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2011 Wisconsin protests

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The 2011 Wisconsin budget protests are a series of on-going demonstrations in the state of Wisconsin involving public employee unions.

The protests are in response to a bill supported by Republican Governor Scott Walker that would remove most collective bargaining for nearly all public employees.[1] His plan would "require higher pension and health insurance contributions and remove bargaining rights except for wages, which would be limited to be not greater than the Consumer Price Index."[2] The bargaining changes would exempt most police and firefighters, and state troopers.[3]

Protests

Tens of thousands of protesters have demonstrated in Madison, Wisconsin since February 15[4] regarding the proposed legislation's limitations on collective bargaining for and against Walker's bill.[5]

Ed Schultz of MSNBC's The Ed Show appeared live in Madison February 17 and 18 live outside the Capitol.[6] Jesse Jackson attended protests at the Capitol on February 18.[7]

Saturday, February 19 drew the largest crowd to date with over 70,000 protesters, some of them supporting Governor Walker's plan.[8][9] Some protesters carried signs comparing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Hosni Mubarak, a terrorist, and accusing him of "raping" public employeees.[10][11]

Effects

As of February 17, 2011, the Madison Metropolitan School District had cancelled classes for three days because of expected staff absences.[12][needs update] In addition, numerous districts across the state for various numbers of days closed due to protests including Milwaukee, La Crosse, Beaver Dam, Columbus, DeForest, Edgerton, Juda, Lodi, Marshall, McFarland, Middleton-Cross Plains, Mineral Point, Monona Grove, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Reedsburg, River Valley, Sauk Prairie, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Verona, Watertown and Waunakee.[13][full citation needed]

Wisconsin 14

The 14 Democratic members of the Wisconsin State Senate left the state of Wisconsin and travelled to Illinois in order to delay a vote on the bill.[14] With only 19 Republican members, the Senate would not have the 20 Senators required for a quorum in order to vote on the bill.[15]

Currently, all 14 Senate Democrats are indefinitely in Illinois.[16][17]

Reactions

  • U.S. President Barack Obama said that taking away bargaining rights seemed like "an assault on unions."[18]
  • Leading members of the Protestant and Jewish communities have voiced their support for the protesters.[19]
  • Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki sent a statement to the Joint Finance Committee impelling them to consider the collective bargaining rights of employees. [20]
  • Heritage Foundation policy analyst James Sherk wrote in support of Walker's budget plan, "Gov. Walker’s plan reasserts voter control over government policy. Voters’ elected representatives should decide how the government spends their taxes. More states should heed the AFL-CIO Executive Council’s 1959 advice: 'in terms of accepted collective bargaining procedures, government workers have no right beyond the authority to petition Congress—a right available to every citizen.'"[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says National Guard ready for any unrest over anti-union bill". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 2011-02-11.
  2. ^ "Fake' Sick Notes Given to Wisconsin Protesters Amid Anti-Union Bill Faceoff". FOX News. February 19, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  3. ^ Trottman, Melanie (February 14, 2011). "Public-Worker Unions Steel for Budget Fights". The Wall Street Journal.
  4. ^ "PBudget battle Day 6: Smaller group of protesters begin Sunday march". Milwaukee Journal Seninel. 2011-02-20. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  5. ^ "Ideologies clash in Wisconsin: Competing protests draw thousands in flashpoint US state over bid to roll back pay and union rights of government staff". aljazeera. 2011-02-20.
  6. ^ http://wegoted.com/news/
  7. ^ http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/wisconsin-protests-day-4-jesse-jackson-feb-18-2011
  8. ^ http://www.fox6now.com/news/sns-ap-wi--wisconsinbudget-crowd,0,795967.story
  9. ^ http://www.wkow.com/Global/story.asp?S=14062370
  10. ^ http://nation.foxnews.com/media/2011/02/21/paging-mainstream-media-union-protests-rife-hitler-signs
  11. ^ http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/02/wisconsins_governor_is_not_hit.html
  12. ^ "State Democrats absent for vote as Wisconsin budget protests swell". CNN. February 17, 2011.
  13. ^ http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_98789592-3a91-11e0-916d-001cc4c03286.html
  14. ^ http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116581183.html
  15. ^ UPDATE 1-Wisconsin gov. sees Democrats returning to debate plan Feb 20, 2011 Reuters
  16. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/20/wisconsin-democratic-senators-illinois_n_825748.html
  17. ^ http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116581183.html
  18. ^ "Obama On Wisconsin Budget Protests: "An Assault On Unions"". abcnews.com. February 17, 2011.
  19. ^ Faith leaders voice support for unions Annysa Johnson Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Feb. 18, 2011
  20. ^ [1]
  21. ^ FDR Warned Us James Sherk, The Foundry, Feb. 19, 2011.
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