CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a resolution Friday morning supporting government workers and public school teachers in Wisconsin in their dispute with Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Walker proposed a bill, now passed by Wisconsin legislators and signed by the governor, to strip collective bargaining privileges from almost all state government employees and teachers.

Wisconsin has seen major demonstrations since Walker began working to get it passed.

House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne, and 62 other delegates voted for the resolution that "supports the Wisconsin state employees ... that will be affected by legislation introduced by ... Walker."

The West Virginia AFL-CIO, Kanawha Valley Labor Council and other groups and individuals are hosting a rally Saturday supporting public employees in Wisconsin and Ohio.

The rally will begin at 12:30 p.m. on the Capitol steps on the Kanawha River side of the building.

Larry Matheney, secretary-treasurer of the state AFL-CIO, said on Friday, "I am very happy the House sees the importance of standing with those workers and seeing that justice prevails.

"It is very important that we recognize that collective bargaining built the middle class. If we fail to preserve that right, we will not see the middle class come back."

Matheney specifically praised four House Republicans who voted for the resolution: Ray Canterbury, R-Greenbrier; John N. Ellem, R-Wood; Bill Hamilton, R-Upshur; and Erikka L. Storch, R-Ohio.

Mike Stuart, West Virginia Republican Party chairman, said, "It is regretful, disturbing and offensive that the House of Delegates would take up a resolution to curry favor with West Virginia organized labor, attack the lawful actions of a governor of another state and endorse the radical behavior of those that would flee and attack rather than constructively work for solutions to a budget crisis."

In Wisconsin, Democratic state senators left their state in an effort to prevent Walker's legislation from passing.

Stuart praised Walker "for his courageous actions to prevent the outright bankruptcy of a state, the result of which would be the loss of jobs for thousands of workers and the displacement of thousands of families. ..."

"It is time for more reasonable leadership in Charleston," Stuart said. "Our House of Delegates should be focused on West Virginia issues -- not Wisconsin."

The House resolution called Walker's legislation "an unfortunate proposal that would be detrimental to thousands of hard-working Wisconsin citizens employed by their municipalities, public schools and universities providing educational opportunity and vital services."

The resolution also stated, "Public employees are instrumental to the operations of state, local and municipal governments by providing a tireless work ethic and long hours for below-average salaries."

Kenny Perdue, president of the state AFL-CIO, said, "Around our country ... politicians are giving huge tax breaks to corporations and the very rich -- and then cutting funding for education, police, emergency response and vital human services."

Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5164.