Main Street

The guts to take rights from cops and firefighters

In late February, when Wisconsin workers were starting to realize just how extreme Governor Scott Walker’s collective bargaining bill was, there was one guy who thought it could go farther. That would be Dan Kapanke, Republican state senator from LaCrosse.

Unlike SB-5 in Ohio, Walker’s bill in Wisconsin carved out an exemption for police officers, firefighters, and other public safety workers to keep their collective bargaining rights. After all, the idea that a cop can’t negotiate to get a better bulletproof vest that could save his or her life is disrespectful, inhumane, and offensive to most people.

However, when discussing the exemption, Sen. Kapanke seemed unaffected:

Kapanke said though it’s not “his call,” he thinks it makes sense to include public safety workers in the ban on collective bargaining.

Walker’s bill prohibits state and municipal workers from collective bargaining except on wages capped by inflation. Fire, police and state patrol unions, however, would still be allowed to negotiate contracts.

“That issue is going to be raised,” Kapanke said. “We’ll see if there’s enough will to include them.”

The language is important to notice here. It’s not that stripping rights from public safety workers is a horrible idea, or that it shows tremendous disdain to the men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis. It’s that there might not be enough “will” to do it.

Kapanke is concerned that his fellow senators might not have the guts, the courage – indeed, the bravery – to tell a firefighter that times are tough, and if he wants a better gas mask or oxygen tank, he’ll just have to buy it himself, because this is the best equipment the town or city can afford.

This story would be too nauseating to bear if there wasn’t this silver lining: Wisconsin activists have collected almost 23,000 signatures – almost 1.5 times the required number – and have officially filed to recall Senator Kapanke. A Democratic opponent has stepped up, and a recall election is now imminent.

Let’s see if Mr. Kapanke has the “will” to ask for votes at the fire house or police station this time around.