Labor & Employment Law

Religious Groups Begin Nightly Vigils at Wis. Capitol

By James Parks

In a tremendous show of opposition against Gov. Scott Walker and the state Republicans? recent actions to take away public workers? right to collective bargaining and his proposed budget, Madison?s religious community is organizing ongoing nightly vigils sponsored by different faith communities at the State Capitol.  Each night a different religious community will sponsor the vigil, drawing members from far and wide.

Rev. Jerry Folk, co-chair of Madison’s Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice, says:

Many religious leaders in Wisconsin are disturbed by the governor?s proposed budget because it will widen the gap between the haves and have-nots of society by taking resources away from the middle class and the poor and giving them to the wealthiest among us.

In other actions:

• On April 4 Day of Solidarity, the  New Jersey State AFL-CIO will hold  roundtable reflect on and discuss the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. who died April 4, 1968, while helping poor Memphis sanitation workers in their effort to join a union. The roundtable will include U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, Rep. Rush Holt, economist Paul Krugman, Charles Wowkanech, New Jersey State AFL-CIO President and several other union leaders. Union members, faith groups and other allies are holding events in the days around April 4. Find your event or list an event here.
• Ohioans are gearing up for the beginning of hearings next week in the state House on SB 5, which would eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees.  Workers will be out in force as they were earlier this week for Gov. John Kasich’s state of the state address (see video).    
• After the historic “We Are Indiana” rally yesterday, Hoosier working people will keep up the pressure on Gov. Mitch Daniels and Republic state legislators with another mass march on Monday and another week of protests.
• Yesterday, Wisconsin firefighters collectively began withdrawing their funds from Madison’s M&I Bank–whose executives and board members were among the highest donors to  Walker’s campaign. Union members withdrew more than $100,000 from the bank, with some reports stating that number is as high as $192,000. The bank closed for the day.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on March 11, 2011 (boomark / email).