Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate report that they have the votes to pass the governor's Budget Repair Bill, which he says is aimed at a $137 million deficit in the current fiscal year. A vote could take place as early as Thursday.

Several speakers at the Orpheum Tuesday conceded that the GOP majority has the votes to pass the bill, including Lester Pines, a Madison attorney who has represented many public workers.

"There's only one way to stop them, and I don't think that's going to happen: take over the Assembly and the Senate and don't let them come in," he said.

Even if the legislation passes, that doesn't mean the end to collective bargaining, Pines said. Workers' power to negotiate comes not from any state law recognizing them, he said. It is seized.

"The power comes from people coming together and organizing and telling employers they want to bargain."