February 27, 2011 |
The protests in Wisconsin continue into their third week, with thousands holding strong in the capitol in Madison, a huge showing of support for the economic rights of union members and the restoration of a strong middle class. The following is a collection of updates and items on what's happening in Wisconsin and the rest of the country.
Update: Wisconsin public workers filed a complaint charging Governor Scott Walker with unfair labor practices for failing to negotiate with public workers in good faith, as required by law. According to a press release issued by AFCSME council 24:
Instead of trying to find real solutions to the challenges facing the state, the governor is attempting to dictate terms. This not only in ineffective, it’s against the law.
The unions have already agreed to all of Walker's concessions on wages and benefits.
Update: Scott Walker is playing a game of chicken with senate Democrats, with a non-controversial provision in his bill that would save the state millions at stake. Today he issued a statement noting that the lawmakers who left the capitol to block his bill have 24 hours to return or the state will miss out the opportunity to refinance its debt. Reuters reports:
Under Walker's proposal, Wisconsin's general obligation bonds would be restructured and that would push debt service payments due by March 15 into future years to save the current state budget $165 million. The deadline is because it takes a couple of weeks for the state to prepare to go to the bond market and implement the refinancing before the payment is due on March 15.
Walker is also continuing to use the threat of lay-offs to pressure Democrats to return to Madison.
Update: Yesterday police allowed protesters to stay in the Capitol past the 4 PM deadline set for their removal. Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs said that officers are trying to persuade the remaining protesters to leave voluntarily, but did not say when police would resort to forcible removal. Protesters have vowed to stand their ground. Possibly hundreds could be arrested, reports the AP:
It's unclear how many protesters plan to be arrested rather than disperse, but the number could be in the hundreds. Protest leaders say they plan to cooperate fully and are urging everyone to remain calm.
Update: In an op-ed in the NYT Mayor Michael Bloomberg defends unions' right to collective bargaining:
But unions also play a vital role in protecting against abuses in the workplace, and in my experience they are integral to training, deploying and managing a professional work force. Organizing around a common interest is a fundamental part of democracy. We should no more try to take away the right of individuals to collectively bargain than we should try to take away the right to a secret ballot.
Update:
The AP profiles the volunteer organizers in Madison who have kept the protests going:
Nearly two weeks after the start of massive protests against Gov. Scott Walker's proposal that would strip nearly all public employees of their collective bargaining rights erupted, a network of volunteers has emerged as the skeleton that keeps the daily demonstrations alive. ... In a third-floor room where the UW-Madison Teaching Assistants Association has based its support operations, a wood conference table is dwarfed by a mountain of bedding supplies, while posters organizing protests, rides and class coverage for absent TAs line the walls. "I think in general having a sense of humor in all of this has been important," said Kevin Gibbons, TAA co-president. "You have some students I've been talking to reflecting on it and they say, `Everybody sort of seems happy, this is a serious protest.' But it is needed to sustain this kind of energy."
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