Organized labor supporters staged a protest outside the Lane County Courthouse Friday, expressing anger and defiance toward the worker’s rights struggle in Wisconsin and urging workers to unite across the state and country.
Last Thursday, Republican state senators in Wisconsin managed to pass a hotly contested bill eliminating the collective bargaining rights of most public employees to cut state budgetary costs.
“Wisconsin has really been our wake-up call,” said Bob Bussel, University professor and director of the University Labor Education and Research Center. “What they’ve been trying to do is divide us. We have to take to the streets saying public institutions matter, unions matter, and those who do the public’s work matter.”
Since Feb. 17, all 14 Democratic senators had left the state, refusing to vote and taking advantage of a rule requiring at least 20 senators to be present during votes authorizing the use of money.
For weeks, Wisconsin Republicans fell one short of the requirement with 19 members. Earlier last week, however, they met in a committee to strip several financial elements of the bill and argued that the rule no longer applied as a result. The bill then quickly passed and was signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker.
Despite the resolution, demonstrations continue to take place across the country as labor rights activists claim the battle is not over.

Similar bills are currently being considered in several other states, most notably the nearly identical Measure 5 in Ohio.
In Oregon, no limits on collective bargaining have been proposed, but those at Friday’s rally insist the contentious political maneuver could be easily considered unless Oregonians express opposition, despite the state’s liberal reputation. Moreover, speakers said it is a national issue, not a state-by-state issue.
“The decision by Wisconsin’s Republican senators shows what they’re all about. It shows that they are going to support the interests that got them there,” said Chris Wig, a University graduate student and organizer of the event. “The good news is that there has been some major push-back, and I’m looking forward to taking these guys down.”
On Saturday, the largest demonstration yet took place outside the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, with an estimated 100,000 people gathering to protest the new law. State Democratic leaders have promised legal action in hopes of overturning the legislation, and many are already promising the removal of Republicans in the 2012 elections. Oregon Democrats have relayed the message, vowing to stand up for worker’s rights if they are ever put in jeopardy.
“Everyone deserves the kind of dignity that comes with work that is worth doing,” State Rep. Phil Barnhart said at Friday’s event. “It is our turn to make sure that those rights are preserved … and make certain that we have an economy that supports everyone.”
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