USA: Stand with Wisconsin
On 9 March, 2011, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker pushed through a bill stripping unions of their rights. One year onwards, after massive citizen protests, enough signatures have been gathered to force an election to recall Walker.
A recall, a procedure anchored in the Wisconsin constitution, allows voters to remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended. Teachers, parents and state employees took to the streets to call for such a recall of Governor Walker.
EI support
EI's member organisations in the United States, the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), strongly support the actions of their Wisconsin colleagues. Likewise, EI's sister Global Union Federation, Public Services International (PSI) and their American members, and the American labour federation AFL-CIO, are giving their full support to Wisconsin’s public servants.
Apart from abolishing union rights, Walker rolled out a plan to destroy public education to cover the US$3 billion deficit in the state's 2011-2013 budget. The 2011 school year started with 3,368 fewer education posts and spending per pupil was reduced to US$635. Thousands of state employees, including teachers, were laid off. In the Milwaukee public school district, for example, 354 teachers were fired among other cuts such as the elimination of vacant positions, teaching materials, and building maintenance, so that US$84 million could be saved on school expenditure there. A total of US$800 million in state aid to education was cut.
Consequences
The consequences of Walker's plan were massive. For the teachers who remain, not only was their take-home pay reduced, they now have to pay more for their retirement and health care, as the cost of those have risen as well due to the Governor’s cutbacks. Veteran teachers were lost because they were forced to go on early retirement to prevent further decreases in their pension entitlement. Teachers have to deal with larger class sizes, lack of materials and ill-maintained school compounds and facilities. The ultimate victims are the children who are missing out on their education.
As a result of their year-long campaign to “Reclaim Wisconsin”, one million signatures were collected for recall elections to remove Walker from office. On 10 March, the “Reclaim Wisconsin March” in Madison, Wisconsin’s capital, will celebrate this victory and continue the fight.
Show your support
You can keep up to date about Wisconsin on the AFL-CLO’s “Stand with Wisconsin” blog ( http://wisaflcio.typepad.com). Also, support your colleagues by signing the “Reclaim Wisconsin” pledge ( http://act.aflcio.org/c/270/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=3573).
