HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania's largest union is sending money and manpower to public employees in Wisconsin as they continue the fight to keep their collective bargaining rights.



David Fillman, executive director of the 65,000-member Council 13 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), says that while Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is turning a deaf ear to union members, Pennsylvania's new governor, Tom Corbett, has started a dialogue with unions here.



"When you're in a budget crisis - we've got one here in Pennsylvania - the last thing you want to do is not have people at the table who can not only help you out but also bring constructive ideas that would help to close their budget gap."



A "We Are Wisconsin" rally is scheduled for Saturday at the Capitol in Harrisburg, but Fillman says his group isn't taking part.



"We don't have a problem here in Pennsylvania, and we don't want to bring any spotlight to a non-problem. We are very supportive of the Wisconsin workers, but right now we are just doing local events in Pennsylvania."



A counter rally of people who oppose collective bargaining and who say they stand for taxpayers' rights will take place at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, a half hour before the "We Are Wisconsin" rally.



Fillman is hopeful that Council 13 can come to terms with the new administration in Harrisburg, just as it did with that of then-incoming Gov. Ed Rendell eight years ago. That won't be easy. Rendell has said he was left with a $2 billion deficit when he took office in 2003; this time around, the gap is much larger: between $4 billion and $5 billion.