In February 2011, a series of public employee protests began in the United States against proposed legislation which would weaken the power of labor unions. By March, eighteen states had proposed legislation which would remove some collective bargaining powers from unions, along with another five states which proposed legislation which would negatively affect unions. The protests occurred when public employee unions mounted protests against legislation proposed by Republican governors such as Scott Walker (Wisconsin), Rick Scott (Florida), Mitch Daniels (Indiana), Sean Parnell (Alaska), Rick Snyder (Michigan), John Kasich (Ohio), Paul LePage (Maine) and Jan Brewer (Arizona) which, among other things, would strip public employees of some collective bargaining rights as well as require higher employee contributions to pension and health care plans. The governors stated they needed these changes in order to cut state spending and balance the states' budgets. The protests began in Wisconsin, then spread to Indiana and Ohio, with unions around the country rallying to show their opposition to the proposed legislation. Several other states considered similar legislation. Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas prohibit formal collective bargaining with public employees.

Alaska

Proposed Legislation and protests Representative Carl Gatto (R-Palmer), has introduced legislation that would strip many public employees of the right to collectively bargain for hours, benefits and working conditions. State employees could still collectively bargain for wages under the legislation. The bill exempts firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians.

Arizona

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California

Proposed Legislation and protests Republicans in the Senate and Assembly have proposed measures that would limit collective-bargaining rights and increase pension contributions for state employees. Democrats in control of the Legislature kept collective bargaining safe, but Governor Jerry Brown (D) unveiled a plan in March to target excesses in pensions.

Los Angeles county police estimated that between 5,000 and 8,000 people took part in a protest against pay cuts to state workers on March 26.

Colorado

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Florida

Proposed Legislation and protests Republican Governor Rick Scott's budget proposal calls for a heavy hit to union strength, but, due to a constitutional provision, the state is not allowed to strip collective-bargaining rights unless a union's membership falls below a certain level. Lawmakers are instead preparing to place a cap on the amount unions can automatically extract from members’ paychecks without written permission. One of the bills passed the House in late March and awaits Senate approval. Republicans control both chambers, so passage is likely.

Protests have yet to escalate in Florida. A small group of union employees, nearing 100, marched in Palm Beach to show solidarity with Wisconsin workers on April 4, in honor of the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death.

Hawaii

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Idaho Proposed Legislation and protests A bill restricting the collective bargaining rights’ of Idaho's unionized teachers passed the legislature on March 7 and was signed into effect by Republican Gov. Butch Otter. The bill, which first passed in the House in February, will keep 12,000 teachers from bargaining their salary and benefits. It also eliminated tenure and introduced merit-based pay. The legislature adjourned for April 7, ending what lawmakers have called one of the most difficult sessions in memory.

Union members planned to protest outside the Capitol in Boise on March 9 to condemn the passage of the bill. A rally in Boise on February 21, before the House vote, drew about 1,000 protesters and smaller pro-teachers' union rallies were held in 10 other cities.

Indiana

Proposed Legislation and protests Republican House members proposed a “right-to-work” bill that would have made it illegal for an employer to mandate that employees join a union. Lacking support from Republican Governor Mitch Daniels, the bill has died.

Most of the Democratic representatives in Indiana's state House of Representatives fled to neighboring states to block voting on bill. On March 10 thousands of protesters appeared at the Indiana state house, protesting in support of labor unions.

Iowa Proposed Legislation and protests House Republicans proposed a bill that required state workers to pay a portion of their insurance premiums and allowed workers to opt out of union membership. Though the Republican-controlled House pushed a labor reform to weaken unions, the Democratic-controlled Senate has not taken it up for debate.

Roughly 300 people came to show their support for workers on April 4, marking the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death.

Kansas Proposed Legislation and protests The Kansas House passed a Republican-backed bill on February 24 that would ban voluntary deductions from union members’ paychecks for political activities. The bill also bans public employee unions from endorsing political candidates. The bill has a good chance of passing the heavily Republican Senate. Republican Governor Sam Brownback has not communicated his stance on the bill.

Kansas union members filled the hall of the House on February 24 in an unsuccessful attempt to urge lawmakers to oppose the bill.

Maine Proposed Legislation and protests On February 28 it was reported that newly elected Governor Paul LePage, in an interview at the National Governors Association, praised Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who is trying to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees, and expressed support for right-to-work legislation proposals in the Maine Legislature. The 'right-to-work' bill would make it illegal for public employees to be required to join a union, and eliminate collective bargaining for public employees. LePage openly challenged public workers saying Wisconsin-style protests will start coming to Maine "once [public employees] start reading the budget bill."

