Unions and their allies are planning rallies, vigils and press conferences in at least 27 states this week against what they see as a national attack on government employees that is a seminal moment for organized labor.

Demonstrations are spreading from Wisconsin and Ohio, where bills from Republican governors to curtail collective-bargaining rights have attracted thousands of protesters. Efforts include lobbying all week against measures in Indiana and a Feb. 25 AFL- CIO rally to warn New Jersey Governor Chris Christie “not to balance the budget on the backs of middle-class families.”

U.S. states face deficits that may total $125 billion nationwide in the next fiscal year. Labor leaders say legislative battles over curbs on government employees' power and pay are an assault on unions and their support of the Democratic Party. The state collective-bargaining bills and the Washington showdown over federal spending, may answer fundamental questions about government's role and the future of the U.S. worker, they say.

Read the complete Bloomberg story, “Workers' Rights Battle Goes National at Pivotal Time for Labor.”

Unions and their allies are planning rallies, vigils and press conferences in at least 27 states this week against what they see as a national attack on government employees that is a seminal moment for organized labor.

Demonstrations are spreading from Wisconsin and Ohio, where bills from Republican governors to curtail collective-bargaining rights have attracted thousands of protesters. Efforts include lobbying all week against measures in Indiana and a Feb. 25 AFL- CIO rally to warn New Jersey Governor Chris Christie “not to balance the budget on the backs of middle-class families.”

U.S. states face deficits that may total $125 billion nationwide in the next fiscal year. Labor leaders say legislative battles over curbs on government employees' power and pay are an assault on unions and their support of the Democratic Party. The state collective-bargaining bills and the Washington showdown over federal spending, may answer fundamental questions about government's role and the future of the U.S. worker, they say.

Read the complete Bloomberg story, “Workers' Rights Battle Goes National at Pivotal Time for Labor.”