2/22/11
2/20/11
Wisconsin SDS: All Out to Defend Education on March 2nd
The occupied Wisconsin State Capitol building stands as a testament to student and worker power in the face of attacks on education and public services. Tens of thousands of students, teachers, workers, and families have rallied at the state capitol for a week straight to stand up for their rights to a living wage, education, and collective bargaining. In addition to the occupation of the state capitol, there have been walkouts at high schools and universities across the state. Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized a walkout of 3,000 college students, faculty, and staff. In dozens of Wisconsin cities, students walked out or teachers called in sick, shutting down entire districts for days.
Wisconsin SDS and The United Council of University of Wisconsin Students (UC) have endorsed the national call to action on March 2nd. SDS is planning actions in over 20 cities across the country, and Wisconsin SDS is calling all students to take action on March 2nd.
All eyes are on Wisconsin as hundreds of thousands of students and workers fight cuts. Wisconsinites anticipate Governor Walker to announce massive, devastating cuts to Wisconsin public schools on March 1st, while teachers and students prepare for the national day of action.
Now is the time for students to stand up for our teachers, our education, and our future! Wisconsin SDS chapters stand in solidarity with teachers and workers everywhere as they fight for the future of public education. Wisconsin SDS calls on students everywhere to protest, walk out, occupy, and strike in defense of our rights to public education on March 2nd!
In Solidarity,
All eyes are on Wisconsin as hundreds of thousands of students and workers fight cuts. Wisconsinites anticipate Governor Walker to announce massive, devastating cuts to Wisconsin public schools on March 1st, while teachers and students prepare for the national day of action.
Now is the time for students to stand up for our teachers, our education, and our future! Wisconsin SDS chapters stand in solidarity with teachers and workers everywhere as they fight for the future of public education. Wisconsin SDS calls on students everywhere to protest, walk out, occupy, and strike in defense of our rights to public education on March 2nd!
In Solidarity,
Wisconsin SDS
UMN SDS: Solidarity with the Workers & Fighters of Wisconsin!
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Students for a Democratic Society (UMN SDS) sends our solidarity to the tens of thousands of workers and fighters throughout Wisconsin demanding an end to Governor Walker’s union-busting bill.
Wisconsin’s struggle sheds a light on what is to come next for working people throughout the country if we do not stand up now to unite together and fight this bill. Everyday, thousands of people are being laid off and being forced to face the brunt of failing “benefits” systems like Unemployment Insurance or having their pensions slashed. Now, Governor Walker wants to annihilate collective bargaining rights for public-sector workers. Unions are one of the only ways that workers still maintain control over the decisions that affect their livelihoods. This anti-worker legislation must be stopped! For too long, those in power have been balancing the budgets on the backs of poor and working people; now, to say that workers won’t even have a seat at the table in deciding the future of their work is an outrage!
At the University of Minnesota, SDS has struggled side bye side unions workers long and hard to demand an end to involuntary furloughs, lay-offs, tuition increases, and a right to shared governance. As students, we are impacted by these critical decisions since most of us will also soon be workers. Public sector employees make our educations happen through answering our questions about classes to posting our grades. In a flailing economy, workers need to have the right to collective bargaining. We must fight back to ensure that collective bargaining is still available for generations to come.
Kill the bill!
Defend the rights of working people!
Defend the rights of working people!
Students for a Democratic Society – University of MN Twin Cities
http://umnsds.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/umn-sds-solidarity-with-the-workers-fighters-of-wisconsin/
http://umnsds.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/umn-sds-solidarity-with-the-workers-fighters-of-wisconsin/
2/18/11
UWM Walkout Proclamation to Governor Walker
The following proclamation was passed by the Feb. 17th UWM walkout with 3,000 in attendance:
"We are gathered here today as a collective body of students, faculty, and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
This is a walkout. Today we made an active choice to demonstrate that business as usual cannot continue.
Governor Walker has put forward a proposal that attacks decades of democratic gains made by the working people of this state. Under Walker's proposed "Budget Repair Bill," the people of this state would all but lose their right to collectively bargain for things as basic as health care, job conditions, and health and safety issues in the workplace. State workers, local employees and school district employees would lose hundreds of millions of dollars of income critical to supporting themselves and their families.
As a democratic body representing ourselves as students, faculty, and staff at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, we declare today that we reject Governor Walker's Budget Proposal. No amendments will make it acceptable.
We will only accept a proposal that represents the interests of the working people of this state - their organizations, their families, and their lives."
