Racine County Jail prisoners have been limited until now to mowing the grass on highway medians, because unions stood in the way. But with the successful passage of Governor Scott Walker’s anti-union legislation, county leaders say inmates could also perform jobs like landscaping, painting and shoveling snow from sidewalks.

 

The change could be a “win-win,” says County Executive Jim Ladwig, because prisoners would enjoy “a sense of value they are helping the community,” while the government would save money since the inmates aren’t paid.

 

Those volunteering (no inmates could be required to do the work) would receive reduced sentences.

 

Earlier this year, unions in Wisconsin lost the ability to claim certain public jobs as “union-only” in addition to losing their right to negotiate how much of their paycheck goes to health care and retirement.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Collective Bargaining Change Means More Work Options for Jail Inmates (by Stephanie Jones, The Journal Times)

Why Not Make the Prisoners Do It? (by James Causey, Journal Sentinel)

Union Workers Replaced With Prison Labor Under Scott Walker’s Collective Bargaining Law (by Alex Seitz-Wald, Think Progress)

Racine County Inmates to Do Jobs Previously Done by Unionized Employees (by Tami Hughes, Fox6)

Governor Walkers Wisconsin Prisoners Could Be Doing Union Workers Jobs (UnionSmart)