Wis. Assembly passes bill taking away union rights

[bluevoter4life]

Source: MSNBC

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Assembly early Friday passed a bill that would strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights — the first significant action on the new Republican governor's plan.

The vote put an end to three straight days of punishing debate, but the political standoff over the bill is far from over.

The Assembly vote sends the bill on to the state Senate, where minority Democrats have been missing for a week. No one knows when — or if — they'll return from their hideout in Illinois. Republicans who control the Senate sent state troopers out looking for them at their homes on Thursday, but they turned up nothing.

Gov. Scott Walker's proposal contains a number of provisions he says are designed to fill the state's $137 million deficit and lay the groundwork for fixing a projected $3.6 billion shortfall in the upcoming 2011-13 budget. The flashpoint is language that would strip almost all public sector workers of their right to collectively bargain benefits and work conditions.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41774032/ns/us_news/

---

Just saw this breaking as I was getting ready to head to sleep. Hopefully there will be positive news by the time I wake up.

[Tx4obama]

1. Everyone take a deep breath. The SENATE has NOT voted. The SENATE does NOT have a quorum. n/t

[24601]

59. What if they assemble and no one asks for a quorum call? And

then they pass the bill by unanimous consent?

[murielm99]

2. This is going to be a long haul.

We may lose a few rounds. But in the long run, I think they will recall some of the repub state senators, and recall the governor.

I don't think Wisconsin will elect many repubs for a long, long time. Other states where union and worker rights are being rescinded may follow suit. 2012 will be a good year for Democrats.

[bluethruandthru]

19. I'm not so sure about recalls, etc. Just look at the posts the local WI papers websites

under the stories about the protests. I'm astounded by the near total lack of support for the protestors or any union member! As a very liberal friend of mine said "Wisconsin is getting what they deserve for throwing out Feingold and electing a bunch of union hating republicans - especially Walker, who campaigned on busting unions." She thinks Wisconsinites are perfectly happy with their choice of leaders. I haven't seen any polls of just locals..so I don't know.

[drm604]

20. Can you link to any examples?

Those posts may not even be from locals. They could be some kind of organized nationwide campaign.

If they're on the internet then they are not a good way to gauge local opinion.

[bluethruandthru]

23. That's true.

That's why I was hoping to find a reputable poll that asked locals what they thought. I'm not sure which paper's site I was looking at. It was a Milwaukee paper and yes, the responses could have been from non-locals. I would like to think so because the ignorance and venom in some of the posts astounded me!

[drm604]

24. They may even be the sock puppets of one or two individuals.

One thing you can do is Google lines from some of those posts and see if they show up elsewhere. That might give you some idea if it's an organized campaign.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. Sock puppets don't vote. Usually.

Somebody elected these Republican thugs. Hopefully not too many votes from the teachers and other union members.

How did the unions get the right to bargain collectively? Was it through the good graces of elected officials? Or through the strikes and demonstrations organized by union leaders? Maybe both the state and the unions need better leadership.

:hi:

[kevinbgoode]

32. It is typical for rightwing trolls (who I suspect are often paid)

to run around the internet posting on media discussion forums. The intent is to make the media (and any public reading comments) believe there is widespread support for any rightwing talking point on any issue - and you'll find them worded in the same manner on almost any issue. One day last week I saw the same comment copied and pasted at four different national news outlets - under different names.

I wouldn't be surprised if trolls aren't emailed pre-written comments, just as they've used pre-written emails to send as "letters to the editor" in their local newspapers and signed their names to them.

[Nevernose]

33. The NV papers have this problem

And at least two of them work for an NV-based conservative "think tank" (in quotes because it's oxymoronic). How do I know this for a fact? Because one of the papers, the Las Vegas Sun, did interviews with them, complete with pictures.

[blondeatlast]

34. They are--look into the TAX-EXEMPT Heritage Foundation's Press Room. nt

[drm604]

21. Are you local papers talking much about the no bid sales of state assets?

I'd doubt that many of the locals would be happy about that.

[blm]

38. Walker did NOT campaign on busting unions...that's his EXCUSE for his behavior now.

.

[elocs]

44. The trouble with the getting what they deserve notion is that many get what they do not deserve.

There were many thousands here in Wisconsin who worked and supported Democratic candidates and voted for them. We got what we did not deserve.

Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of people here who voted for Obama did not bother to even vote in the November election. In fact, only about 60% of them cast their votes in the election which brought us Walker and lost us Feingold. Yet at the same time 90% of the number who voted for McCain voted for Walker, who only won by less than 125,000 votes. Had Democrats shown up to vote in the same numbers as Republicans, Walker would have been easily defeated.

