2011 Wisconsin protests

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Overhead view of hundreds of people wearing red for the Teacher's union, protesting against Walker's bill.
Opponents of Governor Walker's proposed bill protest in the rotunda of the Wisconsin state Capitol building.

The 2011 Wisconsin budget protests are a series of on-going demonstrations in the state of Wisconsin in the United States involving tens of thousands of public employees, union members, students and citizens.[1][2] The protests began on February 15, 2011 in opposition to certain provisions in legislation[3] proposed by Republican Governor Scott Walker to address a projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall.[1] The legislation would require state employees to contribute 5.8% of their salaries to cover pension costs (under current law most public workers make no contribution), and would eliminate or weaken collective bargaining rights for public employee union members. Groups of protesters have been occupying the Wisconsin Capitol building since the protests began. The protests made national and world news, and U.S. President Barack Obama criticized the proposed legislation as "an assault on unions".[4] Journalists, politicians, and political commentators noted the Middle East and North African protests an inspiration for the Wisconsin protests.[5][6][7][8][9]

Background

Since 2003, the Wisconsin Legislature has enacted tax cuts that have resulted in an “$800 million-per-year reduction in tax revenues”, according to NBC News.[10] In January 2011, the state legislature passed a series of bills providing additional tax cuts and deductions for businesses at “a two-year cost of $67 million.”[11] In early February, the Walker administration projected a budget shortfall in 2013 (Wisconsin functions on two-year budgets) of $3.6 billion.[12] and found that a budget repair bill to resolve a $137 million shortfall for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011 was also needed. [12] The protests and demonstrations began following Walker's introduction of the budget repair bill on February 11, 2011.

The Walker-backed bill would remove most collective bargaining for nearly all public employees in the state.[1] The plan would additionally "require higher pension and health insurance contributions and remove bargaining rights except for wages, which would be limited to be not greater than the Consumer Price Index."[13] (According to David Cay Johnston, Wisconsin state employees currently pay 5% of their wages into their pension under the principle of Deferred compensation.[14][15][16][17][18])The bargaining changes would exempt the unions of public safety officers, including police, firefighters, and state troopers.[19] Walker has stated without the cuts, thousands of state workers would have to be laid off over the first half of 2011.

Other proposals within the budget repair bill have generated controversy. One proposal seeks to diminish legislative oversight over the implementation of, and eligibility requirements for, state Medicaid programs.[20] Also generating controversy is a proposal to separate the flagship University of Wisconsin–Madison campus from the rest of the UW System.[21]

Two days after the protests began in Wisconsin, the protests spread to Columbus, Ohio over similar legislation.[22]

At 1 AM on February 25th, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed the budget repair bill in a sudden vote. The vote happened so quickly that a majority of House Democrats were not able to vote, despite being in the room.[23]

Protests

Thousands gather outside of the Wisconsin Capitol building to protest Governor Walker's bill. The gathering is estimated at 70,000 to 100,000 people.[24]
Demonstrators in steadily falling snow outside of the Wisconsin Capitol building.

On February 14, teaching and project assistants from the University of Wisconsin-Madison distributed “We ♥ UW: Don't Break My ♥” Valentine cards to the governor, as a means of protesting against the bill’s negative impacts on working conditions at the university.[25]

On February 15, tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated in Madison, Wisconsin[26][22] regarding the proposed legislation's limitations on collective bargaining for and against Walker's bill.[27] "Kill the Bill" remained one of the main slogans of protests.[28] That same day, union members and students took part of public hearings with the presence of senators and representatives from both parties, that lasted 17 hours; even though some defenders of the bill expressed their position, most of the participants were against the bill.[29]

By February 16, the number of protesters in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol was estimated at 30,000.[30]

On February 17, about 25,000 people continued the protest.[22] Teachers and workers occupied the Senate chambers.[31] On the same day, the protests spread to a capital city in another US state, Columbus, Ohio, where about 3,800 protesters demonstrated against a similar bill to "eliminate collective bargaining" being considered by the Ohio legislature.[22] According to Mike Lux, some of the protesters in the two states carried Egyptian flags, indicating their Egyptian revolution inspiration.[32] Ed Schultz of MSNBC's The Ed Show appeared live in Madison February 17 and 18 live outside the Capitol.[33] Jesse Jackson attended protests at the Capitol on February 18.[34]

The number of protesters in Madison grew to over 70,000 on February 19, including some who supported Walker's plan.[35][36] Some protesters carried signs comparing Walker to Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Hosni Mubarak and a terrorist, and accusing him of "raping" public employees. Most protest signs, however, criticized the proposed bill's elimination of collective bargaining rights for public employees.[37][38] UW Health has launched an investigation into whether any of its physicians were involved in writing fraudulent sick notes for protest attendees.[39]

Protest techniques continuing February 20 included a physical occupation of the Capitol building, including an information center, a sleeping area and homemade signs.[40] On February 20, a union organizer participating in the protests said that the protests would continue "as long as it takes".[40] Other union leaders called for teachers to return to work.[40] On February 26, once again, between 70,000 and 100,000 protested the proposed budget in Madison. They were joined by thousands at state capitals around the nation.[24]

On February 27th, it was announced that Republican State Senator Dale Schultz would not vote for the bill.[41] Schultz was the first Republican in the Senate to announce his opposition; Schultz had previously attempted a compromise budget plan which failed.

