As state and local governments struggle to balance budgets amidst economic instability, wages and benefits for public employees are increasingly targeted for cuts.
Earlier this month, the Wisconsin legislature passed a controversial bill stripping that state's public employees of collective bargaining rights, increasing their benefit and pension costs, and restricting future pay increases. States including Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, and New Jersey are considering similar legislation.
California Western labor and employment expert Professor Ruben Garcia explores how much these measures would improve the financial picture of cities and state and what they mean for the future of the labor movement.
