Labor & Employment Law

With Rights Battle Brewing in Maine, Rep. Russell Stands with Wisconsin Workers

By Mike Hall

After a two-day drive, Maine state Rep. Diane Russell (D) and a group of activists are in Madison this week, supporting Wisconsin?s public service workers. They are supplying food, water, coffee and moral support to the nurses, EMTs and teachers  now in their second week of protest against Gov. Scott Walker?s (R) attack on middle-class jobs. Says Russell:

Wisconsin’s struggle has sparked a national conversation about our economic priorities, one with far-reaching implications for those whose interests are represented?the middle class or corporate CEOs. If the levee breaks in Wisconsin, we’re all going to be flooded. By teachers, students, firefighters, elected leaders, nurses and working families standing together in Madison, we can send a strong message to elected officials in Maine and other states that the people will not stand for this war on the working class.

The group will head back to Maine later this week, where debate will begin over that state?s budget and Gov. Paul LePage?s (R) move to erode the rights of Granite State workers to bargain for middle-class jobs.

Russell is documenting her trip on Facebook here, Twitter here and on her blog SolidarityWisconsin here.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on February 22, 2011 (boomark / email).