Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released the following statement in response to a vote by the Wisconsin Senate last night to curb the collective bargaining rights of state employees:
“I am disappointed in the Wisconsin legislature’s decision to trample on the rights of teachers and other public employees. I have always supported workers’ rights in Nevada and across this nation. In these tough economic times, when state budgets are strained to the breaking point, everyone must make sacrifices. That includes public employees, many of whom have already conceded to unpaid furloughs, pay cuts and salary freezes, and some of whom have even lost their jobs. Workers in Wisconsin were willing to make sacrifices and tighten their belts, like families around the country. But Governor Walker and Wisconsin Senate Republicans have stubbornly refused to negotiate or compromise, refusing to budge from their extreme proposal.”
“Last night’s vote to strip Wisconsin workers of their collective bargaining rights wasn’t about tough budget decisions. Republicans simply scapegoated hard-working people who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and launched an ideological assault on the right of working people in America to organize and collectively bargain. The workers affected by this decision aren’t getting rich teaching children to read or cleaning floors in the State House. Republicans should stop attacking middle-class people working hard to put food on the table for their families.”