skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, September 20, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Dozens of CA events this weekend honor Latino Conservation Week; Kamala Harris joins Oprah Winfrey in emotional campaign event; Report finds poor working conditions in Texas clean energy industry; AI puts on a lab coat, heads to technical schools.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

The World Watches Wisconsin

play audio
Play

Monday, February 21, 2011   

MADISON, Wis. - It will be anything but business as usual at the State Capitol in Madison this week as protestors continue to make noise about an issue that is catching fire across the country: workers' rights. Over the past three days, nearly 100,000 people have jammed the Capitol to protest a plan developed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker that would strip most public employees of their collective bargaining rights.

It's an idea that other states are looking at and labor unions are dead-set against. Wisconsin Democratic State Rep. Cory Mason, Racine, says the governor's action has lit a fuse.

"I don't think anybody could have predicted this kind of outrage from what he's doing, but you know, people have rights."

Fourteen Democratic state senators went into hiding last week, blocking action on the Republican bill because there wasn't a quorum in the Senate. Assembly Republicans have delayed a vote until Tuesday, at the earliest.

The Democrats say the measure is being rammed through without enough public input on a proposal that would change 50 years of labor practice in the state. Gov. Walker says the changes are needed to give state and local governments the power to control costs.

Wisconsin Democratic State Rep. Joe Parisi, Madison, says lawmakers are well aware of the national implication of what's happening in Wisconsin.

"Nothing could be more important that what's going on in Madison right now, and I'm glad the whole world is watching."

Parisi said a line has been drawn in the sand over workers' rights. He adds that those supporting the collective bargaining heritage in Wisconsin will continue to fight, despite long odds due to the Republican majority in the state legislature.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Some 899 of 936 public comments on the plan for the proposed West Fork Dam, or 96%, opposed the West Fork Battle Creek Dam project, according to a tally by Wyofile. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A federal agency is requiring Wyoming to update cost estimates for a large proposed dam in Carbon County, which has been under feasibility studies …


Social Issues

play sound

This Saturday marks the International Day of Peace and the advocacy group Nonviolent Peaceforce is kicking off a series of family-friendly events in M…

Environment

play sound

Latino Conservation Week is in full swing, with 330 events across the U.S. and 90 in California alone. The 11th annual event runs through Sunday…


Social Issues

play sound

A new federal proposal to protect workers from extreme heat is being hailed as a potential lifesaver by labor advocates, even as Florida faces …

A clean energy industry advocacy report found nonunion workers are often paid less, incur more job-related injuries and receive fewer benefits than unionized employees. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A new study showed as Texas has emerged as a national leader in wind turbine and solar energy installations, clean energy workers often face …

play sound

Students enrolled at Wisconsin's technical colleges this fall might take a course where artificial intelligence is the star of the classroom…

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows the gender wage gap widened for the first time in two decades. The Census Bureau found full-time working women make 82.7 cents …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021