Labor & Employment Law

More Than 270 Lawmakers Oppose Taking Away Public Employee Bargaining Rights

By James Parks

Members of the Alliance for Retired Americans rallied this week in Nevada to support public employee bargaining rights.

UPDATE: As of this morning, 284 state lawmakers have signed on in support of Wisconsin Senators, according to Progressive States Network.

Progressive States Network today released a letter signed by a bipartisan group of more than 270 state legislators representing 44 states voicing their solidarity with the Wisconsin state senators who oppose an extreme measure to take away the right of public employees to bargain for good middle-class jobs.

In the letter, the lawmakers noted that in contrast to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and others attempting to force through legislation benefiting corporate CEOs, they were dedicated to working ?in a constructive manner with all relevant parties to advance a vision for our nation?s future that truly ensures the economic security of our communities.?

The full text of the letter and list of signers is available here.

 In other solidarity actions: 

• Two major civil rights groups, the NAACP and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), came out in support of public employees? freedom to bargain. Click here to read the NAACP statement and here for the LCCR statement.
• Members of the Alliance for Retired Americans  across the country took part in events in at least 29 states to show solidarity with public employees under attack. ?State workers in Wisconsin are not alone in this fight,? said Barbara Easterling, president of the Alliance. ?Retirees from coast to coast are with them every step of the way!?
• Mayor Andrew Halverson of Stevens Point, Wis., delivered a resolution passed by the Stevens Point City Council to state legislators Thursday. The resolution asks for the continuation of collective bargaining rights for public employees and calls for changes to workers’ health insurance and retirement co-pay to be spread out over 24 months.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on February 28, 2011 (boomark / email).