Lynn Welch's News Articles

Tractors and Workers "Pull Together" to Start Biggest Protest Day in Madison

by Lynn Welch — March 13, 2011 - 12:15am
  • Topics: Activism, Labor, Politics, Wisconsin Protests

    • Sam Anderson, a retired Teamster who now runs a hobby farm in Marshall, thought Scott Walker needed to listen to the people. So did Elliot Zander, 15, who works on his family's organic vegetable and grain farm in Columbus, as well as Nick Huyvetter, a dairy farmer from Fairchild.

    Op-Ed

    What Is the Mainstream Media Missing In Covering Wisconsin’s Labor Protest? Millions.

    by Lynn Welch — March 4, 2011 - 1:39pm
  • Topics: Activism

    • Wisconsinites and many across the nation have received a wake-up call in the past two-plus weeks with the labor protests in Madison, in Wisconsin and in the other 49 states.

    "This movement is one we will look back on as a brand-new awakening for our nation," said Center for Media and Democracy Executive Director Lisa Graves, speaking as part of a panel on Media and the Wisconsin Labor Struggle. "This awakening has been long in coming and it's going to need to be sustained."

    Graves was among the panelists for the free public forum held Thursday night, March 3, at the Orpheum Theater in Madison, and organized by the The Labor & Working Class Studies Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Haven's Center. Graves said the eyes of all have been opened to how little corporations pay in taxes, and how they have shaped the divisive budget debate in Wisconsin and elsewhere.

    News

    New York Times Retracts Information on Front Page Story Implying Union Support for Walker

    by Lynn Welch — March 3, 2011 - 3:30pm
  • Topics: Journalism, Media, Wisconsin Protests

    • On February 21, the New York Times created a stir in Wisconsin by printing a front page article giving the impression that union families supported Governor Scott Walker's attempt to remove collective bargaining rights from workers. On February 26, The Times retracted information related to this article.

    The lead of the story, entitled "Union Bonds in Wisconsin Begin to Fray", featured a former Janesville General Motors employee Rich Hahn, who was characterized as "...a man who has worked at unionized factories, [and] a supporter of Gov. Scott Walker's sweeping proposal to cut the benefits and collective-bargaining rights of public workers." In the story reporters A.G. Sulzberger — said to be the son of New York Times Co. Chairman of the Board Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr.— and Monica Davey spend very little time quoting Hahn but a lot of time characterizing him. "He says he still believes in unions, but thinks those in the public sector lead to wasteful spending because of what he sees as lavish benefits and endless negotiations," the story says of Hahn.

    News

    Utah Group Seeks to Recall Wisconsin Democratic Senators

    by Lynn Welch — February 28, 2011 - 4:26pm
  • Topics: Right Wing, Democracy, Politics, Wisconsin Protests

    • The conservative American Recall Coalition, a group from Salt Lake City, Utah, is leading the charge to reel in eight Democratic Senators in Wisconsin who are among 14 lawmakers who left the state in protest of Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill, according to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB).

    The out-of-state group last week filed with the GAB website to recall the Senators, but initial filings did not have anyone from the local senatorial district as part of the recall requests.

    "They didn't have any local people involved, so we contacted them and said they need to have one local person in each district," said GAB spokesman Reid Magney. "They withdrew those initial filings and made new ones and we are waiting for the signed paperwork."

    News

    "We Shall Not Be Moved"

    by Lynn Welch — February 27, 2011 - 8:35pm
  • Topics: Activism, Corporations, Democracy, Wisconsin Protests

    • A large, multi-union coalition gathered near the "Fighting" Bob LaFollette bust on the first floor of the East Gallery in the Wisconsin State Capitol this afternoon. Wearing gray T-shirts with the words "Wisconsin United for Worker's Rights" printed in red across an outline of the state, they sat down and started to sing, "We shall not be moved," just after the official building shut-down at 4 p.m.

    "We know we have a right to peaceful protest," said Candice Owley, a Milwaukee nurse with the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals. "We don't believe they should be removing us from the State Capitol."

    Owley said those in her group planned to follow directions outlined by a grassroots group inside the capitol that has been preparing for today. The goal: to keep the protest peaceful, and allow those who wish to continue to keep vigil in protest of Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill to remain in the building.

    Op-Ed

    Cheeseheads Have Never Been So Chic

    by Lynn Welch — February 27, 2011 - 1:46pm
  • Topics: Activism, Wisconsin Protests

    • Cheesehead hats have never been so chic. The foam wedges could be spotted on the heads of people gathered in crowds throughout the U.S. yesterday, as protesters in all 50 states rallied in support of Wisconsin workers. The events were organized by MoveOn.org. Here's a brief roundup of some of the action from across the nation:

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