MADISON, Wis, (Reuters) – Wisconsin lawmakers, after weeks of angry protests, gave final approval yesterday to a Republican plan to curb the union rights of public workers in one of the biggest challenges to organized labor in decades.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker promised to quickly sign the bill into law, ending a three-week standoff that ignited a national struggle over efforts by several budget-strapped state governments to rein in union power.
Protesters inside the state Capitol in Madison shouted “Shame! Shame!” as the Republican-led State Assembly approved the bill on a 53-42 vote after three hours of debate. All but four Republicans voted to approve the plan.
Wisconsin’s Republican-led Senate had outflanked Democrats’ boycott to pass the heart of Walker’s plan on Wednesday night, sending it to the assembly. Democrats promised there would be a political price to pay for the action.
Challenges to the bargaining rights of state and local workers are also being weighed in Indiana, Ohio, Idaho, Tennessee, Kansas and several more states, many of which saw Republicans sweep to victory in November.
The confrontation with unions could be the biggest showdown with labor since then President Ronald Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers nearly 30 years ago.
Republicans say the measures are needed to gain control of deficit-ridden budgets. Democrats and their union backers say Republicans are ramming through union-busting proposals.
President Barack Obama’s spokesman, Jay Carney, said thepresident was mindful of the state budget pressures but “he also believes that it is wrong to use those budget problems to denigrate or vilify public sector employees.”
Some 10,000 protesters surrounded the Capitol building during the debate, with a large crowd gathering underneath Walker’s window noisily accompanied by drums.
Capitol police briefly closed the building and hauled away some protesters — amid chants of “This is Our House” — which postponed the start of the assembly’s debate for a short time.
“It’s still like the first day of the protests here,” said Karin Kinsley, 52. “Energetic. Hopeful. Crowded. Loud.”
The AFL-CIO called for its members to rally in support of public sector workers, saying Senate Republicans and Walker had exercised “the nuclear option to ram through their bill attacking Wisconsin’s working families in the dark of night.”
In Indiana, more than 8,000 workers converged on the statehouse to protest legislation Democrats say targets public school teachers and others, including a provision that public employees would not have to pay unions dues. Democratic House members have left the state to prevent votes on the bills.
