Union Protests in Wisconsin & Ohio

Produced and edited by Chase Whiteside (interviews) and Erick Stoll (camera). Additional camera by Matt Wisniewski.

Over the last two weeks, tens of thousands of workers and their supporters have flooded the Wisconsin and Ohio state capitols, pushing back on their newly-elected Republican Governors' attempts to revoke collective bargaining rights for public workers.

Other than the flashes of anger Ohio crowds showed when they were curiously shut out of their statehouse, the protests have been entirely peaceful, even jovial, with the Wisconsin capitol having an atmosphere similar to a pep rally.

WI Gov. Scott Walker and OH Gov. John Kasich have claimed budget crisis as the impetus for their efforts, but their accounting is spurious, and unions have already agreed to reductions in pay and benefits. Wisconsin public workers have yielded to all of Walker's fiscal requests, making Gov. Walker's insistence that he must cut collective bargaining rights to cut the deficit even more dubious.

Many of those we interviewed, including union leaders, did not believe that the revocation of their rights was necessary to balance budgets, but was rather part of a coordinated effort to dismantle unions and reduce their large financial and organizational contributions to progressive politics.

As Governors Walker and Kasich hold staunch, refusing even to negotiate, the protests in Wisconsin and Ohio continue, joined by thousands of others from states across the nation.

2010 Outside Spending measured by the Center for Responsive Politics:
http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespe...

Thanks to MoveOn.org & Laura Dawn, Matt Wisniewski, Julia Reichert & Steve Bognar, Chris Gollmar, Kasey Hosp, SEIU & Kim Cook, AFL-CIO & Maggie Priebe, Deb Steele, Kevin Benish, and Derek Clinger.

-

NLM ELSEWHERE:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/newleftmedia
Twitter: http://twitter.com/newleftmedia
Tumblr: http://blog.newleftmedia.com

DONATE:
Our films are free to watch, but costly to produce.
Every contribution helps to keep us online.
http://donate.newleftmedia.com

• Category

  News & Politics

[Roger Ramjet]

Be aware if history has taught us anything union removal is always the first act of totalitarian politicians, both the Communists and Nazis when getting power this was their first act usually based on lies.

Where is Glenn Beck and his chalkboard now?

[BraveNewHipster]

I think the lockout is very symbolic of government's attitude toward the people in general. If they disagree lock them out of decision making.

[cicaesp2]

it's not just the government, broski

[blazing64]

All these people make 4-5 times what I make, and they're complaining...

[Patrick McClure]

It's provocative...it gets the people going!

[pureperil]

☭bama will help them...

[garryfields]

he's trolling

[goonsauce]

good call!

[xercesawake]

eehh! 

[WhatTheFlyinFudge]

I got ya beat: 2:25 - bloated Kelsey Grammer!!!

[xercesawake]

Albino John Goodman!? 3:02

[citizenihilist]

@chrisjmolina yeah did you even watch this video dipshit? It seems like people that live the reality of the political battles in this country are actually articulate and familiar with what's going on when they're getting fucked, as opposed to the more obnoxious and ignorant side that this channel also provides. I'm going to just assume you copy and pasted that remark on all their videos as a weird fanboy thing.