Protesters have been converging on the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, since mid-February to protest the governor’s budget bill. Their voices are angry, energetic, accusatory.
The bill, which proponents say reels in spending but critics say is an overt attempt at union-busting, prompted 14 Democratic state senators to leave the state so they wouldn’t be forced to vote on the bill.
Despite reports of progress in the negotiations, there are still several bones of contention. The original bill by Gov. Scott Walker requires all public workers but police officers and firefighters to increase contributions to their pension and health insurance, and it prohibits unions from collecting dues.
It also restricts the unions’ collective bargaining power, caps wages and requires annual votes for unions to remain certified, which critics say would be costly.
The crowds have thinned since the protests first began, but many remain adamant that Walker’s bill must be defeated. Here is what some of them are saying:
The 58-year-old from Madison said he’s worn out from walking 5 or 6 miles a day during the last 12 days of the protests.
He accuses the statehouse of “bully politics” and said he doesn’t appreciate “the way they’re trying to change things, ram things down our throat without a chance of really seeing the bill.”
He has faith, though, that the protesters will prevail.
“People who use democracy and understand what democracy is, always win in the end,” he said.
Carr, 48, has been attending the protests since they began, stopping in during lunch breaks and on her days off.
The Madison union member said that when she first heard of Walker’s proposals, “my jaw just dropped and I knew we had to do something to stop this.”
She predicted that if the bill passes, it will be detrimental to the state.
“The more that comes out about what’s in this bill – both the budget repair bill and the budget itself – it’s going to rip this state apart. It’s going to rip this state to the seams.”
Deborah Weisser, momThe Madison stay-at-home mother of two has been a mainstay at the protests, pushing her 2-year-old son’s stroller amid the demonstrations.
The boy has heard the chants for 20 days now, and Weisser said he asks every morning, “Are we going to kill the bill, mom?”
Wielding a sign that reads, “This is a fight for democracy and human rights. Hold the line,” the 31-year-old said she has no government or union affiliation. She simply feels her fellow Wisconsinites are having their rights trampled on.
She feels the bill has little to do with the budget and is more focused on “busting unions so that we have to live in a corporate-controlled world.” She worries that it will hurt services like recycling programs and increase classroom sizes for her 9-year-old, she said.
“Now that I have stood up, I can’t sit down,” she said. “I’m just a mom who sees my rights and the rights of my fellow people being violated, and I’m not going to sit down for it.”
The 65-year-old former health care worker was bundled in a University of Wisconsin jacket to ward off the 20- and 30-degree temperatures in Madison.
A union member, she said she has been to the Capitol about 11 times since the protests began.
She stated flatly that the budget bill is wrong and that the state should continue engaging in collective bargaining.
“My favorite book of the Bible is the book of James,” she said, “and it says if you don’t get up off your bottom and do something about your faith, then your faith is worthless.”
Asked if she was optimistic the protests would be effective, she replied, “We always hope. That’s what Christians are all about.”
Marvin Cartwright, boilermakerCartwright is from Gladstone, and he has taken time off work to attend the last nine days of demonstrations at the Capitol.
A member of Local 107, he said he’s disturbed that Walker’s first step in office was to disband the unions. He’d like to see a compromise and said he and other protesters are at the Capitol to support the 14 Democrats who fled the state.
“(Walker’s) on a beeline to make Wisconsin a right-to-work state,” he said, using the term used for states where workers decide for themselves whether to join unions. “That’s the ultimate goal for Mr. Walker. We’ve got to stop him on the front end. We’ll be here as long as those 14 Democrats are out.”
The 50-year-old Madison resident looked tired but said he’s “fired up and ready to go.”
He joined the protests on their third day because he felt the “whole bill just wasn’t right.” He lives and works near the Capitol “and when I get off work I come out here and make sure my voice is heard.”
“The whole bill and the whole budget are just so contrary to what Wisconsin is all about, from BadgerCare (state health care coverage) to union-busting to our environment to green power to green jobs to green energy to green trains. Everything is just wrong with what Scott Walker is doing,” he said.
Though Clark said he’d like to see the bill killed largely for environmental reasons, he also believes Wisconsin needs a constitution that prevents both corporations and unions from buying elections. He feels such a measure would allow unions to purchase more health insurance for their members.
“I’m not yelling so much, but I don’t need to,” he said. “I just need to think about how we’re going to win.”
Ross is one of only three building engineers for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and he comes out to join the protests every Tuesday, his day off.
He's from Milwaukee County – which Walker represented as an assemblyman and county executive before winning the governorship last year – and he believes the governor is attempting to dismantle the unions.
“He was that way in Milwaukee County and he was real stubborn there, and he’s carrying on here,” he said.
The 50-year-old member of Local 317 said the bill “cuts to home” because his father was a union teacher in Chicago, Illinois, and Wisconsin, which “afforded me the opportunity to go to college and just live a decent life.”
His biggest fear, he said, is “that they’re going to pass this and drag the senators back here illegally,” but he remains optimistic.
“I think that the people have been reinvigorated about this, and we’ll persevere,” he said.
