This bill also creates a law that says the MAX raise a state employee in Wisconsin can get is the inflation rate, as dermined by the CPI, unless there is a public referendum where the public votes to give a raise over the inflation rate.
The bill prevents employees from negotiating on anything other than base salary (which by law can't go over the inflation rate). A prison guard could not negotiate over SAFETY issues in the prison, boiler operators could not negotiate over safety issues. This is a huge problem.
Many doctors at the University Hospital, associated with the U. of WI are state employees. This is one of the best hospitals in the world involving research in genetics. These doctors would have their pay limited to the inflation rate. These are people that could leave and go anywhere, and they will.
From 2004-09 there was a 75% turnover for prosecutors in Wisconsin due to low pay. Capping compensation and telling workers they will never get ahead will have a devestating impact on this state.
Virtually every state worker in Wisconsin took furloughs last year that amounted to about a 5% pay cut for 2010.
Even now the unions have all said they will agree to the proposed added cuts, the fight is over the right to collective bargaining and the pay limits imposed in the law.