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Missouri Right-to-Work Bill Fails<http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/03/15/missouri-right-to-work-bill-fails/> By: David Dayen <http://news.firedoglake.com/author/dday/> Tuesday March 15, 2011 12:17 pm [image: Tweet]Tweet<http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/03/15/missouri-right-to-work-bill-fails/#> Share <http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.firedoglake.com%2F2011%2F03%2F15%2Fmissouri-right-to-work-bill-fails%2F&t=Missouri%20Right-to-Work%20Bill%20Fails%20%7C%20FDL%20News%20Desk&src=sp> [image: digg]<http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.firedoglake.com%2F2011%2F03%2F15%2Fmissouri-right-to-work-bill-fails%2F&title=Missouri+Right-to-Work+Bill+Fails> [image: stumbleupon]<http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.firedoglake.com%2F2011%2F03%2F15%2Fmissouri-right-to-work-bill-fails%2F&title=Missouri+Right-to-Work+Bill+Fails> <http://news.firedoglake.com/?p=17222&akst_action=share-this> All of the anti-union actions happening throughout the country are basically rear-guard actions, fighting to defend turf rather than expand it. But the Wisconsin battle definitely changed the tenor of these fights. The public has a newfound appreciation for workers rights and collective bargaining, right-wing governors who pushed these plans are becoming horribly unpopular<http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2011/03/brutal-numbers-for-kasich-sb-5.html>along with the legislation theyre carrying the SB 5 citizens veto, should it come to that, in Ohio will be a major test of this proposition and in general, the landscape has changed. Most important is the progressive solidarity around the issue Im seeing groups like Color of Change<http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/workers?akid=1932.959613.NCgHTR&rd=1&t=3>connect the right to organize and collectively bargain to civil rights issues and protection against discrimination, whether in the workplace or civil society. If you were to ask me whether Missouri would be able to get a right-to-work-for-less bill, which would basically bust the private unions, out of its pretty conservative legislature, Id have to say that was likely. Missouri has a Democratic governor, Jay Nixon, so it may have stopped there. But passage in the legislature seemed likely. It didnt happen<http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/03/15/right-to-work-stalls-in-missouri> . Senate Minority Leader Victor Callahan (D) said supporters of right to work for less legislation who claim it will attract more businesses to the state might as well be arguing let us race to become more competitive by emulating the Third World Through unions and good jobs we created a middle class. The middle class didnt cause recession, Big Banks did. Tweeting from last nights session, Cathy Sherwin, the Missouri AFL-CIO communications director, noted that opposition to the bill crossed party lines, including Sen. Kevin Engler (R) who said his parents union membership benefited both the family and the state. Because my parents had good union benefits, my parents are going into a nursing home with NO state benefits needed at no cost to state. Senate leaders said they would not bring the bill back up this week and it was uncertain if it would be on the agenda after the legislatures spring break next week. 5,000 people <http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=294297&id=110988779311>filled the state capital last week to protest the bill, and 500 workers sat in the State Senate gallery last night bearing witness. They were able to stare down the majority Republicans. More from Politics USA<http://www.politicususa.com/en/missouri-halt-anti-union-bill> . Before long, these rearguard actions will have to be matched with tangible gains for American workers. That needs to be done through un-rigging the rules<http://www.truth-out.org/the-key-rebuilding-workers-power-unrig-rules68440>that make it so difficult for labor to organize. But for now, its satisfying that the great union-busting sweep envisioned by the Koch Brothers and other leading lights of the conservative movement is meeting fierce resistance. [image: comment on this]7 Comments<http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/03/15/missouri-right-to-work-bill-fails/#comments> [image: spotlight] Spotlight<http://www.thespotlightproject.org/tsp.php?blogUrl=http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/03/15/missouri-right-to-work-bill-fails/> Tags: labor <http://news.firedoglake.com/tag/labor/>, unions<http://news.firedoglake.com/tag/unions/>, Wisconsin <http://news.firedoglake.com/tag/wisconsin/>, progressive movement<http://news.firedoglake.com/tag/progressive-movement/>, Missouri <http://news.firedoglake.com/tag/missouri/>, right to work<http://news.firedoglake.com/tag/right-to-work/> Wisconsin: Republicans Dial It Back, Revoke Punitive Actions Against Fab 14 Senate Democrats<http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/03/15/wisconsin-republicans-dial-it-back-revoke-punitive-actions-against-fab-14-senate-democrats/> By: David Dayen <http://news.firedoglake.com/author/dday/> Tuesday March 15, 2011 1:51 pm Plenty of people were quick to denounce Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald for announcing that Senate Democrats would not be allowed to participate in recorded committee votes<http://budget.wispolitics.com/2011/03/fitzgerald-dem-senators-wont-be-allowed.html>. But if you read the letter he sent, he was saying more specifically that the contempt order, which the Republicans passed in the dark days of the impasse over the anti-union bill, had not yet been revoked. This contempt order could only be lifted on the Senate floor by a vote, and the Senate isnt due back in session in Wisconsin until April 5. Well, today, perhaps because of this outcry, Republicans did revoke all associated penalties <http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/118023204.html>arising from the contempt resolution, in particular the $100-a-day fines<http://budget.wispolitics.com/2011/03/ellis-fitzgerald-say-republicans.html>Republicans imposed on Democrats for leaving the state. Furthermore, Fitzgerald said that Republicans would try to find a way for Democrats to get their voting rights back in committee before April 5, when the contempt order would be revoked. (Fitzgerald) said hes received assurances from Dems that they would not use the manuever going forward. Ellis, R-Neenah, said the moves were part of a good-faith effort on the part of Republicans to move past the poisonous atmosphere of the past month. He acknowledged the recall efforts going on outside the building and the tension that remains there, but said there needs to be a sense of civility inside the chamber. Its time to do what theyre doing in Japan, Ellis said. Theyre trying to cool off rods over there. Its time we cool off a few here. In addition, Senate Org (essentially the Rules Committee) revoked the punitive actions<http://budget.wispolitics.com/2011/03/senate-org-ballot-would-end-most.html>taken against Democratic staffers during the standoff, including limiting Dem staffers access to state copying machines, requiring the majority leader to approve Dem staff time sheets, and assigning Republicans to have supervision over Dem offices. So Fitzgerald and the Republicans want to move back to an equilibrium in the State Senate. But their actions have shattered that for good. Theres still a hearing challenging the anti-union bill<http://budget.wispolitics.com/2011/03/hearing-set-for-friday-on-suit.html>and the process by which it passed scheduled for Friday. And the recall elections continue to move forward. Within a matter of months, Fitzgerald may not have the ability to enforce any fines or actions against his colleagues because hell find himself in the minority. [image: read post]<http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/03/15/wisconsin-republicans-dial-it-back-revoke-punitive-actions-against-fab-14-senate-democrats/> [image: comment on this]3 Comments<http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/03/15/wisconsin-republicans-dial-it-back-revoke-punitive-actions-against-fab-14-senate-democrats/#comments> [image: spotlight] Spotlight<http://www.thespotlightproject.org/tsp.php?blogUrl=http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/03/15/wisconsin-republicans-dial-it-back-revoke-punitive-actions-against-fab-14-senate-democrats/> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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