In a move designed to turn the clock in Wisconsin back to the 19th Century, Scott Walker and Republicans in the state legislature have included a provision in the budget that takes away a worker’s right to the weekend off.
Wisconsin Republicans used the 4th of July holiday weekend to sneak provisions into the state budget that destroy open records laws, eliminate the state’s definition of a living wage, and make the activities of the legislature secret.
Republicans also included a provision titled Section 56 that would take away workers’ rights to a weekend, and weekend, even one day.
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Section 56:
Scott Walker and the Republican Party are destroying the progressive history of Wisconsin. Their goal is to turn the state into a Koch style utopia where workers have no right to collectively bargain, no minimum wage, and no right to days off.
Wisconsin Republicans are taking their state back to the Gilded Age of the late 19th and early 20th Century. It was not until 1937 and the passage of Fair Labor Standards Act that the 40-hour work week was universally established in the United States.
The Wisconsin AFL-CIO has called for Section 56 to be immediately removed, “In a blatant and shocking blow to the democratic process, Republicans took away the weekend in a late-night budget maneuver released just before the July 4th weekend. All workers should have the right to a day of rest. It is a basic American ideal. It is an inherent facet of the fabric of our social contract that is essential in supporting strong families and strong communities.”
In just a few days, Scott Walker will be launching his presidential campaign, but one doesn’t have to wait that long to see what the governor plans to do to the United States.
Walker will talk about bold new leadership, but his ideas are straight out of the 19th Century, and there is no greater threat to the basic rights of working Americans than the presidential candidacy of Scott Walker.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
