Protesters spent the night in the Wisconsin capitol building, preparing for an eighth day of picketing
Union unrest is spreading through the mid-western US, as labour activists in at least three states protest against pending anti-union legislation.
Thousands of protesters were expected to gather in Ohio and Indiana and, for the second week in a row, Wisconsin.
Republican-led governments there have argued the moves are needed to balance state budgets wracked by deficits.
But Democratic-leaning unions say fiscal woes are being used as an excuse to erode collective bargaining rights.
'Anti-worker agenda'In Indiana, local media reported that House Democrats were leaving the state to block votes on labour bills.
The Indiana House came into session on Tuesday morning with only two of the 40 Democrats present, depriving the chamber of a quorum to do business, the Indianapolis Star newspaper reported.
The Republican-led Indiana state government has vowed to push a bill that would curtail private-sector unions by forbidding employers from requiring workers to pay union dues, a standard provision of union labour contracts.
In Ohio, between 4,000 and 20,000 labour union activists and supporters were expected to rally in the state capital of Columbus on Tuesday.
They will protest against legislation backed by Republican Governor John Kasich that would restrict public employees' collective bargaining rights.
"This isn't just public-service workers," Andy Richardson, a spokesman in Ohio for labour union AFL-CIO, told the Columbus Dispatch newspaper.
"It's students, community leaders, faith leaders, your neighbours and others who are concerned about this bill and the general anti-worker agenda of Kasich and his allies."
Budget deficitIn Wisconsin, Republican Governor Scott Walker on Tuesday threatened to begin involuntary redundancies of state workers as early as next week if the legislature did not soon approve a bill stripping them of most collective bargaining rights.
He has said he will not back down in the face of tens of thousands of union workers and their supporters who have massed in the capital since last week.
The bill Governor Walker and the Republican legislative majority back would also require state workers to contribute more to pension and healthcare coverage.
It had been expected to pass the legislature last week, but in a move intended to stall the bill's passage and force its backers to negotiate, Senate opposition Democrats left the capitol, denying the Senate a quorum needed for a vote.
They have fled to neighbouring Illinois and have said they will not return until Mr Walker agrees to talks.
Wisconsin faces a $3.6bn (£2.23bn) budget deficit in the coming two-year period. The public employee bill is expected to save $300m in that period.
BBC News - 22 February 2011 Last updated at 12:07 ET
Unions have busted the budgets of cities and counties all over the country.
AntwortenLöschenThe party is over and they don't want to hear it.
They want to continue to bargain for money that simply doesn't exist.
They want the government to go after the rich and get the money from them.
The reality is, even if the rich were taxed at 100% they still couldn't pay the bill.
The unions didn't bargain for wages, they bargained for pay for time not worked and not good benefits but, perpetual benefits after early retirement.
The fun is done.
Time for the public sector employees to come down here with us peasants.
This is totally incorrect. Unions have fought for living wages. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Obama Administration released a report showing that middle class incomes have remained stagnant for the last 20 years, except where Unions are concerned. So while many working class families have suffered without cost of living increases, Unions have made sure that salaries have increased over time to keep up with the cost of living.
AntwortenLöschenUnions have also fought for safer working conditions. Notice those places where most great tragedies occur in the workplace are non-union shops. Union inspectors would never allow their employees to work in hazardous areas where they might be killed due to unsafe conditions. Looking at history, tragedies like the "Triangle Shirt Waist Factory Fire" happened, killed so many people because emergency exits where blocked or locked and people could not escape. Not only did this lead to safer working conditions, but changed many firecodes across the United States.
Nobody is asking the wealthy to pay 100% of anything, however, the 2% tax break that they keep receiving that won't make a dent in their lifestyles if they lost it, would help to fund schools, and other programs that the public need. People are just asking the wealthy to pay their fair share of their taxes like everyone else does.
Unions have made sure that fairer labor practices are also in place. If an employee is disciplined, it needs to be with a valid reason, rather than just going after someone because they aren't liked by someone or fired for no good apparent reason, such as they are above a certain age, or they earn too much money for the job they are doing. Just because someone gains experience, and earns more because of that, does that mean that experience stands for nothing? Is it OK to fire someone because they just reach the age of 50?
Your viewpoints of unions is totally backwards and you have bought into the propaganda that is out there. I suggest you visit your local library and educate yourself more about these things.
Child Labor Laws
AntwortenLöschenMinimum Wage
Forty hour work week (like having a weekend? TGIF!)
Eight hour work day
Worker's Compensation
Unemployment Insurance
Maternity Leave
Family and Medical Leave Act
I'll stop there...
Yes, they are all a result of the labor movement.
Oh, yes, there is a reason we celebrate labor on Labor day.
It has always been my strong opinion that everything should be shut down on that first Monday in September. That not one single non-essential laborer should be laboring on Labor Day.
Let's THANK THE UNIONS for what they have done and continue to do to build the middle class of this nation!!!!
-from a proud former union president
And, from what I see from the UK, bankrupting the country and making more and more in hock to China!
AntwortenLöschenThis has nothing to do with labor unions. This comes from two wars, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan all based on lies, and being fought mainly for oil interests. But you guys in the UK shouldn't have to worry about that when you have BP not taking the proper safety measures so that the worst oil spill took place last year in the Gulf of Mexico.
AntwortenLöschenI must be missing something because that makes no sense to me whatsoever. Maybe it's a British view of what a union is. Unions haven't bankrupted this country...irresponsible fiscal policies at the State and Federal governmental levels have. Oh, do I remember something about the S & L crisis? Did that foretell anything? Counrtrywide. Unions? Nah. Hedge funds? Those terrible public sector pensioners! How could they! Outsourcing? Damn those unions for letting their jobs go overseas then having the nerve to run up the national debt by collecting unemployment benefits that they had negotiated decades before! Goldman Sacks and BOA. How dare those 'union' bankers get back on their feet using taxpayer dollars (backed by China, no less) then earn golden parachutes and multi-million dollar bonuses while not loosening credit to small, middle American business. Those damn Bush Republicans, taking that Clinton surplus and running to China for tax cuts for the rich "non-union" members.
AntwortenLöschenYeah, I can see the connection between China and the unions. Forgive me. I guess I was blinded by the glare of the sun shining on the big pond.