[img_assist|nid=48149|title=James R. Scott|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=0|height=0]In honor of the fourth coming "Employee Recognition Program," Gov. Walker has appointed Hannibal Lector, ...err, I mean... James R. Scott to be the new Commissioner and Chair of the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission, which is an oversight body charged with settling disputes with goverment workers and management.
Walker didn't pick this guy because his last name was "Scott," but because he IS to workers what Hannibal Lector is to census takers... only without Lector's impecable manners.
For the last umpteen years this guy has been a partner in the... worker death squad... err, I mean... Milwaukee law firm of Linder & Marsack. This firm specializes in making life more difficult for workers. But, don't take my word for it, take a gander at their website.
One of their biggest areas of expertise? Union busting:
At Lindner & Marsack, S.C. we know that every successful business relies upon a competitive labor cost structure, a stable working environment, and labor peace. Since our founding, we have aggressively represented our non-represented clients in pursuit of their goal to maintain a non-union status in furtherance of these goals.
Scott's specialty at the firm is defending employers that are accused of civil rights violations, discrimation, sexual harassment and issues of that charming ilk.
James Scott has also, on numerous occasions, specifically fought against government workers, including:
- A case in 1998 where cooks in the Ozaukee County Jail were being asked to perform jailer duties, including searching inmates, without proper training or compensation.
- A case in 2008 where Milwaukee County sheriff Dave Clark was forcing deputies to listen to religious sermons at work.
- A case in 2001, where the Village of Jackson retaliated against a whistle blower, even though his claims that the village wasn't testing the water and sending bogus reports to the DNR, were proven true by a DNR investigation.
When he's not picking on government workers, he's been on the ugly side of a whole wide range of cases, including:
A case in 2002, where a 56 year Native American was refused alcohol at a bar because they refused his photo ID from the the Red Lake Band of Chippewa.
A 1994 case, where after a majority of employees had asked for a union vote, the employer tried to transfer all of the companies workers to a temp agency in an attempt to prevent them from offically voting.
This is the guy that is going to be leading WERC, which is supposed to "promote peaceful labor relations":
Agency Responsibility: The Employment Relations Commission promotes collective bargaining and peaceful labor relations in the private and public sectors. It processes various types of labor relations cases, including elections, bargaining unit clarifications, union security referenda, mediations, interest arbitrations, grievance arbitrations, prohibited or unfair labor practices, and declaratory rulings. The commission also issues decisions arising from state employee civil service appeals, including appeals relating to certain classification, examination, and appointment issues, disciplinary actions, hazardous employment injury benefits, and noncontractual grievances. The commission’s decisions are subject to review in state court. In addition to mediating labor disputes, the commission provides training and assistance to parties interested in labor/management cooperation and a consensus approach to resolving labor relations issues.
Here's the kicker, though: Scott's appointment is to fill out the remainder of a Terry Craney's six year term that started after Doyle nominated him in April of 2009. However, good 'ol Russ Decker and the Democratic Senate never got around to confirming Craney's six year term. So, now we've got James Scott for the next five years. And, because, Democrat Sue Bauman's term is now up, the Democrats will lose control of WERC when Walker appoints Bauman's succesor.