The Right-Wing Network Behind the War on Unions
From New Hampshire to Alaska, Republican lawmakers are waging war on organized labor. They’re pushing bills to curb, if not eliminate, collective bargaining for public workers; make it harder for unions to collect member dues; and, in some states, allow workers to opt out of joining unions entirely but still enjoy union-won benefits. All told, it’s one of the largest assaults on American unions in recent history.
Behind the onslaught is a well-funded network of conservative think tanks that you’ve probably never heard of. Conceived by the same conservative ideologues who helped found the Heritage Foundation, the State Policy Network (SPN) is a little-known umbrella group with deep ties to the
Teaching Assistants’ Association – Defend Wisconsin Fund Request for Proposals, April 2011
Statement
The occupation of the Wisconsin State Capitol revitalized the Wisconsin labor movement and inspired citizens from around the state to loudly protest the attacks on public sector workers and workers’ rights by Governor Scott Walker and Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate. Walker launched the opening salvo with his budget repair bill, a piece of legislation which proposed to all but eliminate collective bargaining for public sector employees, make Wisconsin a right-to-work state, and debilitate public employee unions. The bill also contains provisions to eliminate major funding for Badger Care and enable no-bid sales of power plants, a potential threat to environmental health. In response, tens of thousands of state workers – including teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters, and graduate employees – descended on the Capitol to protest the bill. Those