Labor & Employment Law

Day 5 Brings 70,000-Plus to Madison to Protect Workers? Rights

By Mike Hall

More than 70,000 people?the vast, vast majority of them protesting Gov. Scott Walker?s (R) assault on middle class jobs and workers? rights?rallied in Madison, Wis., today in the fifth straight day of demonstrations against Walker?s union-busting proposals.

Mainstream media estimated the crowd at 70,000–with some as high as 100,000–and reports from the ground say that the tea party counter protest drew about 2,000 people. While there was some concern earlier today that counter protesters might try to bait the pro-worker demonstrators into confrontations, Madison police reported the day went peacefully with no incidents or arrests.

Also Walker rejected an offer from the unions to accept economic concessions if the near total ban on collective bargaining was removed from the so-called ?budget repair? bill.   State Sen. Jon Erpenbach told reporters

It would appear that Gov. Walker’s only target is the destruction of collective bargaining rights and not solving the state’s budget.

Click here for a great solidarity photo from Egypt and here for a video montage of the week?s rallies by Matt Wisniewski with a sound track by Arcade Fire.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on February 19, 2011 (boomark / email).