It may have been a major victory for the Republicans, but it was a direct hit for the organized labor movement when the Wisconsin Assembly passed the bill Friday limiting collective bargaining rights by the vote of 53-42. Because of last year’s mid-election, both Governor Scott Walker and the Republicans believe that with this bill, it will give governments the opportunity to work on fixing Wisconsin’s budget deficit.
Two weeks ago, the “Rally to Save the American Dream” took place outside every state Capitol in all 50 states in support of union workers and their collective bargaining rights. Inside the Wisconsin Capitol, protesters shouted on Friday it is a “shame, shame, shame” that a “controversial” bill will still do more financial harm for working and middle class people like farmers. In response to the bill’s passing, another protest took place outside the Capitol Saturday with statements like “Planting the seeds for a big season of recalls”, which includes the recalling of Republican and Democratic state senators, currently in the works, and Walker, which doesn’t begin until November 3.
Though this bill will limit collective bargaining, it just motivates people even more to launch a counterstrike against the Republican Party for the 2012 election.
“We work for a living as hard as anybody, and this is about all of us” stated 33-year-old Bear Valley resident Tod Pulvermacher. “If we can keep the energy high, we can change a lot of things in Wisconsin in the next year.”
