Highlights: GOP being outworked by cheese heads and Dems in recall efforts; MI Dems push to make collective bargaining part of state Constitution; Ohioans out in mass against SB 5; Minnesota GOP wants to take away right to strike for teachers; Florida passes teacher merit pay legislation; PA Rep Metcalfe pushes for Right to Work

Wisconsin

Conservatives: We Are Being Outworked And Out-Organized In Wisconsin Recall Campaigns

Union chief urges 'consumer activism' in collective bargaining fight
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
... director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, said Wednesday that he is encouraging his members to engage in "voluntary consumer activism" against companies that do not support collective bargaining for public-sector employees. ...

State worker strikes: rare but momentous
Public employee unions in Wisconsin are not talking about going on strike right now, but growing labor unrest increases the chances of a work stoppage. If state workers resort to picket lines, the consequences for both sides may be great.

Church leaders defend collective bargaining - UMC.org
In 2005, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels rescinded guaranteed collective bargaining for government employees. But, as happened in Wisconsin

Michigan

Union members flood Capitol in Lansing, accuse Gov. Rick Snyder of taking from ...
MLive.com
While Snyder says he's opposed to right-to-work laws or getting rid of prevailing wage rules, unions complain that financial emergency legislation gives state-appointed fiscal managers broad powers to terminate labor agreements and other contracts

Reverse Robinhood Theme Galvanizing Unions
MyFox Detroit
You name it from Right to Work, to scrapping binding arbitration and prevailing wages, unions are getting their troops engaged. Over one thousand were in town last week hootin' and shoutin' in the capitol rotunda and more are expected back this week

MI: Dems push to make bargaining rights part of Michigan Constitution
House and Senate Democratic leaders called Tuesday for a state constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to collective bargaining for all employees in the public and private sectors.

Bernero joins rallies at Capitol, says budget proposal is unfair
Michigan Messenger
Richard Hammel announced that they will be submitting a bill to amend the Michigan constitution to guarantee collective bargaining rights. By Eartha Jane Melzer | 03.16.11 Public workers in Michigan lost job security yesterday as the state House signed

New legislation a harsh necessity for Michigan
North Wind Online
This would seem to mean the statement “Rick Snyder is trying to end collective bargaining rights in Michigan” is wrong, or at best a half-truth, because it could be argued that EFMs have already has the power to get rid of collective bargaining

Ann Arbor lawmaker backs effort to protect collective bargaining ...
Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, said today he'll stand behind a Democrat-led effort to protect collective bargaining in the Michigan Constitution.

Ohio

Jefferson rallly protests union busting bill JEFFERSON Ohio - Huddling under a sea of umbrellas on a cold, rainy day, ... A County Commissioners resolution opposing SB5 was presented by Commissioner

Radio ads target GOP representatives on Senate Bill 5 As an Ohio House committee prepared to resume hearings today on a ... Jay McDonald, president of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio and a ….

Dayton Commission doesn't like SB5 DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Dayton city commissioners passed a resolution ... Senate Bill 5 has already passed the Senate and is now being debated in the Ohio House

Labor supporters rally against Rep. Andy Thompson, SB 5 The legislation, passed by a narrow margin in the Ohio Senate, ... "I've always believed in collective bargaining, and I believe that SB 5 should be

House could pass Ohio union bill by early April
AP 6:07 PM Wednesday, March 16, 2011 COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio's House speaker says he hopes to have a collective bargaining bill passed by his chamber and to the governor's desk by early April. The bill would restrict the bargaining rights of roughly

Ohio state representative will have a public forum in Eaton
Palladium-Item
Ohio State Rep. Jim Buchy will host a public forum Friday to discuss Senate Bill 5, the controversial collective bargaining bill. The forum will begin at 5:30 pm at Eaton High School. Doors will open one hour prior to the event

Pennsylvania

PA State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe - Right to Work Prime Sponsor ...
Right to Work Prime Sponsor Metcalfe to Battle AFSCME Union Boss LIVE on PCN. 3/ 15/2011. WHAT: Pennsylvania House State Government Committee Majority

PA: State budget cuts to students in poor districts could be ten times higher than those in wealthier districts
Proposed state budget cuts to education would have the greatest impact on the state's poorest schools districts, according to an analysis by the Education Law Center, an advocacy group for public education.

