Labor & Employment Law

Wisconsin Students Rally to Side of State Workers

By Mike Hall

Wisconsin college and high school students are showing their support for their teachers–and for all public employees?who are under fire by Gov. Scott Walker. Walker’s budget proposal attacks family-supporting middle-class jobs through unilateral pay and benefit cuts and takes away nearly all of the workers? collective bargaining rights.

Yesterday hundreds of University of Wisconsin students chanting ?Kill this Bill? marched (see video) to the state Capitol in Madison and delivered valentines to Walker?s office urging him back off his proposals.

AFSCME Local 2412 President Gary Mitchell says, ?The students have been so energized.

I?ve been spending time at the teaching assistants? offices and they?ve been there all day long Friday, Saturday and Sunday making signs, calling people. It?s been great. A lot of energy. It feels good.

In Stoughton, about 100 high school students walked out of class Monday to support their teachers. Junior Theron Luhn helped organize the protest and told the news site RiverTowns.Net students wanted to

show Gov. Walker that we care about learning, and the teachers are worth every cent that we pay to them.

Today there is a joint state Senate and House hearing on Walker?s proposal and will keep you updated.

Meanwhile, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) set the record straight today with a new analysis of Wisconsin public employees pay and benefits.  Supporters of Walkers? plan have been circulating faulty information that claims the state?s workers are dramatically overpaid compared to private sector workers.

But when we compare apples to apples, we find that Wisconsin public employees earn 4.8 percent less in total compensation than comparable private sector workers. The comparisons demonstrate that full-time state and local public employees earn lower wages and receive less in total compensation (including all benefits) than comparable private sector employees.

Click here for the full analysis for EPI economist Jeffrey H. Keefe.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on February 15, 2011 (boomark / email).