Criticism

Supporters of the bill accused demonstrators of thwarting democratically elected representatives from voting on a bill that has mixed support among polls. For example, conservative columnist David Brooks wrote in the New York Times that, "It’s the Democratic minority that is thwarting the majority will by fleeing to Illinois."[42] Brooks opined that private sector unions push against the interests of shareholders and management while "public sector unions push against the interests of taxpayers." He also writes that private sector union members "know that their employers could go out of business, so they have an incentive to mitigate their demands; public sector union members work for state monopolies and have no such interest."[43]

Wisconsin 14

In another form of protest, the 14 Democratic members of the Wisconsin State Senate left the state of Wisconsin and traveled to Illinois in order to delay a vote on the bill.[44] With only 19 Republican members, the Senate would not have the 20 Senators required for a quorum in order to vote on the bill, since it is a fiscal bill.[45][22] As of 20 February 2011, all 14 Senate Democrats are indefinitely in Illinois.[46][44] However, the provision that the protests center around—the stripping of collective bargaining rights—could technically still be passed as a separate bill even in the absence of the Senate Democrats, since it is a non-fiscal issue; there are no plans to do that now.[47]

In a possible lure to get the 14 Democratic Senators to return, the Wisconsin legislature has reported they will try to pass a bill that would require citizens to have some form of voter identification to vote. Democrats strongly oppose the bill, but because there are no Democratic senators to defend their position, the bill was expected to pass the Senate easily.[48] On February 24th, 2011, the Republicans in the Senate moved the voter ID provision past the amendable stage but were unable to take a final vote on it because it spends money for free ID's to comply with federal constitutional requirements. [49] As a fiscal provision, the voter ID bill would require the same quorum currently denied over the main budget bill.

Fake phone call and responses

On February 23, 2011, Buffalo Beast editor Ian Murphy placed a prank telephone call[50] to Walker claiming to be David Koch, one of Walker's largest corporate supporters. [51] Between 1997 and 2008, David and Charles Koch gave more than $17 million to groups lobbying against unions.[52] In response to the call, Walker's office confirmed that it was true, and stated, "The phone call shows that the Governor says the same thing in private as he does in public and the lengths that others will go to disrupt the civil debate Wisconsin is having."[53]

Madison Mayor David Cieslewicz,[54] Madison police chief Noble Wray,[55] and Peg Lautenschlager, a former Wisconsin attorney general and U.S. attorney,[56] have described Walker's conduct in the call as potential ethics, election law, and/or labor law violations.

The Society of Professional Journalists condemned the Beast, calling its actions "underhanded and unethical."[57]

Public opinion

A USA Today/Gallup Poll found that 61% of Americans would oppose a law similar to the Wisconsin bill in their state while 33% were for it.[58] A nationwide Rasmussen poll found that a majority (67%) of likely voters disapproved of the tactics of the 14 Democratic Senators, with only 25% approving. Another Rasmussen poll showed that 47% of likely voters supported the Governor, while only 37% supported the pro-union protesters.[59] However, polling analyst Nate Silver criticized methodology of the Rasmussen polls in his New York Times blog, claiming they were biased in wording their questions.[60]

A Pulse Opinion Research poll conducted of likely Wisconsin voters found that 56% support collective bargaining rights for public employees with 32% opposed. In the same poll, approval and disapproval for the bill was split at 50%-50% while 49% supported the protesters and 48% opposed them.[61]

Effects

As of February 17, 2011, the Madison Metropolitan School District had canceled classes for Four days because of expected staff absences.[62][needs update] In addition, numerous districts across the state for various numbers of days closed due to protests including Milwaukee, La Crosse, Beaver Dam, Columbus, DeForest, Edgerton, Juda, Lodi, Marshall, McFarland, Middleton-Cross Plains, Mineral Point, Monona Grove, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Reedsburg, River Valley, Sauk Prairie, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Verona, Watertown and Waunakee.[63][full citation needed]

Two days after the protests began, the protests spread to Columbus, Ohio over similar legislation.[22]

The Wisconsin Legislature has stated they will continue passing non-budget items with no Democratic opposition in the Senate starting on February 22.

