Libertarian Librarian

There is currently a bill in the Wisconsin Senate, SB 452, that would allow UW faculty and academic staff (not the maintenance/facilities people or others that are already part of a union) collective bargaining rights with the state. Effectively, it would make me part of a union-- some sort of affiliated agency to the American Federation of Teachers, I think.

Thing is, I generally think unions have worn out their usefulness, and I particularly dislike professionals who feel they need to unionize. Are their issues between the faculty/academic staff and the UW Administration? Absolutely. But I don't really believe collective bargaining is the answer-- we're professionals, so let's find a less adversarial way to deal with those differences. As with world affairs, sometimes war is necessary, but as with world affairs, it is a last resort, and anything that makes a situation more adversarial should only be undertaken under extreme circumstances.

And what the heck is Dale Schultz doing proposing the legislation? He's a Republican-- isn't he supposed to hate labor? All very strange. All very much not to my liking.