US: Anti-union law still stopped by absent Democrats + Federal shutdown threatened

I see that all 14 Wisconsin Democratic state senators are still out of state, preventing a quorum, and hence preventing passage of a law to bust the public service unions in the state.  Background, protests and pic .

Wisconsin school districts are warning teachers that their contracts might not be renewed, due to Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to solve budget deficits. If Walker's bill to cut nearly all public employees' collective bargaining rights becomes law, it would void current teacher collective bargaining agreements that lay out protocol and deadlines for conducting layoffs. 

Sourced from another story on NPR, Feb 26. I don’t follow all the details but that's the bones of it.

Meanwhile President Obama has restricted himself to one statement critical of the Gov Walker’s attitude to unions, but otherwise appears to be staying out of it. See Obama Quiet As Union Protests Grow In Swing States (NPR story 24 Feb + 4 minute audio clip.)

He has bigger fish to fry.  The Republicans threaten another total government shut down as they did to Clinton.  See The Feds Are Prepared For A Shutdown. Are You? (NPR story 25 Feb + 4 minute audio clip.)

According to The Economist, 19th Feb, three US states already ban collective bargaining for public employees (North Carolina, Texas, Virginia).  Ohio is going the Wisconsin way and a Florida bill would ban deduction of union dues from state workers’ pay.