Several protests were planned by the Maine State Employees Union, with a member saying that LePage is trying to "drive public employees to poverty." MSEU bussed public employees out to the capital of Augusta to protest, and several high schools and colleges held walkouts in protest of the legislation. Reports said the numbers of protesters in Augusta numbered in the hundreds, while the exact number of high school and college walkouts are unknown. In February, state Rep. Diane Russel traveled to Wisconsin to join in the protests going on in Madison saying, "This war isn't about the unions: it's a class war; this affects every worker and every member of the Middle Class – what's left of it."

On March 24, Governor LePage sparked protests when he announced that he planned to remove a large mural depicting the history of the state's labor movement from the lobby of the Maine Department of Labor offices. LePage said that he had received a written complaint signed by a "secret admirer", and "some complaints" from business owners. The mural includes depictions of Rosie the Riveter at Bath Iron Works, a 1937 shoe worker's strike, and the 1986 SD Warren paper mill strike. The artist, Judy Taylor, stated, “There was never any intention to be pro-labor or anti-labor, it was a pure depiction of the facts.” LePage also announced that he plans to rename conference rooms that have carried the names of historic leaders of American labor, including former Secretary Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet member in American history (Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor) who had strong Maine roots. The Governor's spokesman explained that the mural and the conference-room names were “not in keeping with the department's pro-business goals.

Despite protests, on March 28 it was disclosed that the murals had been removed over the weekend. In a statement LePage's press secretary said, "The mural has been removed and is in storage awaiting relocation to a more appropriate venue." Some Maine residents are protesting the removal. On April 2, the federal government, who granted US$60,000 to the State of Maine to have the mural painted and installed, asked LePage to return the $60,000 or put the mural back up.

Protesters, numbering at about 350 people, have maintained a presence in the capitol, even after LePage left for a vacation in Jamaica. Some protesters held signs comparing LePage to dictators such as Muammar Gaddafi, Hosni Mubarak and Benito Mussolini. Others wore stickers and T-shirts with 61% written on them, referencing that 61% of voters had voted for someone other than LePage in the 2010 Maine gubernatorial election.

Massachusetts Proposed Legislation and protests Democratic Governor Deval Patrick's agenda included proposals to restrict the collective bargaining power of municipal unions over health care plan design and to increase the retirement age in order to reduce the unfunded liability in the pension system. Restrictions to collective-bargaining rights were seen as unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled Legislature. Although Patrick supported limited restrictions on some aspects of health care plans for municipal employees, he has spoken against broader proposals against overall collective bargaining rights. On April 27, the Democratic-controlled Massachusetts House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor with a vote of 111–42 to change collective bargaining rights of municipal employee unions with regards to health care.

The legislation, which ultimately passed, created a process for municipalities to force their unions to the bargaining table regarding health care plan design or be moved into the state Group Insurance Commission pool, which has significantly more bargaining power and leeway in plan design than municipal plans (and thus much lower costs). State employees were unaffected as they already used the GIC, and municipal employees retain the right to collectively bargain premium contributions to their plans, GIC or otherwise. However, the legislation ran contrary to the national trend in which the Democratic Party at the federal and state level were opposing all measures to change collective bargaining rights.

Pro-union protesters gathered at Beacon Hill in Boston on February 22. The counter rally, held by tea partiers, took place at the foot of the Statehouse. Smaller groups, maximum 300, have gathered around the state following the February protest.

Michigan Proposed Legislation and protests Democrats in the Republican-dominated legislature have proposed an amendment to guarantee collective bargaining rights to state workers. The amendment would need a public vote to become part of the constitution. The amendment is unlikely to get the two-thirds vote it would need to appear on the public ballot. Both chambers of the state legislature have passed bills that would give state-appointed Emergency Financial Managers the power to break contracts in the event of a municipal "financial emergency".

Michigan firefighters and other union members were at the Capitol in protest of anti-union legislation on March 8. Roughly 200 gathered outside the capitol in Lansing on April 4.

Minnesota

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Missouri

Proposed Legislation and protests Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, a Republican, said on February 24 that he plans to propose a “right-to-work” bill next week. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce has announced its support of the bill, and both chambers of the legislature are controlled by Republicans. Democratic Governor Jay Nixon has yet to communicate his stance on the issue.

Wisconsin-style protests haven't occurred, but Senate President Rob Mayer told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “I’m aware that [protests] could take place and happen, but it will in no way keep me from moving forward with trying to implement the law.”

Montana

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Nebraska

Proposed Legislation and protests