Wisconsin

Wisconsin Anti-Union Law Temporarily Blocked By Judge

March 18, 2011 by Source
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MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday blocking the state’s new and contentious collective bargaining law from taking effect, raising the possibility that the Legislature may have to vote again to pass the bill.

Lawmakers had passed Gov. Scott Walker’s measure last week, breaking a three-week stalemate caused by 14 Senate Democrats fleeing to Illinois. Demonstrations against the measure, which would strip most public workers of nearly all their collective bargaining rights, grew as large as 85,000 people.

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Don’t Mourn, Organize! The Struggle for Freedom Gets Personal

February 21, 2011 by Doug Porter
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As conservatives in eight other states moved to limit collective bargaining this week, union supporters throughout the United States are organizing rallies in support of the Wisconsin protestors. Rallies are scheduled in 38 states over the next couple of days.

San Diego got off to an early start on Friday, as about 150 people gathered in Mission Valley in the late afternoon despite very short notice and heavy rains. Although it seems to be that any gathering of more than a dozen Tea Party supporters will draw TV cameras these days, the labor council rally was largely ignored.

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Someone in Egypt Sent a Free Pizza to Wisconsin Protesters

February 21, 2011 by Frank Gormlie
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People from across the world have donated to provide free pizza to protesting Wisconsinites

By Meredith Shiner / Politico

MADISON, Wis. — Someone in Egypt has been paying attention to what’s happening in Madison and wanted to send a message of solidarity from across the globe — so they ordered a pizza.

It might seem like a small gesture, but it’s overwhelming to the staff at Ian’s on State Street — a campus staple mere blocks from the Capitol — where in the last few days, they’ve fielded calls from concerned citizens of 12 countries, and 38 out of 50 states looking to donate money to provide free pizza to the Wisconsinites who have congregated here.

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Anna’s Video Pick – Ed Schultz in Madison Wisconsin

February 18, 2011 by Anna Daniels
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What does democracy look like? Does it look like teachers, police, firefighters, librarians, nurses, the people who remove snow and trash, and social workers who have peacefully and in large numbers turned out to support the right of working and middle class people to participate in unions and in the collective bargaining process?

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Riots in the Streets of Madison?

February 18, 2011 by Andy Cohen
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Of course, there are no riots. None. Not one. But that’s what the Right Wing talking heads want us all to believe. That’s what the Republican elected officials are telling us. They want us to think that those that are protesting newly elected Republican Governor Scott Walker’s plan to eradicate the unions and squash the labor movement are wreaking havoc all over the state of Wisconsin. The right wingers—including Walker himself—want us to believe that it is necessary to call out the National Guard to quell the violent protests breaking out all over the state. They’re propagating the lie that the hospitals are filling with injured protesters and the jails are being overcrowded by the violent offenders who are taking part.

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Rally In Solidarity of the People In Wisconsin As They Resist Union-Busting

February 18, 2011 by Staff

Rally in Support of Wisconsin Workers and Collective Bargaining Rights! This week, the OB Rag has been helping our readers experience and observe Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to use budget shortfalls as an excuse to take away the  rights of more than 150,000 workers while tens of thousands of citizens protested this move. The […]

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Live Blogging From San Diego: the Wisconsin “Tinderbox”

February 17, 2011 by Staff
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7:55 pm PST: We will be signing off now as Ed Shultz – who deserves a lot of props for going to Madison from New York and being on this story all week -wraps up his show. “This is about our country, our future,” he says with a background large crowd of protesters yelling. “This […]

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Demonstrations Spread from Egypt To Wisconsin – Teachers Go on Strike, Guard Called In

February 16, 2011 by Doug Porter
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Fifteen thousand Wisconsin workers and their supporters rallied at the state capitol in Madison on Tuesday to protest legislation aimed at both public employee and private sector union activity.  Teamsters, teachers, university workers, nurses, high school students, and state workers of all kinds flooded the streets and the capitol grounds. The crowd cheered as firefighters […]

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Wisconsin Governor Alerts the National Guard to Protests by Public Workers

February 15, 2011 by Source
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Recently elected Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker has proposed a bill that would eliminate almost all collective bargaining rights for most public workers and slash their pay and benefits.

Walker has also notified the state’s National Guard to be on alert for actions taken by unsatisfied state, county and municipal employees.

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