Significance of Wisconsin Union Battle

Nonviolent protests in Egypt toppled a harsh regime, attracting interest and inspiring activism around the globe. Legislation proposing spending cuts and eliminating most collective-bargaining rights for workers in the US state of Wisconsin – even though the workers accepted wage and other cuts – ignited protests in mid-February. Protesters gathered at the capitol building in Madison, refusing to leave. Before long, phone numbers for nearby Ian’s Pizza and other food shops went viral online. Orders flowed in from more than 20 nations, for deliveries to sustain hungry protesters. Ellen Ratner of the Talk News Radio Service compares these global gestures to those extended to the Polish Solidarity union movement, when in 1981 US President Ronald Reagan insisted that union membership was a fundamental human right. Now the internet allows ordinary citizens to quickly convey support for distant causes, Ratner notes. As politicians battle over political funding, power, corporate profits and workers rights, communities and companies can expect similar global interventions. – YaleGlobal