The fight to protect workers rights in Wisconsin is NOT over. The people are sending a clear message to Gov. Walker – “ Kill this Bill.” In a continuing show of support for public workers, huge crowds are marching around the Capitol building in Madison to protest Governor Walker's attack on Wisconsin families.
Students, teachers, firefighters, policemen, bus drivers, religious leaders, community members – you name it and they are there. In an unprecedented show of solidarity the people of Wisconsin are continuing to fight for the protection of our public workers and our state’s public services.
Despite the practice of hearing testimony from any Wisconsinite who wishes to speak, the Joint Committee on Finance cut off public debate late last night. Thousands of Wisconsinites wanted to voice their opposition to the budget sham. Today’s rally offered an oppurtunity for citizens to give alternative testimony via a microphone on the Capitol steps. One way or the other, we will not be silenced!
“It is up to us to fight for the right of workers to have a collective voice on the job,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. “We will not stand by and watch those rights be taken away. For every person here today, there are 100 more who could not make it and we stand with them. This proposal is too extreme. No one should be taking away our rights as workers and our rights as Americans."
"We have to stop this now," said Steve Heimsness, the Treasurer of the Madison Professional Police Officers Association. “Politicians are trying to take away workers' union rights. We need representatives to listen to the thousands of workers here today and stop this bill.”
Although police and firefighters are excluded from the radical proposal, they are leading the fight to protect working families.
“When firefighters and police see an emergency they respond” said Mahlon Mitchell, President of Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin. “Our house is burning down and we are here to lead the charge into the Capitol to end this bill.”
Today's continuing protests signal strong disapproval of the provisions in the budget measure. As the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel said on Monday, this "bill is about rights, not benefits." The protests on the Capitol ground reflected this, with many carrying signs saying "Stop The Attack On Working Families."
"This bill is too extreme to push through in four days," said James Macon, a Milwaukee bus driver and union member. "We have worked with both Democratic and Republican governors before and we can do that again."
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GREAT! Keep it up! You guys are the front end of the labor movement right now - stick to your guns and run this one into the ground!
Posted by: John Slade | 02/16/2011 at 05:15 PM
If you wish to be the best man, you must suffer the bitterest of the bitter.
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