Police actions

In Wisconsin, State police have been sent to influence Wisconsin senators who have left the Capitol building and have them participate in the legislative session, in order that quorum be satisfied.[30] The Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, said that he would call the National Guard, a military reserve force in the US, to handle positions in state departments such as prisons in case of an eventual labor walk-out.[64]

Responses

Domestic

  • U.S. President Barack Obama said that taking away bargaining rights seemed like "an assault on unions."[4]
  • Leading members of the Protestant and Jewish communities have voiced their support for the protesters.[65]
  • Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki sent a statement to the Joint Finance Committee imploring them to consider the collective bargaining rights of employees. [66]
  • The Conservative Heritage Foundation's policy analyst James Sherk wrote in support of Walker's budget plan, "Gov. Walker's plan reasserts voter control over government policy. Voters' elected representatives should decide how the government spends their taxes. More states should heed the AFL-CIO Executive Council's 1959 advice: 'in terms of accepted collective bargaining procedures, government workers have no right beyond the authority to petition Congress—a right available to every citizen.'"[67]
  • The protests have been compared to the 2011 Egyptian revolution by both Democratic Representatives such as John Lewis,[6] and Republican Representatives, such as Paul Ryan.[31] Mike Lux, a political consultant, stated that "the pictures we are seeing and the story playing out in Wisconsin is like Egypt in some really important ways. The new mass militancy of union members, students, and other allies of the maligned teachers, social workers, cops, firefighters, and other public employees being attacked and threatened by the governor is not a manufactured thing, it is a mass movement spreading like wildfire, building in momentum day by day."[32]
  • Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who helped launch Walker's gubernatorial campaign, called the debate a "profound struggle between the right of the people to govern themselves and the power of entrenched, selfish interests to stop reforms and defy the will of the people."[68]
  • An ad created by advisers to the national AFL-CIO, SEIU, and AFSCME and paid for by the Wisconsin AFL-CIO was launched. The ad featured "Racine firefighter Mike DeGarmo proclaiming solidarity between firefighters (who, like cops, are exempt from Walker's proposal) and other public employees. ... A spokesman for the national AFL-CIO, Eddie Vale, says [the ad]'s supported by a 'significant statewide buy.'"[69]
  • Americans for Prosperity president Tim Phillips went to Madison to "voice praise for cutting state spending by slashing union benefits and bargaining rights [and to address] a large group of counterprotesters." Phillips also said: "We are going to bring fiscal sanity back to this great nation. ... This is a watershed moment in Wisconsin.... For the last two decades, government unions have used their power to drive pensions and benefits and salaries well beyond anything that can be sustained. We are just trying to change that."[70] The group planned an ad campaign in support of Gov. Walker's initiatives.[71]
  • CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) states that Walker violated Wisconsin law by unlawfully sending state troopers in search of a missing legislator, as well as possibly conspiring with the State Patrol superintendent (the father of the Republican Senate Majority Leader, who was appointed by Walker) in order to do so.[72]
  • On February 21, a major draw for the protesters was Tom Morello, guitarist of rock group Rage Against the Machine, who said his mother was a union public school teacher in Illinois; that "[f]riends and unions in Brazil and in Korea—the whole world is watching"; and that he had "even heard from a principal organizer of the protests in Cairo about what's happening in Madison."[73]

International

  • John Tarrett and a crew from Al Jazeera English TV arrived on February 19. "I think this dovetails very nicely with our reporting on Egypt and Bahrain, and now Libya—where ordinary people are standing up saying enough is enough," Tarrett was quoted as saying.[73]
  • Piotr Duda, president of the Polish trade union Solidarity released a statement on behalf of the 700,000-strong union in support of the Wisconsin protesters. Solidarity's protests in the 1980s forced the then-Warsaw Pact government to the negotiating table, resulting in semi-free elections and the end of Communism in Poland. [74]

