Highlights: Minimum wage lower than it was 30 years ago; WI GOP defy Court Order – publish anti-union legislation; OH GOP revise SB 5, vote likely this week; Continuous union rallies in Indiana; Payroll deduction bans sought in Alabama, Kansas, and Florida; Vermont pursuing Single-Payer HC, while union members rally in California
All Around
A Minimum Wage Increase Today, a worker laboring 40 hours a week nonstop throughout the year for the federal minimum wage could barely keep a family of two above the federal poverty line. Though it rose to $7.25 an hour in 2009, up $2.10 since 2006, the minimum wage is still lower than it was 30 years ago, after accounting for inflation.
REPORT: From Poll Taxes To Voter ID Laws: A Short History of Conservative Voter Suppression
Indiana
Pastors rally for labor rights | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN
Schools brace for funding shift | BUDGET ISSUES
Evansville Courier & Press
They are also seeking to tie teacher pay to student performance and to limit teachers unions' collective bargaining rights to wages and benefits. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Luke Kenley, a Noblesville Republican, has said that since the
John Ketzenberger: Trust and respect take a hike
Indianapolis Star
This is not to single out House Republicans' insistence on sending the "right-to-work bill" through despite Democrats' warning that it would cause a walkout. Democrats ignored their Republican colleagues in 2001 who warned that the proposed
Right-to-work laws would boost shoddy workmanship
nwitimes.com
Martin Henrichs' union bashing is full of misinformation when he expounds on Indiana becoming a right-to-work state. The "consequences" of using union members include earning a livable wage by union members who have served a four- to five-year
Rally for the Middle Class | wthitv.com
Wisconsin
Political Watchers: Publishing Collective Bargaining Law Could Damage GOP
WTAQ
(WTAQ) - Political observers said Republicans may have hurt their chances of having Wisconsin's public union bargaining restrictions upheld in the courts. Marquette professor Rick Esenberg said Friday's move to have the Legislative Reference Bureau
Public employees are wild card on April 5 and beyond
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
University of Wisconsin history professor Will Jones, a critic of the move to take away collective bargaining, says the long-term electoral fallout is an open question. Republicans have reason to believe they will gain politically from weakening unions
Wis. Republicans Publish Anti-Union Law -- In Apparent Defiance Of Court Order
Lawless Wisconsin GOPers Defy Court Order Against Anti-Union Law
Ohio
Ohio House Prepares to Vote on SB 5
Youngstown Business Journal
By George Nelson YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The firestorm over Senate Bill 5 moves to the front burner again this week, as the controversial legislation that proposes changes to collective bargaining rights for public workers in Ohio is poised for approval
With collective bargaining vote near, politically charged Ohio referendum is next; could affect 2012
The bill narrowly cleared the Senate earlier this month, and on Tuesday, a House committee has scheduled a vote to send the measure to the floor.
Ohio GOP Revises Bill Curbing Unions - WSJ.com
online.wsj.com
The most ambitious attempt by a state this year to restrict union rights is being scaled back in Ohio to reflect some Republicans' concerns that it is vulnerable to legal challenges and would spark a backlash.
Commissioners to tackle Senate Bill 5 stance | Sandusky Register
Pennsylvania
Unions' path may be set by how closely other states emulate Wisconsin's stance ...
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Ohio and Indiana, for example, have bills pending in their legislatures that would end collective bargaining. Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg, who hold majorities in both bodies of the General Assembly, are seeking support for a handful of bills
Alabama
AL Judge Sides With Unions, Suspends Payroll Deduction Ban that Passed in KS and Looms in FL With the Chamber of Commerce and Koch Industries-fueled Americans for Prosperity as the driving forces, several payroll deduction bans are being pursued around the country. These laws prevent unions from automatically deducting union dues from their members’ paychecks. The deduction practice, ubiquitous and well-liked among union members,..
Minnesota
Minn. lawmakers face self-imposed budget deadline
Minnesota legislators are arriving at a self-imposed budget deadline.
Minnesota's GOP legislators rushing to craft state budget
Minneapolis Star Tribune
The bills also make broad policy changes that clash with Dayton's beliefs, including provisions to limit teachers' collective bargaining rights and freeze their pay. The House and Senate would both cut funding for the University of Minnesota and the
Michigan
Unions work for all of us
Battle Creek Enquirer
However, in many "right-to-work" (for less) states, the average worker makes $5500 less per year and benefits have been reduced because the object is to weaken unions' collective bargaining power. Michigan unions have protected workers from workplace
New Hampshire
Lynch -- Senate should reject House's cuts
Gov. John Lynch said he hopes the state Senate will reverse cuts made by House budget writers to higher education, public safety, and health and human services
As the legislative budget assistant tried to talk about revenue figures, chants drifted in through the open window. "What's disgusting? Union busting!"
Damaging Law Targets New Hampshire Educators - Education Votes
The New Hampshire House Finance Committee voted last week to approve budget bill H.B. 2, which includes an anti-public sector collective bargaining
Maine
Rep. Smith's claims on 'Right to Work' are false
Seacoastonline.com
Will Smith does not dispute my assertion that his "Right to Work" bill has nothing to do with workers' right to work. Instead he responds with more disingenuous claims. Smith would have us believe that his bill would give workers the right to not join
Rally rails against 'toxic' teacher dialogue
The Maine Campus
There are currently 22 states that have “right to work” laws, prohibiting agreements between unions and employers demanding membership or payment of fees as conditions of employment before or after hiring. While LePage said collective bargaining is
In Mural of Maine’s Workers, Governor Dreamed He Saw Kim Jong-il
In ordering the removal of a mural depicting Maine’s labor history, Gov. Paul LePage is vying to become the most anti-union executive in the land.
Florida
Union bill in front of Florida House
What critics are calling a union-busting bill is going to a floor vote in the Florida House.
Vermont
The Vermont House Passes Bill Calling For A Single Payer Health Care System In The State
Louisiana
Letter: Right-to-work laws bad for workers | Opinion ...
Right-to-Work is one matter; collective bargaining is another matter. Frederick Hayek and Milton Friedman had complex theories about social life.
New Jersey
Gov. Chris Christie, it's time to negotiate
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com (blog)
During his campaign, Christie called collective bargaining “an important safeguard for public employees” and promised “open, honest and fair deliberations.” Christie says that unlike Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, he “loves” collective bargaining
California
Thousands march in downtown LA to support union workers
Los Angeles Daily News
But while it appears that LA has managed to avoid the type of law recently passed by Republicans in Wisconsin that strips collective bargaining rights from unions, many protesters said that it was only a matter of time before unions in the Southland
