Wisconsin Unions
Mentor 1
Dr. Paige Miller
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
24-4-2015 10:30 AM
End Date
24-4-2015 11:45 AM
Description
Since the 1980’s, unions have declined in number and strength in the United States at the same time that the gap between the richest and poorest has continued to increase. In spite of this, public support for unions is ambiguous at best, with some studies finding that such support is dwindling. Is Wisconsin a microcosm of these larger trends, having had a strong historical support for labor movements, and specifically unions? If so, how has the media influenced, or at least reflected, these views? This study seeks to answer these questions through a content analysis of the Wisconsin State Journal over the period stretching from January of 2011 through April of 2011. This period marks the time from when Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin was first inaugurated to the approximate point at which the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill was passed, which, among other changes, took away rights of collective bargaining for many public workers. By analyzing the Wisconsin State Journal, I hope to determine what role, if any, the media plays in shaping and reflecting the public’s views on unions.
Wisconsin Unions
Union Wisconsin Room
Since the 1980’s, unions have declined in number and strength in the United States at the same time that the gap between the richest and poorest has continued to increase. In spite of this, public support for unions is ambiguous at best, with some studies finding that such support is dwindling. Is Wisconsin a microcosm of these larger trends, having had a strong historical support for labor movements, and specifically unions? If so, how has the media influenced, or at least reflected, these views? This study seeks to answer these questions through a content analysis of the Wisconsin State Journal over the period stretching from January of 2011 through April of 2011. This period marks the time from when Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin was first inaugurated to the approximate point at which the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill was passed, which, among other changes, took away rights of collective bargaining for many public workers. By analyzing the Wisconsin State Journal, I hope to determine what role, if any, the media plays in shaping and reflecting the public’s views on unions.
