Ill. Gov. Quinn: Walker Waging War on Workers

Illinois Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn says Gov. Scott Walker is waging a war against his state’s employees and even some of the Wisconsin governor’s GOP colleagues believe “he’s on the wrong track.”

“It's a war on workers: You know, the people who teach our kids, who plow the snow off our interstates,” Quinn Monday said on MSNBC. “Those are working men and women and they deserve a decent pay and decent retirement. They've already given up concessions in that area.

“The right to have a union and collectively bargain – about your conditions, working conditions – that's a fundamental American right,” he said. “So what Governor Scott Walker's doing in Wisconsin is just plain wrong. and I think he's going to realize it. The people of America are not on his side.

“He didn't show up at our governors’ conference here in Washington,” Quinn continued. “I think that he knows even Republican governors – many of them know – that he's on the wrong track and he's not going to help working people and middle class people retain a good job in America.”

“Hardball” host Chris Matthews noted that Democrats in Wisconsin lost most of their state-wide and national races and wondered whether organized labor and the Democratic party were aware of the ramifications of those losses and possible national implications.

Quinn said protecting workers was a national struggle

“The legislators, the senators from Wisconsin are right now in Illinois. We welcome them. We welcome legislators from Indiana,” he said. “They can stay as long as they want. I really think this is a national struggle. It's all about jobs – middle class jobs.

“We're not going to give in and roll over here,” Quinn said. “The governor of Wisconsin is just plain wrong. I noticed today – this past couple days – many other Republican governors are not buying into this trying to bash unions, and bust unions, and hurt working people. That's not what America is all about. We believe in hard work and rewarding that with decent pay and a decent retirement.”