Thursday, February 17, 2011

Thousands Continue Wisconsin Action for Workers’ Rights | AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

Thousands Continue Wisconsin Action for Workers’ Rights | AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

Thousands Continue Wisconsin Action for Workers’ Rights

by Mike Hall, Feb 17, 2011

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Photo Credit: Karen Hickey
Sarah Brink and Kyra Kalinowski, AFSCME, settle in for the night at the Capitol.

After day-long protests yesterday drew as many as30,000 people in Madison, hundreds of Wisconsin workers, students and allies camped out last night in the Capitol Rotunda as a hearing on Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) budget bill that eliminates collective bargaining rights for nearly all of the state’s public service workers went past midnight.

The state Senate is set to vote on the bill today. It was approved last night by the Joint Finance Committee on a straight party line vote with all Republicans backing the attack on worker’s rights. Today thousands workers and their supporters from around the state enter the third day of a massive protest against Walker’s plan.

Meanwhile in Ohio, where Gov. John Kasich (R) is mirroring Walker’s assault on workers with similar legislation to strip collective bargaining