Highlights: Republicans employ new tactics to push anti-union bill; IN House votes to limit collective bargaining for all union school employees; Michiganders rally against budget cuts to education, pension taxes; MA House Speaker seeks curbs to unions; PA: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opposes privatizing liquor stores; full Scrooge Alert here http://dailyscroogealert.blogspot.com/

All Around

Newly empowered GOP pushes voter ID
A proposal that has long divided Democrats and Republicans — requiring voters to show photo identification when they go to the polls — is gaining momentum after GOP electoral gains.

Michigan

MI: Thousands rally at Capitol against Michigan budget, cuts to education, pension taxes
Thousands of protesters angry at Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed budget converged on the state Capitol lawn Wednesday to send a message to legislators.

Thousands at Michigan Capitol: We are the people
People's World
The Republicans are also seeking to undermine unions and wage standards in Michigan through a "right to work" measure and by ending the requirement that

Pennsylvania

Privatization foes unleash new tool in state's debate

Opponents of privatizing state liquor stores may have a powerful new weapon in their fight

Wisconsin

Scott Walker's One-Sided View of the World Has No Place in Congress
Bradenton Herald
“Wisconsin workers, including fire fighters and paramedics, came to the ... Walker will testify tomorrow with National Right to Work President Mark Mix

Indiana

House votes to limit collective bargaining for all union school ...
INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana House voted Wednesday to prohibit any unionized school employee from bargaining over anything other than wages and benefits. ...

New Hampshire

A bitter labor law campaign comes to New Hampshire
The Keene Sentinel
Business support of the most visible initiative — a so-called “right-to-work” bill that would prevent unions from charging non-union workers for the costs of collective bargaining — has been nil. Further, in House hearings on House Bill 474

Stiles should oppose so-called Right to Work
Seacoastonline.com
House Bill 474, the so-called Right to Work bill, was passed by the New Hampshire House of Representatives in February. The Herald called for the defeat of RTW in its March 6 editorial. On March 3, at a meeting with constituents, Sen

There's no proof that right-to-work works
Concord Monitor
It's disappointing to see proponents of "right-to-work" promoting this legislation as key to New Hampshire's economic viability. My peer-reviewed research, published by the Berkeley Press in the Review of Law and Economics, revealed that many common

New Hampshire 'Right-to-work' headed to Senate vote
The House passed right-to-work legislation in February. ... from the House bill that would have limited collective bargaining agreements to union members

NH Tea Party groups urge Senate to end collective bargaining ...
By James Pindell
A coalition of New Hampshire Tea Party groups have signed a joint letter urging the State Senate to pass the same “Kurk Amendment” bill that passed the state House last month. The Kurk Amendment would eliminate collective

Ohio

Collective bargaining plans proceed despite Senate Bill 5 signing
BG News
Senate Bill 5's definition of faculty as "management" ineligible for collective bargaining is wrong, said FA President David Jackson. The amended language was "slipped in last minute" by the Inter-University Council of Ohio, an association of

Unions, rules enforce safety
Albany Times Union
The April 1 story about Ohio's law that restricts collective bargaining by public workers contained a truly bizarre quote. Part of the controversy concerns the ability of police and firefighter unions to bargain about staffing levels. Ohio Rep

SB 5 punts tough issues to local communities
Coshocton Tribune
Collective bargaining is a two-way street. When things are good, both can benefit. When things are bad, both sides can share in the solutions. This has worked as long as Ohio has had collective bargaining. The need for collective bargaining in the

Massachusetts

Mass. Unions Spoiling For Bargaining Fight
WCVB-TV
Already, unions in New Hampshire and Wisconsin have protested budget cuts that would affect their bargaining rights and benefits, and now unions in Massachusetts are striking back at a proposed budget plan to curb collective bargaining rights for

Wisconsin in Massachusetts?
NECN
Massachusetts local-government union leaders said while it may be of a different degree, in principle it's the same kind of attack on collective bargaining rights that has led protesters to besiege the Wisconsin state capital in Madison

MA: DeLeo's budget would curb labor
House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, setting up a major fight with unions, proposed yesterday to strip local public employees of most of their rights to bargain over health care, as part of a $30.5 billion annual state budget that imposes the largest year-to-year spending cut in two decades.

Florida

Republicans employ new tactics to push anti-union bill
A Senate committee Wednesday barely passed a bill to weaken the political power of Florida's public employee unions as Republican Party leaders continued the pressure on a handful of moderate Republican senators who could stand in the way of final passage.

Committee OKs bill on union dues and gov't pay
Florida is a right-to-work state, and there are no closed union shops. The real emotion came out during remarks by Michael Ryan, the mayor of Sunrise. He was affable, then blunt. With all of the problems facing Florida, he asked, "where does this fit

Budget talks break down A fast-paced 2011 legislative session hit a major roadblock Wednesday as budget talks between the House and Senate broke down over a series of differences. Both Republican-dominated chambers agree on the need to cut nearly $4 billion in spending without raising taxes. But details are proving elusive, especially the costs of higher-education cuts and new requirements over public-employee pensions.