No Weekends in Wisconsin? Workers and Families Deserve a Day of Rest

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. If we are working all the time, who is going to take care of our families and our communities? Studies show that without proper rest workplace accidents increase dramatically. The Wisconsin AFL-CIO calls for this budget item to be immediately removed. 

Now everyone knows what a 999 motion is. It is a shady and despicable way for Republicans to sneak into the budget what they want to, without having to cooperate and adhere to the standards of the normal democratic process. This grab bag of bad budget items is full of givebacks to campaign donors and provisions that will hurt working families for generations to come. Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for releasing this at the last minute, before a holiday weekend, in a clear attempt to avoid public debate and scrutiny.

Comments

[Kim]

Weekends are a necessity for working people. (And if you're pushing this, I bet you're not giving up YOUR weekends, now, are you? Hypocritical of you to think others should.)

[Vicki Lewis]

Typical of this Republican legislature!

[jagegr]

is it just a coincidence that 999 turned upside down is 666? Just wondering.

[Nate]

All I got out of this article is that any douche bag with a keyboard can post their hateful and biased rhetoric garbage speech with no facts, references or links to even slightly support the wasted space this occupies. It's such garbage the author didn't even have the nerve to put their name on it. Doucebaggery at its finest. Everyone is now dumber for wasting a minute to read your sniveling article.

[danielistical]

You Idiots voted for this and YOU desearve every bit of it,,,and DONT CLAIM THAT YOU WERE NOT WARNED

[James Polglaze]

The states employers can now offer as much overtime as they want, to employees, including weekends. It is not right that employers can mandate a work schedule, without a day of rest. Even under current laws they can make people work 13 days in a row which is obscene. Employers need to consider their employees as real people with a life outside of work, and the state should as well.

[Carol Driscoll]

I love unions and I’m a friend of labor. I want everyone to know that the reason why the brutality of 999 is is going on in Wisconsin. & elsewhere in other forms is explained to in “Ethics Is a Force!–Songs about Labor” If you are in NYC on Sun., June 12, I urge you not to miss this great musical & educational event. ‪http://bit.ly/1E6FKRe