Life is about choices and consequences and the sad truth is that choosing not to vote does have terrible consequences. I hope we can remember that.

[russspeakeasy]

51. So sadly true..

[cognoscere]

31. 2012 will only be good for Dems if they fight back. Compromise is not

fighting - case in point, everyone is in an uproar about collective bargaining, so the pukes will give them that because one of the real goals is the no-bid sale of WI assets. It's like when Big Oil decides they want to raise gas prices by fifty cents. They raise them by over a dollar for a while and then when they drop them back to the fifty cent target, everybody is relieved because the prices went down. From now until the end of the world, democrats in WI should never miss the chance to name every republican who voted for the anti-labor bill. What will we get? Probably more of the "That's in the past, it's time to move on and look forward" crap that seems to have originated in D.C.

[glinda]

62. Tha tis exactly how it works. Conservatives propose the most outlandish

far right things and then the Dems go "Ok... we will meet you halfway". The Dems should propose the farthest left things and progressive things that they can think of that are rational. If they make their information sound and a good case, they might actually win over some of the public and actually get somewhere.
Of course we need to clean house of a lot of slackers both Conservative and Dems.

[head of joaquin]

58. Two Enemies With One Blow

The Tea Party Occupation force wants to kill two bids with one stone -- public employee unions and our public education system.

I'm glad there's blow back, and it's become clear that the Democratic Party will take a stand to protect unions. I'm constantly perplexed why any working person would vote GOP, but if it's not clear now who the GOP stands for, it never will be.

[glinda]

61. How long will it take to do recalls?

[No Elephants]

3. Remember, folks. State House Saturday. We HAVE to show support.

[Chipster]

5. Glad the Fab 14 Are Out of State

No quorum, and out of state reach. Good thing; it continues to buy time.

[still_one]

10. and what will happen when walker starts firing the workers if they don't go back to work? Short

term there are very few options left because of the makeup of the Democrats in the legislature

long term however, the republicans have not only overplayed their hand, they have made it clear their disdain for labor, and I suspect they will pay the consequences for this in 2012, and hopefully, walker will be recalled in a year

[Omaha Steve]

11. Most Wisconsin protesters are now using vacation days in rotation etc

It doesn't say if any amendments passed. Is the power plant sale (to Koch) still in the bill?

[still_one]

16. That makes sense. /nt

[Courtesy Flush]

17. Not so much their disdain for labor. Disdain for the two-party system.

Kill the unions and you kill the Democrats. That's what they're thinking.

[Tx4obama]

4. More info on DU thread link - below

Be sure to read the comments on the link below (there is a link in the comments to the roll call votes etc.)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x504472

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Well to the 14, we need them more than ever

and by the way... the battle has just begun. I wonder if the Strike threat goes off tomorrow though?

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Here how it happened

@WORTnews
WORT News
Assembly Speaker let Hebl finish and then unstead of calling on next person, called the vote. It happened quickly.#wiunion
3 minutes ago via Twitter for Android Favorite Retweet Reply
Retweeted by meimichan and others


Tweets containing Assembly Speaker

WORTnews WORT News
Rep Gary Hebl asked the Assembly Speaker How many speakers were left in line? 15. Will they be allowed to speak? No #wiunion
10 minutes ago

Arktist Arktist
RT @prwatch: After State Assembly Speaker Pro Tem forces vote, Budget Repair Bill passes WI State Assembly 51-17.
49 minutes ago

mforbeck Matt Forbeck
Sad to see the WI Assembly speaker pro tem force through a vote to pass the Budget Repair Bill. Not unexpected. Senate must stand strong.
49 minutes ago

[eowyn_of_rohan]

18. Right from the rethug playbook

Keep it up, boys. This will not be tolerated well...

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. video of the house chamber

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/weigel/archive/2011/02/25/assembly-gop-passes-budget-repair-bill.aspx

[humanityisfree]

9. taxpayer $ for State Troopers?

Is that a responsible way to spend taxpayer money? A man (and / or woman) hunt? Have they broken the law? are they under arrest? Are they putting someone's life in danger?

[TatonkaJames]

12. Whether local, state or national

How does the burden always fall on our shoulders and cost us when The reps we elect
consistently ruin our country, spend like it's their money and when they come up short,
especially at the federal level, it costs us a ton of $$ ?
We aren't the ones causing the deficits or mishandling funds, they are. Earmarks, corruption,
missing billions; and they shrug their shoulders.
When is enough, enough ?

[mdmc]

13. I heard O is gonna walk da line

:shrug:

[Left_Is_Right]

40. lol..yeah right...

The president IS walking the line. On his tip toes, and that's a line straight to oblivion if he's not careful. He doesn't want to upset corporatists who funded his campaign. This president should be ashamed, not of his actions, but rather of his inactions! Is he trying to lose in 2012?



