| Across the U.S. workers, teachers, students, youth and people from all walks of life are opposing so-called right to work bills which attack the rights of workers to join a union, collective bargaining and health and other benefits for public employees. At present, 22 states have so-called right to work laws in place, including many former slave states in the southern U.S. Other states are trying to pass such laws. These retrogressive measures are being met with growing resistance. In Wisconsin, as many as 70,000 people continue to rally to demand that legislators reject the so-called Budget Repair Bill of Republican Governor Scott Walker. On February 22 and 23, mass actions were held at state capitols across the U.S. and elsewhere in support of the people's resistance in Wisconsin and to oppose similar measures already in place or attempts to put them in place in other states. Growing Resistance in Wisconsin - TML Correspondent in Madison - The atmosphere in Wisconsin is electric. Workers and youth from every region of the state and beyond and from all sectors of the economy have come together determined to defend their rights and the rights of all. They are resolute and convinced that only their staunch opposition can stop the growing state-organized attacks in the United States and specifically the blatant state-organized attack on workers' rights unleashed by Governor Walker. February 22, rumours swirled that Walker was preparing to use force to remove protestors from the state capitol building in Madison. Immediately, 200 steelworkers organized themselves to march into the building and spend the night and defend the protest. They joined teachers from their various locals and unions, who along with firefighters are the main force. In large numbers as well are state public sector workers of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, industrial workers from various plants, machinists, meatpackers, teamsters and others. Also present are representatives of national minorities who see in this attack on union and workers' rights an attack on their rights as human beings. Prominent in their numbers, exuberance and discipline are the youth of Wisconsin. Many schools across Madison, Milwaukee and elsewhere in the state remain closed as teachers and students alike protest the assault on the right to organize into unions, which from their collective strength can bargain for wages, benefits, pensions and working conditions commensurate with the work performed. The state legislature is in session but Democratic members have refused to attend, denying Walker and his cronies a quorum to push through their anti-people legislation, which upholds monopoly right and privilege and blames workers for the economic crisis when everyone knows that to be a big lie. Workers and youth are hailing the state Democratic legislators as heroes of the people for their principled stand in defence of the people's rights. Across the state and the entire country, people are grasping the reality that paying the rich and their monopolies from the public treasury and then under the hoax of deficits and debt cutting public services, social programs, wages, benefits and pensions and smashing public right are not solutions and will only make the economic crisis worse and send the country hurtling over a precipice to open dictatorial rule of monopoly right. The elements of the ruling class who are attacking the working people only know violence as a response to the people's demand for rights. Walker and his ilk refuse to negotiate in good faith to come to new arrangements upholding public right not monopoly right. Underlining this consistent fascist tendency to violence, Governor Walker has put the state National Guard on standby to threaten and intimidate the demonstrators. To intensify the atmosphere of intimidation Walker ordered the National Guard to "visit" a prison in Madison, in what was described as a "precaution" as many corrections officers have joined the protest to denounce the negation of their rights as workers. The resistance is not naïve to these threats of violence nor is it passive. Reports are circulating that the Wisconsin state Labor Council is actively preparing for a general strike to force Walker to back down from his extremist actions. The preparations include broad discussion amongst union and non-union workers for the necessity of a mass mobilization. Unions have already begun regular bussing of workers and their allies to travel to Madison to join the main demonstration to underscore their determination to see this struggle in defence of rights through to the end. Of significant note is the broad participation of youth in the resistance movement. They are streaming into the Madison protest site from high schools and universities. Many bring their sense of social responsibility and experience from waging numerous struggles in defence of the rights of all around issues such as the movement against U.S. wars and occupations abroad and exposure of the reactionary nature of international organizations dominated by U.S. imperialism such as the WTO, IMF, FTAA etc. They have organized an information/media centre manned 24/7, roving medics and squads to leaflet on campuses and in the communities and bring to the people throughout the United States the serious issue of the necessity to defend the rights of all from the state-organized attacks of Governor Walker and his cronies. |