Gov. Scott Walker: Collective Bargaining Is Not a Basic Human Right

[Geee]

CNSnews:

Washington (CNSNews.com) – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who waged a tough political battle with government union employees in his state earlier this year, told CNSNews.com that collective bargaining is not a basic human right.

Walker, a Republican, testified on Thursday about state and municipal debt before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, at which one of the other witnesses testified that collective bargaining is a “basic right.” After the hearing, CNSNews.com asked Gov. Walker, “Is collective bargaining a basic human right?”

Walker said, “No, I mean the Constitution clearly lays out rights and those are things granted by the state and federal constitutions and, obviously, inherently granted from our Creator. It’s [collective bargaining] particularly for public employees an issue; it’s essentially a negotiated entitlement.”

He continued: “We think it's right to make changes. We did not eliminate collective bargaining in Wisconsin. We narrowed it down towards the base pay. And we think that’s an appropriate place to make sure we can balance future budgets, but more importantly to make sure we can make government work better for the people we serve.”