Friday, February 18, 2011

Troublemakers Dispatch: Wisconsin's Wake-Up Call

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Wisconsin Labor Jams Capitol To Resist Governor's Attacks


WisconsinWisconsin's Republican governor inadvertently issued a wake-up call to the state's labor movement by pushing legislation that would crush public employee unions. Wisconsin unions and allies quickly rallied, flooding the Capitol.

A teacher reports from inside the Wisconsin Capitol, where the demonstrators are shoulder to shoulder. The chant goes up: "Freedom, democracy, unions."

As protests continue in Madison the mood is electric. An organizer of Madison's Troublemaker School reports that nearly every union in Wisconsin has come to stand with state workers, clearly recognizing the bill as a union-buster having nothing to do with the budget.


Pushed Too Far, Ohio Labor
Gears for Fight

State protestsOhio labor is mobilizing across the state, too, as the new right-wing governor, John Kasich, leads a high-profile effort to demolish public employee unions, while gouging holes in the state's already weak public safety net.

Thousands of workers rallied in Columbus, Thursday to stop a Wisconsin-like bill that would end public workers' collective bargaining rights.

Restaurant Employees Call for Higher Wages for Tipped Workers  

The Restaurant Opportunities Center released a report this week showing nearly 90 percent of restaurant workers have no health insurance or paid sick days. The worker center called for an increase in the minimum wage for tipped workers, still just $2.13 an hour. It would be the first increase in 20 years.

In the Troublemakers Blog 

A nurse who had her life and career forever altered by a debilitating back injury expressed outrage over the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Labor to withdraw a rule requiring employers to report musculoskeletal injuries to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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In This Email
Wisconsin's Wake-Up Call
Pushed Too Far, Ohio Labor Gears for Fight
Restaurant Workers: $2/hr Not Enough
In the Troublemakers Blog
Boost Trainings with the Essential Troublemaking Guide
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