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Wisconsin Students Rally to Side of State Workers
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Wisconsin college and high school students are showing their support for their teachers—and for all public employees—who are under fire by Gov. Scott Walker. Walker’s budget proposal attacks family-supporting middle-class jobs through unilateral pay and benefit cuts and takes away nearly all of the workers’ collective bargaining rights.
Yesterday, hundreds of University of Wisconsin students chanting “Kill this bill” marched (see video) to the state Capitol in Madison and delivered valentines to Walker’s office urging him to back off his proposals.
AFSCME Local 2412 President Gary Mitchell says, “The students have been so energized.”
I’ve been spending time at the teaching assistants’ offices and they’ve been there all day long Friday, Saturday and Sunday making signs, calling people. It’s been great. A lot of energy. It feels good.
In Stoughton, about 100 high school students walked out of class Monday to support their teachers. Junior Theron Luhn helped organize the protest and told the news site RiverTowns.Net students wanted to:
show Gov. Walker that we care about learning, and the teachers are worth every cent that we pay to them.
Today, there is a joint state Senate and House hearing on Walker’s proposal and we will keep you updated.
Meanwhile, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) set the record straight today with a new analysis of Wisconsin public employees’ pay and benefits. Supporters of Walker’s plan have been circulating faulty information that claims the state’s workers are dramatically overpaid compared to private-sector workers.
But when we compare apples to apples, we find that Wisconsin public employees earn 4.8 percent less in total compensation than comparable private-sector workers. The comparisons demonstrate that full-time state and local public employees earn lower wages and receive less in total compensation (including all benefits) than comparable private-sector employees.
Click here for the full analysis for EPI economist Jeffrey H. Keefe.
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6 Comments
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We need to start a website, and someone who can create a website, to start a statewide petition to protest this bill that is attempting to take away the rights of many workers, including union bargaining rights. Then we can establish a real number to show the state of Wisconsin governor as well as other elected Wisconsin government officials what we will not put up with!
I think that a website is necessary to :
1 stream videos of protests
2.begin organizing for the next states that will face these bills
3.begin a national organized effort to stop this and similar agendas at the national level
Good for the students. It’s great that some people still teach them about how important unions are. Where I hale from it’s not talked about. Growing up, I only knew about unions from books I read. Now I couldn’t work without one. Solidarity!
this the wizzard of oz.. as the RULING CLASS thru the republicans corporations and misinformed workers they
continue to cut money to fund enforcement of protections for the american citizens in every was. as well
as make laws to send back to the states many things only the federal government is big enough to make the
large corporations do. then of course under the CODE WORD states rights it is easier and cheaper to buy local
politians thru campaign dontations then UScorporation of america will get tax cuts and new laws under the
code word business friendly to make it easier to hurt workers in pay, safety, rights,health, and much more
this also increase their strenght and greed because we all know the question WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH??
answer NEVER.. SO NOW THEY CAN INCREASE WHAT THEY DONATE. which in turns is used to reduce the right safety
and income off the workers backes this whole long term plan is to put them into economic slavery to the company
just think soon you will get paid by company scrip (money) that is only good at the company store pay
to rent from the company housing and go only to the their doctor. in time youll work more hours for less money
puting you in debt to the company then your children will have to work for them to pay yo debt
because dont forget the code word personal responsibility. so show me how the code word business freindly
is also good for the worker and just having a job isnt an answer
Let’s not forget Twitter, it worked in Egypt!
Way to go Wisconsin….stand up and fight these morons….quit trying to destroy America…if not for th American Workers, what they ship all our jobs overseas…well then lets ship these Govenors and congressman and senators over there without pay..that is…