| fdlreporter.com (Fond du Lac, WI) | March 2, 2013 | Gov. Scott Walker is known nationwide for his hallmark changes to collective bargaining in 2011. But, two years later another man is quietly influencing thousands of public wages across the state. You likely don’t know Charlie Carlson, a charismatic labor expert with 40 years of experience, and his five-person Middleton-based Carlson Dettmann Consulting firm. …. Wherever Carlson gets hired, from Jefferson to Wood counties, controversy often follows due to the politically charged nature of tying compensation to employee performance. Employees frequently voice displeasure about being cut out of the process, and left-leaning local council and board members usually accuse Carlson’s recommendations of favoring managers while slashing pay for rank-and-file workers. “Job studies are nothing new, but what we’re seeing this year is a different animal in terms of methodology and outcome,” said Martha Merrill, a research analyst for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. “These are done solely by the consultant with input from the city council, and the employees don’t have a voice at the table.” |
In the News >