budget deficit union protesters don t like a republican backed bill that would limit most collective bargaining rights for labor and require rourkers to pay a bigger chunk of benefits. 1500 workers would be laid off effective april 4th, as a cost saving measure. governor walker says those lay-offs may be rescinded if state democratic lawmakers return and vote on that bill. national union leaders say labor is under attack around the country. including wisconsin. i mean, walker in wisconsin particularly outrageous. because he said to those employees you have to decide between your rights and your job. no american should ever be put in that position. we ll fight against that no matter where it is. reporter: polls show decreasing support by americans for unions overall. some surveys show americans are uneasy about weakening unions bargaining rights. molly, thank you.
rick: alexandra, adam, thank you very much. thanks. arthel: all right. wisconsin governor scott walker warning state unions that 1500 public workers could get laid off if the stand-off over collective bargaining does not end soon. but the badger state is hardly the only one where lawmakers are battling over union rights. molly henneberg live in washington with more. okay. let s take a look at a couple of the states starting in maine, there have been protest there is this week. hi. yeah. protests inside and outside the capital in augusta, maine this week. some were there to oppose, some there to support the proposals to change the state s pension and retirement system. the governor wants toker in the amount the state workers have to contribute to the pension system by 2%. and freeze cost of living increases for retirees for three years. many state workers say they re barely making ends meet now, but the governor supporters contend the state s pension is
in wisconsin taking a tough turn. governor walker warning state unions that 1500 public workers could get laid off if the standoff over collective bargaining rights doesn t end soon. both legally and morally we have to send out notice today. notice are just to the unions. my hope is, after today when they realize we re not doing this as a threat, as a pawn in a chess game, we are doing this because we are legally obligated to inform our employees by virtue of their the contract that beginning of april we have to do these lay-offs to get that 30 millions in savings. uma: more protests are on tap today in wisconsin. protesters that had been camping out in the capitol building are now gone due to a judge s or. it will cost $350,000 to repair the damage didn t to the bidding. lower than their initial estimate of 7.5 million dollars.
kelly: turning our focus to wisconsin now, governor scott walker warning state unions that 1500 public workers could get laid off if the stand-off over collective bargaining doesn t end soon but the badger state is hardly the own state where lawmakers are battling over union rights. molly henneberg is live in washington with more details now. you know, in places like ohio it looks like legislation, limiting union rights there, is going to be signed by the republican governor, is that right. reporter: yes, the bill which has been passed already by the republican controlled state senate in ohio, would prevent public workers from striking, and would limit unions bargaining rights. national union leaders say labor, quote, can t make the only sacrifice, but, republican governor john kasich says it is the first step in shrinking ohio s $8 billion budget short fall. here s more: we don t have a choice, but to lower our costs, become competitive and be in a position where, instead of peo
thanks. heather: breaking news from the middle east, commander of iran s navy says the two warships, they entered the mediterranean last month, they have done their mission and passed through the suez canal back to the red sea. they have been docked in syria. they describe the mission as a provocation and. it was the first time since the islamic revolution back in 1979 that iranian warships have entered the mediterranean. the new turmoil to tell but in egypt, thousands of protestors clashing with the police there. at least four people seriously injured in that violence. demonstrators surrounded buildings in several cities. protestors demanding that the security forces be disbanded and for political prisoners to be released. witnesses say the protestors were attacked with molotov cocktails. heather: scott walker warning