Corbett, unions say they're willing to compromise
York Daily Record
Fox said the personnel costs, which are largely a result of collective bargaining, were 10 percent of the total budget for 2004-05, and 9.3 percent for 2009-10. Fox said a condition of the state worker contracts is that the Pennsylvania government can

Pennsylvania State Education Association president encourages locals to consider one-year pay freeze

About a week after Gov. Tom Corbett called on school districts to hold the line on salaries for a year to save positions and programs, the head of the state's largest teachers union is encouraging union members to "seriously consider" answering that call.

Teachers unions respond to Corbett's freeze request

Will public school teachers agree to the pay freeze requested by Gov. Tom Corbett? Pennsylvania State Education Association president James Testerman weighed in Wednesday with a letter to the locals of the state's largest teachers union.

Minnesota

GOP faces off with union teachers

Union teachers are feeling the heat at the State Capitol.

GOP wants ban on teacher strikes in Minnesota - TwinCities.com
"This bill strips teachers of collective bargaining rights as they know them," said Jan Alswager, chief lobbyist for Education Minnesota, the statewide

Minnesota lawmakers seek ban on teachers' strikes
Workday Minnesota
PAUL - A Senate committee heard testimony on a bill that would constrain the collective-bargaining process used by Minnesota's public schools and their teachers, prohibiting negotiations while school is in session and mandating arbitration if the two

Without collective bargaining, deal-making happens in secret
Post-Bulletin
Fortunately, one has only to look at either the states that do not give this ability to employees, or, as is the case in Minnesota, to the period prior to its implementation. The states that do not allow collective bargaining are not immune from the

Indiana

Missouri 'right-to-work' bill supporters work to rally votes
Bizjournals.com
Opponents of a "right-to-work" bill in Missouri have held rallies in St. Louis and Kansas City during the past week. Lawmakers backing “right-to-work” legislation in Missouri are working to gather votes, eyeing a post-spring break debate in the Senate

Public employee unions vs. the public (What the other side is saying)
Bellingham Herald
... weakens the collective bargaining power of public employee unions. Some of the news coverage made the governor's actions seem arbitrary, even capricious. But they were anything but. Wisconsin and many other states - including California, Indiana

Missouri

Labor rally draws 4500
St. Louis American
“My union, the National Education Association, through collective bargaining, has made it possible for me today to be a bona fide member of whatever is left of the American middle class.” On Friday, about 4500 people, representing every union in the

Michigan

Union supporters take stand at Capitol
Lansing State Journal
Alberts was among 3000 union members and supporters who attended a rally to protest several bills, including one that would expand the powers of state-appointed managers over struggling schools and cities and curtail collective bargaining rights

Maine

'Right to work' ... or freeload?
Times Record
... it would legitimize a kind of “freeloader” mindset for the workers who by federal law are entitled to receive the full benefits of a collective bargaining agreement — even if they chose not to belong to the union. Under a “Right to Work” law

New Jersey

NJ: Gov. Christie blames N.J. property tax increase on Democrats
Gov. Chris Christie today fingered Democrats for a jump in the average property tax bill in 2010. Asked if he takes responsibility for the increase at a press availability, the governor said "absolutely not."

New Hampshire

Forum on workers' rights coming to Portsmouth
Wire
Proposed “Right to Work” legislation would limit collective bargaining rights for unions, while other bills relate to the retirement system, minimum wage, and “evergreen” contract agreements. A panel of experts will address these and other issues at

Florida

Efforts to curb unions lose steam
Tampabay.com
And since Florida is a right-to-work state, no employee is required to join a union or pay dues. Bill sponsors, including Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, have contended this is not an anti-union bill, just a plan to get government out of….

Scott praises teacher merit pay as House makes it the first bill to hit his desk

House members wrangled for hours Wednesday before the powerful Republican majority drove through legislation revamping how Florida teachers are paid, defying union officials who now may renew their fight in court

Pension benefits need fairness

Florida lawmakers, eager to make a dent in a $3.6 billion budget deficit, are taking a long look at pensions and benefits for state workers.