MASON CITY – AFSCME Member, Iowa DOT Construction Technician and Mason City citizen Daryl Erickson spoke today on what his union calls Governor Branstad’s “double standard for political appointees and middle class state employees” at a press conference at the Mason City Public Library.
Erickson joined other AFSCME members in speaking at six simultaneous press conferences across Iowa.
Erickson questioned Branstad’s approval of bonuses to his department directors and ta break to corporations while at the same time showing resistance to pay raises for state employees.
“On January 5th, public employees will begin working with Governor Branstad to determine how effectively we can continue keeping our neighborhoods safe, healthy and strong,” AFSCME said in a press release.
Watch all of Erickson’s remarks in the following video:
httpv://youtu.be/uLsjf5tzkrs
@ Happy Guy-I have heard you are a Ex-Union truck driver so I would expect this type of response from you.
Thats the problem with people they cant stand a worker making a good living for their families. This govenor is givng bonuses to his pals without the approval of the house and senate so in my book thats stealing. Never have you seen a worker get a bonuses for failure.
If the bonus program was part of their job description it is no different than the union contract. Some jobs have incentives built in based on goals and you people have no idea if this is the case or not and neither do I. This guy is doing what unions do best whining and crying because they want more. They remind me of my kids when they were growing up. I find it real hard to feel bad for the unions when I see their income compared to mine and knowing I am one of the taxpayers that pays them. Class warfare is a BITCh isn’t it?
LVS you are doing just what I said most people seem to do. You compare what they make to what you make and want to drag them down to your level instead of you striving to get to there’s.
@Happy Guy-Isn’t that what you and Obama do? It amounts to the same thing. I read Obama just did the same thing by giving the congress and Biden all raises with out approval of the house and senate. I guess that makes it OK because it was Obama. You can’t have it both ways. Who is the most OVERPAID? Congress or the state workers? You need to read my post more carefully. Read it slow so it can be understood without all of your misplaced emotion involved.
Where did you read that the President gave raises to Congress and Joe Biden? When you make outrageous claims, LVS, back them up.
@bodasious-well lets see. It was on MSN, CBS and of course your favorite news channel FOX News. Maybe you should check your facts before you critisize someone. If you got out of the train engine and quit blowing your horn you would probably see some news. By the way, your credibility on anything to do with the union is nothing UNION Train Engineer.
LVS…I’d like to see your facts to supprt that. The Pres. or I don’t have the power to give congress a raise. I think you misunderstood what someone said or what really happened. But thanks for giving the President and myself credit for doing something we never did nor never had the power to do.
LVS…Pres. Obama issued an executive order to end the pay freeze on federal employees. He didn’t give them a pay raise. You misunderstood the report. The result of that order was a raise for congress. But the real facts are he didn’t give nor does he have the power to give anyone in congress a pay raise. Now let’s see if you can admitt you were wrong
You are also one of the taxpayers who pays the people the Governor gives bonuses to. The incentives you mention may be there but isn’t what they are given for just doing the job one was hired to do? Bonuses are a way that upper level management and administrators find to supplement their already overpaid selves. And, the employees are asking for a small raise compared to the percentage raises these bonuses give. The rich get richer.
After reading your reply to my last inquiry, which was where did you get your information, I am shaking my head wondering what you are talking about. First, stating you got your information from television is rather nebulous at best. When and where? Be specific. Secondly, happyguy set you straight on your so-called information and you chose not to reply to him. Finally, I think FOX news is the most biased news channel on my television and rarely, if ever, watch it. In addition, you are getting off track here because we were talking about the raises Branstad gave his buddies in the form of a ‘bonus’ and that you, as well as me, are paying for that raise.
@bodacious-what was so hard to understand about CBS News, MSN and Fox News. You asked where I got the information and that is where I got it. As far as what Happy Guy says, you can phrase it any way you want but the end result was they got raises. Whether it was due to taking off a freeze or not and he did it by executive order which means he knew he probably couldn’t get it through the proper channels so he did a end run. Now I hope you understand what I have said here as I made it as simple as possible. By the way, neither you or Happy Guy will EVER set me staright with your slanted biased answers. Most people will not even acknowledge Happy Guy any more and it is starting to be the same for you.
LVS, I did some research on your claims about the pay raises and you are correct in your allegations and I was wrong but all I wanted was verification of your facts. Seeing as you wouldn’t give it, I chose to find out for myself. You do leave out some facts though but none of the facts really change the charge. So, I admit I was wrong. As for your name-calling and silly allegations about credibility, I think you are entitled to your opinion. I do refuse to believe however that your credibility is any greater than anyone else on this site. You might think so but I don’t.
bodacious-well thank you for your reply. As for the rest of your post, I would be hurt if I cared the least little bit about your biased opinion.
LVS you seem to respond to me as do maybe and Johnny. I seem to rile up and get responces from all you right winged extremists. You people can’t handle the truth and will never admitt when you are wrong. You are so far right that you make it to easy for me. Like I said before the fact is the President does not have the power to give congress a pay raise. That is a fact. That is the truth. Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its own pay. You need to realise that just because you say it is so doesn’t make it that way
I agree 100% its not right when branstad gives bonuses to political friends and appointees. If you agree with the govenor that our state is having fiscal problems then it is irresponsible to give tax breaks to out of state corporations and a bonus to political allies. I don’t agree with any of the govenor lies about the average public employee causing the problems with the economy This is just non-sense.
I agree 100%. Some states have gone way overboard with public employee benifits. Iowa isn’t one of them. Branstad is just jumping on the band wagon.