From the credit union line to breakfast at Perkins on Saturday, conversations buzzed with talk of Wisconsin, unions, legislators, and demonstrations. Minnesota’s Capitol will see a demonstration in solidarity with Wisconsin public workers Tuesday, organized by Minnesota labor unions. Below the jump: links to information about Tuesday’s rally, a Wisconsin teacher’s story, Saturday’s solidarity protest in Hudson, videos from Wisconsin, and the worldwide, Cairo-to-Madison pizza story—
Tuesday union rally in St. Paul • Union members will gather Tuesday at the State Capitol building in St. Paul to show support for Wisconsin public sector employees who have been demonstrating to try and save their collective bargaining rights.
We’d rather be in the classroom, but it was time to speak out • If you had told any of our group of eight teachers a month ago that we would be spending a sunny afternoon in February picketing at the state capitol in Madison, we would have thought you had lost your mind.
Hundreds demonstrate in Hudson • Bill Tomberlin isn’t a public employee or a union member. But the Hudson resident joined hundreds of others Saturday to protest Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to strip government workers of their collective bargaining rights.
Communities across nation show solidarity with Wisconsin workers • From Juneau, Alaska, to San Juan, Puerto Rico, communities across the country are planning rallies in solidarity with the workers in Wisconsin.
VIDEO: Hundreds worldwide order pizza for Wisconsin capitol protesters • It all started with one call from an anonymous Californian, requesting that local pizza shop, Ian’s on State Street, deliver a pizza to the protesters camped out since last Monday in the Wisconsin State Capitol, which is just two blocks away. This one call made early last week has snowballed all the way across the globe with over 30 states and over 10 countries ordering more than 500 pizza for the protesters – including one call from Cairo, Egypt.
Wisconsin firefighters willing to give up pay increase to preserve collective bargaining • The public employee pay cut law Wisconsin’s legislature is considering passing makes exceptions for police and fire fighters. President of the Wisconsin Firefighters Union Mahlon Mitchell says his union is flattered, but willing to give up pay increases so other public employees don’t have to take as much of a pay cut, and so Wisconsin does not outlaw collective bargaining for public employees.
Wisconsin GOP tries “illegal” tactics to pass anti-union bill • Wisconsin Democrats say Republicans are breaking the rules in their rush to pass a “budget repair bill” that contains anti-union provisions. Republicans in the State Assembly have enough votes to pass the bill, but decided to start voting on it before the Assembly was scheduled to meet.
Comment