Racine County inmates to do jobs previously done by unionized employees (Wisconsin)

WITI-TV ^ | 11:54 a.m. CDT, June 30, 2011 | Tami Hughes

[Dominic01]

Some unions who didn't have a contract in place, lost some of their power as Governor Walker's collective bargaining changes begin to take effect. In Racine County, it means inmates doing some of the work unions had previously bargained for.

Last June, the county took Racine inmates out of their jail cells and put them behind lawn movers. They were cutting the grass in areas that the county executive says were neglected, due to budget cuts. Local unions filed a grievance saying work like that should be done by union members...

[Dominic01]

now if we could get this for the rest of the states

[2ndDivisionVet]

Are some of them the same people? LOL

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Why is this a problem? I’m sure there are PLENTY of prior Union members in prison as I type... *SMIRK*

[FlingWingFlyer]

I wonder what a union type charges to mow the lawn.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Wisconsin Politics Ping List Ping!

[Salvavida]

Amen. There are a lot of “shovel ready” projects that inmates can do.

Trash, landscaping, grafitti removal, etc.

[mylife]

I love it! it’s just common sense.

[mylife]

I love it! it’s just common sense.

[BBell]

This is common in Southern States.

[mylife]

The Navy Brig at Charleston SC saves special jobs for the yobs, like hot tarring roofs in the dead of summer with 100% humidity.

You never want to find your self in the brig in Charleston.

No Siree Bob!

[Anima Mundi]

Not to mention the money that could be saved on exercise equipment and gyms and work ethic/self-esteem counseling! Shame on the unions trying to deprive the poor inmates of all of this needed rehab. This is the only humane thing to do.

[Grams A]

IMO there should be some type of work program for anyone who is drawing unemployment or who is receiving government subsidy for anything. Lots of things they can do like cleaning government buildings, all the mowing and yard work, cleaning vacant lots, painting over graffiti, etc. With all the people who are getting free government handouts and accompanying budget cuts by cities, there is no reason for any city not to be clean. Just takes some organization.

[eyedigress]

Tennessee has “workhouses” for inmates. They largely clean government buildings at night, or work as road clean-up crews.

[mylife]

The only problem there is that you have to pay federal salary’s for folks to supervise people in menial work.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

inmates doing some of the work unions had previously bargained for.

Now if only we could get welfare recipients and other gimmee-girls to take the rest of the gubmint "jobs".

[BBell]

In Louisiana they use them to clean up after the parades during the parade season. They also use them at about every local event to empty trash cans and pick up litter. This is all in addition to their regular landscaping duties.

[Windflier]

"...the county took Racine inmates out of their jail cells and put them behind lawn movers."

Outstanding! That's the way the world ought to work!

[Pining_4_TX]

What? Don’t they have any illegal aliens? ;-)

[CaspersGh0sts]

“IMO there should be some type of work program for anyone who is drawing unemployment or who is receiving government subsidy for anything”

There’s plenty of agricultural work. Many just don’t want to do it.

[knittnmom]

So you pay one or two union employees to supervise (depending on the size of the team) instead of 4-5 union employees to do the work. Not a problem, IMHO

I'd rather they do this than call centers, which sometimes handle the type of information that could be used for identity theft.