Shedding a light in the darkness

UPDATE:  Check out photos from across the state

This Friday, March 9th, we will shed a light on the one year anniversary of one the darkest times in Wisconsin state history. Join us as we hold candlelight vigils across the state and remember when Gov. Scott Walker illegally rammed his union busting bill through the legislature in the dead of night.

Acting under the cover of darkness, Gov. Walker wanted to silence the voices of working people and give his corporate cronies unchecked influence over policies that affect the lives of Wisconsinites. Unfortunately for him, his attacks only strengthened the bonds between the people of Wisconsin and kicked off a grassroots movement that continues to this day.

From La Crosse to Milwaukee to Wausau and beyond, communities in every part of the state will come together to host these vigils. Use this map to find the event closest to you.

We want to feature the faces and stories of the communities who have banded together in this movement to Reclaim Wisconsin. Use the hash tag #ReclaimWI for tweets and send your pictures and videos from your local candlelight vigil to: reclaimwi@gmail.com.  Follow this link to see pictures from across the state, and keep yours coming.

Whether you’re in Racine or River Falls or anywhere in between, Wisconsin is standing together. We’re looking forward to seeing, and sharing, all the great photos and video clips you send in.

(And we’re also looking forward to plenty more when we all meet in Madison to Reclaim Wisconsin this Saturday.)

Here's a quick list again of all the vigils:

• La Crosse: Green Island Park, 2312 7th Street S, 6pm
• Eau Claire: Phoenix Park, 6pm (Facebook event)
• Racine: Monument Square, 500 S Main Street, 6pm (Facebook info)
• Milwaukee: Milwauke County Courthouse, 901 North 9th Street (Wells Street Side), 6pm (Facebook event)
• Madison: State Capitol, 6pm
• Wausau: 400 Block Square, Downtown Wausau, 6pm
• Wautoma: World War II Memorial Building, 440 West Main Street, 7pm
• Mequon: Mequon City Hall, 11333 N Cedarburg Road, 6pm
• River Falls: Veteran's Park, 1 N Main Street, 6pm
• Appleton: Houdini Park, 100 W Laurence Street, 6pm (Facebook event)
• Oshkosh: Opera Square, 6:30pm (Facebook event)

 

Comments

[M.Jackson]

Next time you schedule a Candlelight, set it up so that people can join others in their immediate community, not have to drive and park at night in Madison, etc. This is also a tough challenge for elderly, disabled, and people without cars.
Thanks, I hope.

[James Lamal]

Wonderful !! Going to encourage friends to attend the Candlelight in Madison at our Capitol.

We must follow through to the end to remove the Liar from office.

Scott:
We will be heard;
Not ignored;
Not trampled on;
Not silened;
Not out-waited;
Not stand down
We Are Wisconsin !!

[Frank Meyers]

There once was a Governor named Scott
Who thought he was really hot
After the Koch's bought him
His state caught him
Now a viable Scott there is not!

[guess]

Hey look, more idiots on parade!!!

[Guest]

AFL-CIO, you guys are a sad joke. Get a life!!

[matt]

Candle lights because you have to pay a share of your benefits?
Has the AFL-CIO EVER held a candle light vigal for a fallen soldier?
Sickeningly selfish behavior.

[Pat Crittendon]

No candle lights in Manitowoc or Green Bay?

[Pat Crittendon]

Has anyone ever thought of hiring buses to go in to Madison? I think people would be willing to pay for that rather than driving down there and it would be fun and a way to get to meet people from in our area that are feeling the same feelings about getting this crook out of office.

[Ben Dover]

You know, my dad had a saying: "If you don't like your job, quit. If you want more pay, take on more responsibility, otherwise shut the fuck up and do your job the best you can" Mind you, my dad was a REAL worker, not a bum with a union card. The rest of us hope unions get outlawed in 2013. It's coming losers!

[Keith A. Steffen]

Thank goodness for unions. We would be living in a third world country without them. Too bad those who lack historical perspective don't appreciate organized labor. They don't recognize how indebted they are to negotiated contracts for their standard of living. Check out the above list of local candlelight vigils for those who can't make it to Madison.

[Supporters Of Wisconsin and Scott Walker]

Look at all those union supported LOSERS doing nothing better but rally against what has been for the better of the people of Wisconsin. All been brain-washed by the union thugs that have nothing better to do but steal workers money from outrageous and pointless dues.

[WBWWS]

You guys need to do what you got to do, but please stop including me in your slogans etc...I am a working Wisconsinite who supports Governor Walker and his attempt to move Wisconsin forward. I think you would get a lot less static from people if you were just honest about it and say you are fighting for public union employees and for your union dues. I know I would respect you a lot more if you did.

[MH]

For all of those against unions,do you really want to go back to Pullman days? Reduced wages, no bennies, longer workdays, no holidays, worker safety, and the list goes on and on. Where will it stop? These are the just some of the things that unions have fought for and have helped make job pay, bennies, etc. competitive. Unions have helped not only union workers (public and private), but non-union workers as well. Just a suggestion, read some history on unions.