Lefty

[glinda]

63. Maybe he is tired of all the death threats.

[RoccoR5955]

14. Why didn't they call for a roll call vote? n/t

[lunatica]

15. Passing that bill is an in your face fuck you whatcha gonna do about it

Always a sure way to make friends

[unionworks]

57. Absolutely

agree I'm waiting for our governor Tom Corporate to pull the same stunt here in Pa. It's not too far to drive to Harrisburg from here.

[Vinca]

22. Billionaires 1, Serfs 0.

[reformist2]

25. What is the plan to win this?

[vicarofrevelwood]

27. It's gonna get

worse before it gets better. I thought a friend of mine was crazy for telling me he hoped that the GOP won big. Not because he agreed with them but because they would Go Power mad. at that point he said the people will wake up. I think he might be right.

[trof]

28. Violation of 1st Amendment?

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests.<1> The right to freedom of association is recognized as a human right, a political freedom and a civil liberty.

Freedom of assembly and freedom of association may be used to distinguish between the freedom to assemble in public places and the freedom of joining an association. Freedom of assembly is often used in the context of the right to protest, while freedom of association is used in the context of labor rights and the right to collective bargaining, for example by joining a trade union. Freedom of assembly, as guaranteed in the Canadian Constitution and the Constitution of the United States, is interpreted to mean both the freedom to assemble and the freedom to join an association.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_assembly

[glinda]

64. Six for six the Rethugs have hit in the Constitution. They are violating it all

over the place. So where is our Constitutionalist scholarly President?

[trof]

66. MIA?

;-(

[SimonBolivar]

29. Screw you, citizens!

When a legislature defies its own people, it has outlived its usefulness.

[54anickel]

30. Now Walker can simply hold the gun to our collective heads and blame the 14 Senators

Will the media do their job?

[abqmufc]

35. Civil War #2 on the way...BRING IT!

Every capitalist pig must go...

[eowyn_of_rohan]

36. Only given SECONDS to vote -Only 13 of the 38 Dems had time to Vote!

BUT -- in those few seconds, *4 Repubs broke rank to vote with Dems*

Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly took the first significant action on their plan to strip collective bargaining rights from most public workers, abruptly passing the measure early Friday morning before sleep-deprived Democrats realized what was happening.

....Debate had gone on for 60 hours and 15 Democrats were still waiting to speak when the vote started around 1 a.m. Friday. Speaker Pro Tem Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha, opened the roll and closed it within seconds.

Democrats looked around, bewildered. Only 13 of the 38 Democratic members managed to vote in time. Republicans immediately marched out of the chamber in single file. The Democrats rushed at them, pumping their fists and shouting "Shame!" and "Cowards!"

The Republicans walked past them without responding.

Democrats left the chamber stunned. The protesters greeted them with a thundering chant of "Thank you!" Some Democrats teared up. Others hugged.

"What a terrible, terrible day for Wisconsin," said Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee. "I am incensed. I am shocked."

http://www.salon.com/news/wisconsin/?story=/news/feature/2011/02/25/wisconsin_passes_anti_union_bill

ADDING:
2011-2012 WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY MEMBERSHIP
Republicans - 60 Democrats - 38 Independents - 1

[StarsInHerHair]

60. HOW MANY TIMES WILL THE DEMS BE "caught off-guard"? Reminds me of FL

what was it.......vocal vote, "the nays have it".....even when outnumbered they call it their win. Since the GOP walked immediately sounds like they all knew, got txt msg, & were synched up, even told not to speak to Dems.

[Major Hogwash]

65. Does their legislature meet every year? Or every 2 years?

It seems like the 2 year budget for 2011-2013 is taking a bleak outlook at their future in Wisconsin.

[Left_Is_Right]

37. the will of the people...by the pen of the people....

The internet bastions of support for "we the people" are being infiltrated daily by hundreds perhaps thousands of rightwingnut trolls.

There is really only ONE means of support that has any chance of actually making a difference....and thats to PHYSICALLY go out into the streets and protest. There are some however, who will continue the battle of words on the internet for truth, justice and the will of the American people...(middle class)...some do it better than others...You be the judge...if you like it...spread the word:}

http://landwheremyfatherdied.blogspot.com/2011/02/stand-up-americabefore-its-too-late.html

Lefty

[blackspade]

39. Republicans: Democracy hating scumbags.

This is some of the most shady shit I have seen in a while.
Are there no actual sane rethugs anymore?

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[blackspade]

45. You could also say that unions are being Koch-blocked

I really hope things go the right way in WI.
Union busting should be political suicide.