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The GOP governors appear to be following the same: 1) Break the budget via huge corporate giveaways. 2) Declare poverty. 3) Demand more sacrifices from workers who've already been taking it in the teeth. 4) If they resist, pit regular, middle-class folks against each other (divide & conquer).
Wow....apparently it has eluded you that many Democrats are filfthy rich business owners, board mambers, major shareholders in corporate America and some have wives and children that front for them in the same evil corporate empire that you think took money out of your pocket. As a consumer you have a choice to buy Heinz Ketchup, or Hunts catsup, or no Ketchup at all. You might want to investigate who owns and controls Heinz. As for your misguided rant, it is absolutely baseless.
The GOP governors appear to be following the same playbook: 1) Break the budget via huge corporate giveaways. 2) Declare poverty. 3) Demand more sacrifices from workers who've already been taking it in the teeth. 4) If they resist, pit regular, middle-class folks against each other (divide & conquer).
If everyone is for the unions how in the hell did Walker get elected in the first place? I know wisconsin is a "fly over" state full of inbred rednecks....not known for their smarts in other words. So why did these dumb people elect someone who is obviously against what they stand for. How could someone be so dumb?
There has to be another way. The problem I have is this. These public unions will contribute and help get elected a Wisconsin government official. Then they will exercise their collective bargaining rights and sit down to negotiate with the very official they helped get elected! How is that representative of the people and fair?
And the corporations get contracts from the officials they hand money to. Like the Kochs who will soon be getting ownership of those Wisconsin utilities. Then you will see how the private sector compares with the public sector.
The majority of Americans are in favor of obamacare (This is the majority that doesnt work, doesnt pay taxes, doesn't contribute only take take take). So its no wonder the loser half of America wants obamacare. Anyone that works a real job (ie not a government job) does not want obamascare.
How come no one ever talks about how Walker got kicked out of college for CHEATING?
This is the truth, he was asked to leave Marquette because he was caught cheating.
bla bla bla ......... when are you racist , fascist , right wing hate filled so called patriot/christians republicans gonna get some real guts and go to your weapons and start the destruction of civilization . You have had all the time in the world to spew your hate ...... man up cowards , make the first move so those of us that are civilized can get to the horrible but necessary task of putting you down . Civil War 2.0 ...... now !!!!!
You're not worth the bullets, you'll self destruct first.
Nicolae , beware the Lefty Party , we will no longer stand by and let you little fascist cowards destroy this nation , we will come at you with overwhelming force and violence the likes of which you can't even imagine , your DNA needs to be eliminated from the pool of civilized humans . I will pay TOP DOLLAR for the projectile that smacks you between the eyes , and then go celebrate that there is one less traitor to take down . You are a cowardly little puke
http://thebohemiandilettante.blogspot.com/2011/02/class-warfare-paradox-top-upper_25.html
Look, there is certainly an argument to be had against unions. However, we must no forget that before unions, American workers were taken advantage off by employers. It was unions that provided the mechanism (collective bargaining) for the American worker to leverage employers. Granted, that was almost a century ago and workers and employers are on a more even playing field (albeit not completely even). But what will happen when we take that mechanism away? Do we, as Americans, really trust employers, state or private, to engage in fair business practices with their employees?
The protesters remind me of the Eastern Airlines mechanics that were still striking in Miami months after Eastern folded. The state workers are not on the right side of history. Times are changing; the old teacher/state worker paradigm will no longer work. Workers in all endeavors will have to be flexible or they will be gone. They can stand their ground up until the state can no longer afford them and then they will be fired and replaced with some other system.
I hope this a lesson to the careless residents of Wisconsin who didn't exercise their right to vote. Next time take a few minutes and show that you care about your state. Your vote really does matter.
This is a clear sign that the U.S. needs to fully invade Libya, establish a full-time military compound, and seize all of their oil wells – all in the name of preserving Western ideology and spreading our faith. I hope you can see the correlation, I certainly can.
82% of US schools "failing"! What to do? Pay the teachers more money? I thought that was the solution the last 50 times they asked, and the last 50 times we gave them more money the grades GOT WORSE!
funny how CNN prints testimonials from anti Gov Walker protesters, as if there is no one in the state who agrees with him. wheres your jounaistic integrity. And why isnt the fact that Obama 180 flipped on GITMO a headline story...while we are on journalistic integrity. Shamefull
Hi, Shades. Here you go: http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/07/obama.guantanamo/index.html ... Not only front page, but it got 1,000 comments and 2,000 Facebook recommendations so plenty of people read it.
I helped Ed and Eric put together this Wisconsin story for the site, so I thought I'd step in and respond to the allegations that the piece is one sided. The assignment was to profile protesters. The protesters oppose the bill. That's why you're only hearing from the opposition in this one, particular story. If you'd like to see the governor's take, just search Wisconsin or Scott Walker at the top of the page and you'll get some real balance.
All that said, this issue provides you with a fantastic opportunity to debate unions, budgets, tax cuts and right-to-work states. Your points can be lost if they're mired in accusations and name calling. Everyone has a right to civilly share their opinion here so please don't lose sight of the importance of that dialogue. Thanks for reading, everyone!