Video of the proclamation:
3,000 Students Walk Out in Milwaukee
By Mike Gold
FightBackNews.org
FightBackNews.org
3,000 students at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) walked out of classes at noon to protest Governor Scott Walker’s proposed union busting bill, which would effectively ban public sector unions from being able to collectively bargain. Students at colleges and high schools across the state organized walkouts, and many school districts were shut down by teacher absences.
“If you eliminate collective bargaining you wage war on the unions and on the working class,” observed UWM student Gabe Pollack. While UWM employees’ unions mobilized for the huge protest in Madison, many students, faculty, and workers cancelled classes or walked out to chant “Whose school? Our school!”
Speakers from Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), The Milwaukee Graduate Assistants Association (MGAA), and UWM professors rallied the crowd against Walker’s proposed cuts to education and worker rights. Students chanted, “No cuts, no fees, education should be free!” and “Workers rights are under attack, what do we do, stand up fight back!”
The walkout consisted of undergraduate students, AFSCME campus workers, Teaching Assistants (TA’s), Professors, and hundreds of local high school students who also walked out in support of their education. The huge crowd completely shut down the main plaza on campus, making it impossible to get through. UWM undergraduate student and Freshman Amanda Moore commented, “It’s awesome to see this many people behind one thing, and it’s even more awesome to be a part of it.”
Members of the UWM Teaching Assistants union MGAA are in danger of losing their tuition remission, which means that TA’s at UWM would have to work full time, attend school full time, and pay to do so. Walker’s bill also proposes doubling health care costs for public employees. History TA and MGAA representative Jacob Glicklich, said, “We are all threatened. This is an attack on public services for Wisconsin, and this goes beyond our state.” MGAA’s contract is officially up for debate on March 13th.
While Walker blames public employees for creating the budget crisis, he seeks tax cuts for corporations and the rich. As Milwaukee County Executive, Walker cut numerous public services such as bus lines in neighborhoods of color. Walker helped make Milwaukee the 4th poorest city in the United States, and if he has his way he will do the same to the state of Wisconsin.
Resistance Continues in Madison
In Madison, the sit in at the Capitol continues as tens of thousands of workers and students unite in bold resistance. Democrats refused to show up to the Senate, breaking quorum and delaying the vote for the bill. Many Senators crossed the state border in order to delay the vote, as Governor Walker attempted to dispatch state police to find them.
Despite massive protests across the state, Governor Walker seems determined to pass his anti-worker, anti-student legislation. Many other campuses in Wisconsin participated in the Walkout as well, protesting the attack on their education. High schools have also been shut down. Protests and actions of this nature are expected to continue as long as the bill remains a devastating possibility for the future of the workers of Wisconsin.
“If you eliminate collective bargaining you wage war on the unions and on the working class,” observed UWM student Gabe Pollack. While UWM employees’ unions mobilized for the huge protest in Madison, many students, faculty, and workers cancelled classes or walked out to chant “Whose school? Our school!”
Speakers from Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), The Milwaukee Graduate Assistants Association (MGAA), and UWM professors rallied the crowd against Walker’s proposed cuts to education and worker rights. Students chanted, “No cuts, no fees, education should be free!” and “Workers rights are under attack, what do we do, stand up fight back!”
The walkout consisted of undergraduate students, AFSCME campus workers, Teaching Assistants (TA’s), Professors, and hundreds of local high school students who also walked out in support of their education. The huge crowd completely shut down the main plaza on campus, making it impossible to get through. UWM undergraduate student and Freshman Amanda Moore commented, “It’s awesome to see this many people behind one thing, and it’s even more awesome to be a part of it.”
Members of the UWM Teaching Assistants union MGAA are in danger of losing their tuition remission, which means that TA’s at UWM would have to work full time, attend school full time, and pay to do so. Walker’s bill also proposes doubling health care costs for public employees. History TA and MGAA representative Jacob Glicklich, said, “We are all threatened. This is an attack on public services for Wisconsin, and this goes beyond our state.” MGAA’s contract is officially up for debate on March 13th.
While Walker blames public employees for creating the budget crisis, he seeks tax cuts for corporations and the rich. As Milwaukee County Executive, Walker cut numerous public services such as bus lines in neighborhoods of color. Walker helped make Milwaukee the 4th poorest city in the United States, and if he has his way he will do the same to the state of Wisconsin.
Resistance Continues in Madison
In Madison, the sit in at the Capitol continues as tens of thousands of workers and students unite in bold resistance. Democrats refused to show up to the Senate, breaking quorum and delaying the vote for the bill. Many Senators crossed the state border in order to delay the vote, as Governor Walker attempted to dispatch state police to find them.
