One day after Gov. Scott Walker proposed stripping public employees of most of their bargaining rights, he is reaching out to state employees in a letter. In an e-mail to be sent out to state workers later Friday morning, Walker thanked public workers for their service and sought their understanding for broad and controversial changes he is seeking to the state?s collective bargaining law.
The Republican governor says those changes are necessary to balance a $137 million budget shortfall in the fiscal year ending June 30 and a $3.6 billion shortfall for the 2011-?13 budget. But Walker said he would not seek additional furloughs for state workers, who are already taking eight of the unpaid days off this fiscal year because of the budget problems.