[Everett Lee]

Hi all.
I'm especially posting to those who are adamant supporters of our state's current stance concerning union rights in the public sector. I have been in both of the shoes of non-union worker, as well as a shop steward. Corporations, companies, and other employers look at the bottom dollar on the spreadsheet. This is correct business acumen. Unfortunately for the workers, companies will ALLWAYS strive to achieve maximum profit. They are not there to be your friend. They really don't care if you're safe, informed, protected from abuse & discrimination...they want ROI! This is expected.
Unions are responsible for:
employee responibility,
40 hour work weeks,
vacation and sick leave,
harrasement enforcement,
civil rights enforcement,
child labor,
and other contract specific items.

Without this protection, employers have a tendency to violate employee's rights...sometimes without intent. Unions actually help even strident anti-union employees by establishing a baseline of employer/employee practices, pay & benefits. If there is a union pay/benefit package of 'A', a non-union equivilent is probably making at least a substantial of 'A'. Unions ensure worker safety, as well as helping the employer keep insurance as low as possible. NO CONTRACT is designed to reward workers for unacceptable work and performance of job duties! What it boils down to is resonable wage and benifits for a professionable job.
Teachers shouldn't have a classload of 35-60 students.
Driver of snow plows and trucks shouldn't drive more than 'X' hours.
Firefighters and police should be well paid for their service.
The unions are in the work environment for the benefit of both the company and the worker, and it generally works well.
Professional skillsets are usually reportable to an agency... lawyers have the bar, doctors the AMA, pilots have the FAA. We, the lower eschelon worker, need to be held accountable, perform for our company, & work in a drug, alcohal, and non-biased environment. Without unions protecting the work environment, the entire job arena would be decidedly anti-worker. YOUR pay is a positive relation due in large part to unions setting the bar. This is not a right/left argument. This is about accountability and fairness!
Right now, the current trend is to employ part-time workers... working shy of enough hours to get benefits. This is growing, and at some point will probably be fought & challenged. Even if you hate unions (for whatever reason), you should hope (for your childrens' sake if not your own), that some kind of compromise is reached...without a voice, we're at the whim of the company.

[Mike Sam]

There are a lot of union bashers here. You can bet most are paid bloggers. Paid by PACs like American for Prosperity owned by the Koch bros. These billionaires will never have enough money to make them happy. They fight to impoverish American workers so they can stand on their backs to get wealthier. The ones who are not paid to bash are the weak minded who can't analyse an issue intellegently. They believe and fall prey to the "divide and conquer the middle class" strategy of Republican Party. Republicans represent the corporate world, not working families either union or non-unoin. Their goal is to increase the bottom line for those corporations who contribute to their election campaigns. This is done by exporting jobs and lowering wages of those still here in America. This is accomplished by preaching that everyone who is not Republican is in a union or on welfare and sucking money out of your wallet. Of course this is false as the biggest leeches in our society are large corporations who make billions and pay $0 in taxes, even getting money back, along with he wealthy who pay lower tax rates than their employees. Warren Buffet had the honesty to admit he pays less than his secretary becaue he is an honest man who wants a fair tax system for all in America. We wouldn't have a deficit if we collected the proper revenue from these greedy corporate union bashers who will never be satisfied. When unions are gone this country will be in a bad place and those bashers will finally wake up too late when they are hit by corporate greed. No, I am not in a union but smart enough to know workers need protection from corporate interests who are only interested in profits and the bottom line. What makes these middle class Republicans think corporate owned politicians have their best interests at heart? It is a very naive and simple minded assumption. Boys and girls it is not, and never will be, the way the vast majority of for profit corporations work.

[Nan Lambert]

Vigil in River Falls is at 7:00 pm

[Cari Piorier]

Thank you...for all the work done for the people of this state! I've never been a union member but worked with 5 in my mgt. job x 18 yrs. Some disagreements, yes, but the outcome, often with mutual compromise, always a benefit for both parties. Let those so angry/ opposed to this effort work for Mr. Walker's minimum wage positions, go into debt for everything. Business create jobs? Like Wall St., AIG, etc. who bilked every citizen? Union Yes!! My issue is VOTER ID!! Not needed, not what the constitution promises, not what our veterans want.....light the candles!!!

[bob]

AFL-CIO is nothing but a blood sucker on the tax payers. You are a Joke. I Stand with Walker.

Remember AFL-CIO it was your Dems that would not vote for the mining bill, 2,500+ jobs gone. and you say your for the working person, Bull, you only are looking at using people who can't think for them self and line your own pockets. Grow up and act like real people.

I Stand with WALKER

[brent bowler]

Mike Sam - do you really think that every negative tweet here is posted by someone who is paid to do it. That sounds more like George Soros and the Occupy Wall Street folks. Have Unions done good things in the past - absolutely, is there a place for them in the future - maybe. However, when everyone else is taking a hair cut on wages and benefits, for the AFL-CIO to think that the public sector does not have to share in that pain - THEY ARE DEAD WRONG - and the negative posters here have every right to be livid about that attitude. The AFL -CIO have to participate in the bad time just like they do in the good times. Right now the AFL-CIO are acting more like Wall Street Bankers than friends of the working class.

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