[MJJP21]

47. Not only that

I think it is illegal. The workers are represented by a legitimate union. If the governor refused to negotiate then the union files a grievance , the grievance is heard and decided. Now assuming the grievance favors the union side, which is should since the governor refuses to negotiate and if the governor still refuses to negotiate then the union can take him to court for enforcement of the grievance. Perhaps this is why the AFL-CIO and Obama are strangely silent on the matter. They are waiting for everything to play out.

[felix_numinous]

41. Recognizing trolls and sockpuppets

is an awesome skill :) and half the media battle. I have been away from DU for health reasons, and can observe a recent rise in tactical awareness. Just want to give you all a :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[elocs]

42. This is a marathon and not a sprint. It will get worse before it gets better

and it may not get better for us in Wisconsin, but here is where the battle is being fought now. There will likely be layoffs of thousands of public union employees and Walker will absolutely not budge. There is a lot of easy talk about having a number of recall elections, but that is not a simple process and a recall election does not necessarily mean removal from office.

Add to that Walker cannot be recalled for a year. Will Democrats and those who support unions be able to maintain the current level of passion in order to get the job done? That remains to be seen.

The ultimate victory may not benefit us anytime soon here in Wisconsin, but it may forestall efforts in other states to get rid of public employee unions. Regardless, we must keep fighting the fight here because to do anything less will embolden the opposition. If we back down here in Wisconsin in any way now, then it will largely be over and other states will fall like dominoes. After the public employee unions are taken out of play they will then come for the other unions.

[neovente]

46. Can they actually, legally do that?!

[BobbyBoring]

48. All this outrage

And yet, I post this yesterday trying to get some help, trying to get some people motivated, and THIS is the response??

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x501340

One person at least expressing some interest and bobbolink doing here "What about me" thread hijack.

As long as we sit at our keyboards and stay off the streets, the abuse will get worse. I'm 57 and there are few among us that have had more fun than I have. If I go tomorrow, no biggie, but for those of you in your 20s and 30s especially those with kids, the stakes couldn't be higher.

[katty]

49. beyond outrage-hold breath-the senate has not voted yet

[Moral_Imagination]

50. Oh and dont forget

Both parties are the same


:sarcasm:

[Historic NY]

53. Yup Repukes apparently out number Dems in Wis. elections have consequences...

when you stay home or don't vote for your personal interests.

[steve2470]

52. k&r nt

[defendandprotect]

54. k

[backscatter712]

55. It's just the House that voted, IIRC. The Senate Dems are still on the loose!

See, this is how a filibuster is SUPPOSED to work - used rarely, by the minority to block only the most obnoxious legislation. The Wisconsin Senate Dems are doing it right!

The problem with how the filibuster's implemented in the U.S. Senate is that it's not disruptive enough, so Mitch McConnell & co. just abuse it to veto every bill they mildly dislike. If the filibuster in the Senate was more like the old fashioned "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" talk-on-the-floor-24/7 filibuster, or hell, like the Wisconsin filibuster where the minority simply hightails it so the Senate cannot form a quorum, and ALL BUSINESS STOPPED when it was used (IIRC, the U.S. Senate made the mistake of switching to a dual-track schedule, so if one schedule is filibustered, they switch to the other schedule and do other business), then there would be more political backlash to disrupting all Senate business, and the Rethugs would be less eager to use it on a bill they didn't completely hate.

That's why we Dems will have the advantage with the government shutdown - the GOP's blocking the government funding process, virtually everything will shut down, and the GOP will be blamed for refusing to budge on the batshit-crazy budget they passed.

So I'd support a filibuster system where the Senate has only a single schedule for business on the floor, and if the GOP tries to filibuster by talking a bill down, NO OTHER BUSINESS may proceed, AT ALL, while TurtleBeak and friends read out of the dictionary while peeing through catheters.

[PACmenDotOrg]

56. Unions

lol this is great... kinda like the Obama/Palin ones:

www.whatth­efuckhaveun­ionsdoneso­far.com

[Nossida]

67. Hmmmm, isn't this exactly

what Hitler did to the Trade Unions
almost immediately after he was appointed
Chancellor of the Weimar Republic? Indeed
he arrested the Union Leaders, and packed
them off to Oranienburg Vacation Camp. He
did so at the behest of the Industrialist.
He formed the DAF or Deutsch-Arbeitsfrontseite,
so his Corporate Backers could then dictate
wages/benefits to the German Workers.

Fast forward to America 2011

A certain Scott Hagerstrom is on record as
saying 'Take the Unions out at the Knees',
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmj1boce8Rc&feature=player_embedded
'So they don't have the resources to fight'
the christian Right and the Corporatist in
their destruction of the Unions.

republicans are Truly Despicable Riff Raff.