References

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  2. ^ Hall, Mike (2011-02-15). "Wisconsin Students Rally to Side of State Workers | AFL-CIO NOW BLOG". Blog.aflcio.org. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  3. ^ http://legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/data/JR1SB-11.pdf
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  8. ^ Post Store. "Harold Meyerson - Workers toppled a dictator in Egypt, but might be silenced in Wisconsin". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
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  20. ^ Wahlberg, David (February 20, 2011). "Medicaid looms as next big budget battle". Wisconsin State Journal.
  21. ^ Ramde, Dinesh "University of Wisconsin leaders oppose Gov. Scott Walker's plan to spin off Madison school", Green Bay Press-Gazette, February 26, 2011
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  25. ^ DEBORAH ZIFF (2011-02-14). "On Campus: UW-Madison students to Walker: "Don't Break My ♥"". Host.madison.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28. {{cite web}}: Text "608-252-6234" ignored (help); Text "dziff@madison.com" ignored (help)
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  29. ^ STEPHANIE JONES stephanie.jones@journaltimes.com (2011-02-15). "Hearing day in Madison: Hundreds come to testify on budget bill". Journaltimes.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  30. ^ a b Shapiro, Lila (2011-02). "Wisconsin Protests: State Police Pursue Democratic Lawmakers Boycotting Vote". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-02-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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  32. ^ a b Lux, Mike (2011-02-18). "Egypt, Wisconsin, and the Future of Our Democracy". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-02-18. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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  39. ^ DAVID WAHLBERG (2011-02-22). "State, UW Health investigate doctors who wrote sick notes for protesters". Host.madison.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28. {{cite web}}: Text "608-252-6125" ignored (help); Text "dwahlberg@madison.com" ignored (help)
  40. ^ a b c Davey, Monica (2011-02-20). "Protesters in Wisconsin Say They Are Staying Put". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2011-02-22. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ "State Capitol building closed, budget protesters not moving | Appleton Post Crescent". postcrescent.com. 2010-10-14. Retrieved 2011-02-28. {{cite web}}: Text "APC-News" ignored (help); Text "text" ignored (help); Text "topnews" ignored (help)
  42. ^ "David Brooks: We're hostages of powerful public-sector unions". Daytondailynews.com. 2010-10-12. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  43. ^ "Government Unions Have Not Benefited the Public". RealClearPolitics. 2011-02-23. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  44. ^ a b "In Illinois, Wisconsin Senate Democrats vow unity". JSOnline. 2011-02-20. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  45. ^ UPDATE 1-Wisconsin gov. sees Democrats returning to debate plan Feb 20, 2011 Reuters
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  48. ^ AP (2010-04-07). "Wisconsin Republicans Try to Lure Back Dems by Moving Controversial Voter ID Bill". FoxNews.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  49. ^ "Senate gives preliminary approval to photo ID bill". JSOnline. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  50. ^ By Stephen T. Watson. "It's 'gotcha' as local Web provocateur fools a governor - Politics". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  51. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22koch.html
  52. ^ Peter Overby (2011-02-25). "Billionaire Brothers In Spotlight In Wis. Union Battle". National Public Radio.
  53. ^ Sargent, Greg (2011-02-23). "The Plum Line - Governor Walker's office confirms prank Koch call". Voices.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  54. ^ JOHN NICHOLS (2011-02-24). "Cieslewicz rebukes Walker for talk of disrupting demonstrations". Host.madison.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28. {{cite web}}: Text "The Capital Times" ignored (help); Text "jnichols@madison.com" ignored (help)
  55. ^ DEE J. HALL. "Madison police chief, mayor ask governor to explain 'troubling' statements". Host.madison.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28. {{cite web}}: Text "608-252-6132" ignored (help); Text "dhall@madison.com" ignored (help)
  56. ^ "Ex-AG sees violations by Walker in stunt call". Host.madison.com. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
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  59. ^ "Public do not approve of legislator tactics". February 24, 2011. {{cite news}}: Text "publisher Rasmussen" ignored (help)
  60. ^ Silver, Nate (February 21, 2011). "Rasmussen Poll on Wisconsin Dispute May Be Biased". The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
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  62. ^ "State Democrats absent for vote as Wisconsin budget protests swell". CNN. February 17, 2011.
  63. ^ BILL NOVAK (2011-02-17). "Fog and protests closing or delaying dozens of schools". Host.madison.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28. {{cite web}}: Text "The Capital Times" ignored (help); Text "bnovak@madison.com" ignored (help)
  64. ^ Davey, Monica (2011-02-11). "Wisconsin May Take an Ax to State Workers' Benefits and Their Unions". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-02-18. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  65. ^ Faith leaders voice support for unions Annysa Johnson Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Feb. 18, 2011
  66. ^ "Daily for Wednesday, February 16, 2011". BizTimes. 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  67. ^ FDR Warned Us James Sherk, The Foundry, Feb. 19, 2011.
  68. ^ Help Scott Walker Today, Newt Gingrich, Human Events, Feb. 23, 2011.
  69. ^ Sargent, Greg, "Unions launch TV ad campaign backing Wisconsin public employees", Washington Post Plum Line blog, 02/22/2011 6:38 AM ET. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
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  74. ^ Drake, Bruce. "Wisconsin Workers Get Support from Poland's Solidarity Trade Union". Politicsdaily.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2011 Wisconsin protests.
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