Anti-Worker Legislation Under Fire Across the Country
February 23, 2011 by twalker
Filed under Featured News, Top Stories, Uncategorized
by Tim Walker
The strengthening resolve of working Americans in Wisconsin is being duplicated in state after state as signs emerge that this massive grassroots mobilization is having an impact.
A Gallup poll released on Tuesday showed that a clear majority of Americans strongly oppose laws taking away the collective bargaining rights of public workers – the crux of education proposals being pushed by governors in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Idaho and Tennessee.
Furthermore, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s transparent scheme to use fiscal responsibility as a pretense to assault workers’ rights – he has refused to negotiate despite concessions from public workers on pay and benefits – hasn’t exactly endeared him to his many of fellow Republican governors across the country. 
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is one of those governors who questioned Walker’s approach and he declined to support a GOP-sponsored right-to-work bill. Nonetheless, educators in the state remain steadfastly opposed to his anti-public education agenda. Lawmakers are still attempting to strip them of most collective bargaining rights, eliminate dues deductions and increase voucher and charter schools programs.
The Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) estimated that public schools could stand to lose $110 million under this plan.
“I’m terrified at what wil happen to me and my colleagues if these bills are passed,” teacher Nikki Roberts said. “They prevent the people with the first-hand knowledge about what’s going on in our school buildings – our educators – from providing input about our students learning environment.”
“Instead of bills to provide full-day kindergarten or to improve classrooms and learning conditions, “ added ISTA President Nate Schnellenberger, “these bills silence the voices of public school teachers, remove their ability to speak up for what students need, and eviscerate teachers’ right to bargain.”
It is this attempt to silence the voices of American workers – which one Indiana lawmaker called “a war on the middle class, in a way we’ve never seen before” – that has energized protests across the country in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Idaho and Tennessee. (Rallies for solidarity have also been held in New York, California, Connecticut and the District of Columbia.)
On Tuesday, more than 3,000 members of the Ohio Education Association (OEA) joined more than 15,000 other members of organized labor and other supporters to rally in Columbus against Senate Bill 5, which would cut collective bargaining – squelching the voice of teachers and support staff who have been the strongest advocates for public education.
“As educators, they are much more comfortable lifting their voices to teach rather than protest, but today they stand on the statehouse grounds united with their fellow public sector workers, determined to fight for what’s right and in the best interest of Ohio’s students,” OEA President Patricia Frost-Brooks said.
And all eyes are on Wisconsin, where the the majority of the public are opposed to Gov. Scott Walker’s ideological offensive against workers’ rights. Relentless pressure by educators and other state employees has helped shift the public’s focus away from “shared sacrifice” towards Walker’s determination to silence working men and women.
On Wednesday, Wisconsin Education Association Council President Mary Bell urged lawmakers to begin real negotiations to resolve the issue.
“Governor Walker refuses to listen, even to his fellow Republican governors around the country, and refuses to end his attacks on the middle class and our rights,” Bell said. “We will intensify our efforts on lawmakers who hold the key to moving our state forward. We call on Republicans to rise above this all and find a compromise to end this charade.”
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4jSUaa1Q0E[/youtube]Related posts:
It’s not anti-worker legislation, it’s anti-debt legislation….a good thing.
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John
You must be kidding. Walker has practically conceded that this has nothing to do with state debt! He is out to destroy collective bargaining, period.
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