Please join the rallies in support of our fellow Union members and our own Union brothers and sisters affected by Governor Walker's union-busting budget bill.
We will meet at 10:30 a.m. at the East Towne Mall in Madison (on Highway 151) near Dick's Sporting Goods.
From there we will be taking shuttle buses to the capitol.
For those of you who will be traveling on your own,gather at the East Towne Mall
along with the other demonstrators.
We must not stand by while our Unions and contracts are being attacked.
From: Phil Neuenfeldt, President
Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secy-Treas
Date: February 20, 2011
Re: Alert! Action Needed in Senate
Districts
The fight against Governor Walker’s Budget Repair Bill and its attack on collective bargaining rights continues. We need as many union members as possible to join in grassroots activities in the 14 targeted Senate Districts listed below. Contact the District Leaders indicated on the attached chart for information on local events that need support.
We are targeting the following Republican Senators to persuade them to oppose the Budget Repair Bill: Senators Dan Kapanke, Rob Cowles, Mike Ellis, Randy Hopper, Luther Olsen, Van Wanggaard, Scott Fitzgerald, Dale Schultz, Sheila Harsdorf and Terry Moulton.
We also especially want to thank the following Democratic Senators for refusing to vote on the current version of the Budget Repair Bill: Senators Dave Hansen, Julie Lassa, Tim Cullen and Bob Wirch.
Thanks for your help with these grassroots efforts!
Shilling calls on Walker to Negotiate (LaCrosse)
By Terry Rindfleisch/ trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com lacrossetribune.com |
Posted: Sunday, February 20, 2011 5:26 pm
State Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, called for Republican Gov. Scott Walker to sit down and negotiate "reasonable solutions" to the controversy over the state budget repair bill.
On Sunday, Shilling and fellow Democrat Rep. Chris Danou of Trempealeau spoke to dozens of union workers and supporters who filled the International Association of Machinists' office in La Crosse.
"We're OK with concessions and understand the pension, and we give you that," Shilling said in sending a message to Walker. "But give us our bargaining rights."
As union supporters moved inside for a sixth straight day of protests at the Wisconsin Capitol, Walker reiterated Sunday that he wouldn't compromise on the issue that had mobilized them, a bill that would eliminate most of public employees' collective bargaining rights.
Democratic lawmakers have said they and union members would agree to financial concessions that the Republican governor wants in exchange for workers keeping their collective bargaining rights.
Many in the crowd in La Crosse said they had protested in Madison and plan to return this week.
"I can tell you the movement continues to grow," Shilling said. "What we have heard is the drumbeat of democracy."
Shilling said she heard 17 hours of testimony on the budget repair bill before the Joint Finance Committee last week.
"I told colleagues that never so few, ignored so many and learned so little," she said of the Republicans and the governor.
Shilling said the Assembly Democrats will have a caucus Monday and will present many floor amendments to the budget repair bill on Tuesday.
She said the budget bill also has sweeping changes to Medicaid which could jeopardize access to health care for 62,000 Wisconsin residents.
Danou said the fight with the governor is not about wages and benefits, but about workers' rights.
The governor has failed at leadership in the pursuit of an ideology, "but he was elected to govern, not do ideology," Danou said.
The state does not have an immediate budget crisis as the governor claims, Danou said. "We dealt with the budget that was twice as bad last time, and we didn't need to do these type of things," he said.
Shilling said she has called State Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse, who has not returned her calls. Kapanke and Walker could not be reached for comment.
Posted in State-and-regional on Sunday, February 20, 2011 5:26 pm
Public union workers and their supporters rally
on Thomas Street in Wausau
About 300 public union workers and their supporters railed against Gov. Scott Walker and his budget repair bill on Thomas Street near The Rose Garden late Sunday afternoon.
As the wind blew and snow fell, the picketers yelled slogans such as, “This is what democracy looks like!” and “Walker is a dictator!”
Walker’s proposal to balance the state’s budget includes measures that would require government workers to contribute more to their health care and pension costs as well as largely eliminate their collective bargaining rights.
The protesters targeted the Republican Party of Marathon County’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, which was held in The Rose Garden and was attended by local party members and leaders, including state Sen. Pam Galloway of Wausau.
The rally was meant to demonstrate union resolve to Galloway, said Jeff Johnson, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Marathon County.
“We want her to know there are thousands of her constituents who want her to vote ‘no’ (on the budget repair bill),” Johnson said.
The Republicans inside The Rose Garden were unmoved by the demonstration.
“We understand people are expressing their opinions. We believe in peaceable gathering,” said Bruce Trueblood, chairman of the Republican Party of Marathon County. “But the best protest is done at the ballot box, and that’s what we did last November.”
ASSAULT ON UNIONS
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