• Dan Frei, President Madison Professional Police Officers Association

Marshall & Ilsley is a financial services organization.

Marshall & Ilsley, a diversified financial services company based in Wisconsin, provides comprehensive financial products and services and unparalleled customer service to personal, business, corporate and institutional customers nationwide.

Mentality of Wisconsin Unions

I suspect the public unions have some money invested in strategies at Marshall & Ilsley. If so, note the mentality of the unions.

The union’s concern ought to be how well their pension funds are managed as opposed to extorting a meaningless statement out of Mr. Ellis.

However, that is not the way these unions think or act.

I know nothing about Marshall & Ilsley, one way or the other. However, it’s crystal clear that these unions would leave a pension fund, no matter how well run it might be, if they could not extort a meaningless political statement from the president of a company.

About the author: Mike “Mish” Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for Sitka Pacific Capital Management. His top-rated global economics blog Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis offers insightful commentary every day of the week. He is also a contributing “professor” on Minyanville, a community site focused on economic and financial education. Every Thursday he does a podcast on HoweStreet and on an ad hoc basis he contributes to many other websites, including UnionWatch.