Despite massive protests across the state, Governor Walker seems determined to pass his anti-worker, anti-student legislation. Many other campuses in Wisconsin participated in the Walkout as well, protesting the attack on their education. High schools have also been shut down. Protests and actions of this nature are expected to continue as long as the bill remains a devastating possibility for the future of the workers of Wisconsin.
Education Rights Struggle Advances
The UWM walkout was the largest on campus since SDS organized a national student strike against the invasion of Cambodia in 1971. While SDS and The Education Rights Campaign at UWM face off with Walker’s union busting, massive cuts to public education are expected from Walker’s upcoming budget proposal. Milwaukee SDS will join the call to build for the March 2nd National Day of Action to Defend Public Education.
On behalf of the UWM walkout, SDS member Kas Schwerdtfeger read aloud a proclamation, supported by applause at the rally, reprinted below:
The UWM walkout was the largest on campus since SDS organized a national student strike against the invasion of Cambodia in 1971. While SDS and The Education Rights Campaign at UWM face off with Walker’s union busting, massive cuts to public education are expected from Walker’s upcoming budget proposal. Milwaukee SDS will join the call to build for the March 2nd National Day of Action to Defend Public Education.
On behalf of the UWM walkout, SDS member Kas Schwerdtfeger read aloud a proclamation, supported by applause at the rally, reprinted below:
Proclamation of the UWM Walkout
“We are gathered here today as a collective body of students, faculty, and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
This is a walkout. Today we made an active choice to demonstrate that business as usual cannot continue.
Governor Walker has put forward a proposal that attacks decades of democratic gains made by the working people of this state. Under Walker's proposed "Budget Repair Bill," the people of this state would all but lose their right to collectively bargain for things as basic as health care, job conditions, and health and safety issues in the workplace. State workers, local employees and school district employees would lose hundreds of millions of dollars of income critical to supporting themselves and their families.
As a democratic body representing ourselves as students, faculty, and staff at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, we declare today that we reject Governor Walker's Budget Proposal. No amendments will make it acceptable.
We will only accept a proposal that represents the interests of the working people of this state - their organizations, their families, and their lives.”
“We are gathered here today as a collective body of students, faculty, and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
This is a walkout. Today we made an active choice to demonstrate that business as usual cannot continue.
Governor Walker has put forward a proposal that attacks decades of democratic gains made by the working people of this state. Under Walker's proposed "Budget Repair Bill," the people of this state would all but lose their right to collectively bargain for things as basic as health care, job conditions, and health and safety issues in the workplace. State workers, local employees and school district employees would lose hundreds of millions of dollars of income critical to supporting themselves and their families.
As a democratic body representing ourselves as students, faculty, and staff at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, we declare today that we reject Governor Walker's Budget Proposal. No amendments will make it acceptable.
We will only accept a proposal that represents the interests of the working people of this state - their organizations, their families, and their lives.”
2/16/11
UW System-Wide Walk-Out Thursday at Noon
UWM WALK OUT TOMORROW!!
UWM T.A’s and Workers are in a dire situation! With his Emergency Budget Repair Bill, Scott Walker has threatened to take away their collective bargaining rights in attempts to silence their voices in the workplace. This will leave our professors, T.A’s and university employees defenseless in the face of attacks on health care, tuition remission, pension contributions, grievance procedures and other important rights. The effect of this bill will destroy Wisconsin’s public education system as teachers, professors and students will be forced to leave their jobs.
In defense of our public institutions, there will be a UW-System Walk-Out Tomorrow, Thursday, February 17th at noon. Join us in Spaight’s plaza as we rally against this outrageous attack!
SAVE OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION! WALK-OUT TOMORROW, 12pm SPAIGHT’S PLAZA!!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=164946076888542
2/13/11
Emergency Rally Monday for Student/Worker Rights
Monday, February 14
Spaights Plaza at UWM (the north end near the library)
10:45AM
Please join SDS and MGAA as we fight Walker's threats to all UW and state employees. Walker is waging a reckless campaign to trample worker rights and the life of UWM.
Many of the rights Walker wants to restrict, roll back, or eliminate, including collective bargaining rights and union dues deduction, were precisely the rights that Memphis' municipal waste collectors were striking for in 1968 when Dr. King joined them. It was in that struggle for worker rights that Dr. King was assassinated.
Please join SDS, MGAA, AFSCME, and the campus community Monday to show that we will not be silenced by Walker's threats.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154095684646305
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