Guide to Supporting Public Employees and Their Unions in Wisconsin and Beyond
The video above (h/t to Dorothy Rissman, a commenter at The People’s View) is of firefighters entering the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison to join the tens of thousands of people who have been rallying in support of public employees and their unions. As we’ve discussed previously, conservatives have launched a nationwide attack on public employees and their unions, primarily as a way to undermine one of the main organized sources of support for the progressive movement.
Now is the time for all of us progressives to get involved in fighting back against this conservative assault on one of the primary backbones of the progressive movement. We can do so by attending rallies, writing letters to newspaper editors, and contacting our state elected officials to express our support for public employees and their unions.
Below is a list of rallies and links for raising your voice on this critical issue. Please let us know at the Winning Progressive Facebook Page if you know of rallies, etc. to add to this list.
WISCONSIN
* Call, e-mail, or visit your state legislator – contact information available here
* Contact Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker – contact information available here
* Write a letter to your local newspaper - links available here
* Sign up to help Organizing for America’s Wisconsin chapter organize supporters of public employees and their unions
* Attend a rally:
Wisconsin – Throughout the State
Here is a list of rallies occurring throughout Wisconsin on Monday and Tuesday
Monday, February 21 – 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Racine Labor Center, 2100 Layard Ave
(262) 770-5098 or e-mail: RacineLabor@gmail.com
Monday, February 21 and Tuesday, February 22 – Noon and 5 p.m.
State Capitol
If you live elsewhere in Wisconsin and need a bus ride to the Madison rallies, click here
OHIO
Senate Bill 5 would eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees in the state
* Contact Ohio state legislators
* Contact Governor John Kasich – (614) 466-3555
* Write a letter to your local newspaper editor – links to newspapers available here
* Attend a rally:
Tuesday, February 22 – 5:00 p.m.
Canton Memorial Civic Center – 1101 Market Ave N
Ohio – Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati Students Rally Against SB5:
Monday, February 21st at 3PM
McMicken Commons
Monday, February 21 – 11 a.m.
President’s Day Rally at the Statehouse
Tuesday, February 22 – 1:00 p.m.
Ohio Statehouse (1 Capitol Square)
Click here for a schedule of buses to the rally departing from Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton, and Youngstown
If you live near Sandusky, meet in the UAW Local 913 parking lot at 10 a.m.
Rally for workers w/Jesse Jackson
Wednesday, February 23 – 11:00 a.m.
Teamsters Hall – 555 E. Rich St.
For more info, contact 614-441-9145 or brian@progressohio.org
Monday, February 21 – 9:15 a.m.
Dayton Convention Center downtown
Tuesday, February 22 – 4 p.m.
Washington Park gazebo in downtown
INDIANA
A string of bills targeting public employees, including limits on teachers’ ability to collectively bargain and a permanent ban on the ability of future governors to allow for collective bargaining with state employees.
* Contact Indiana state legislators
* Contact Governor Mitch Daniels – 317-232-4567
* Attend a rally:
Monday, February 21 at 9am
Statehouse – Room 156A
Questions? Call Allison at 317-450-4019
MINNESOTA
Legislation is pending that would eliminate vital portions of the state’s Public Employment Labor Relations Act, and freeze wages of state employees
* Contact Minnesota state legislators
* Contact Governor Mark Dayton – 651-201-3400
* Write a letter to your local newspaper editor – links available here
* Attend a rally:
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 – 4:00pm – 5:00pm
State Capitol
COLORADO
Legislation to reverse former Democratic Governor Bill Ritter’s executive order allowing collective bargaining has been stopped so far. Ultimately, however, the issue is expected to come down to how hard new Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper is willing to fight for public employees and their unions.
* Contact Colorado state legislators
* Contact Governor John Hickenlooper – (303) 866-2471
* Write a letter to your local newspaper editor – links available here
* Attend a rally:
Tuesday, February 22 – noon-1pm
West Steps of the State Capitol
OTHER STATES
* Write a letter to your local newspaper editor -
Here are links for submitting letters to the editor for national papers, and to newspapers in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
* Contact your state legislators and Governors
* Attend a rally:
Tuesday, February 22 – noon
State Capitol
call the AZ AFSCME office to confirm your attendance at 602-252-6501
Wednesday, February 23 – 11:30 a.m.
State Capitol Building – 425 W. Capitol Ave.
Wednesday, February 23 – noon
West Steps of State Capitol Building – 210 Capitol Ave.
Tuesday, February 22 – 1:00 p.m.
West Steps of the Iowa State Capitol
Tuesday, February 22 – noon
Maryland State House – Lawyers’ Mall – 100 State Circle
Tuesday, February 22 – 4-6pm
State House
For more information call 617-524-8778
Tuesday, February 22 – 4-6pm
City Hall
Tuesday February 22, 2011 at 9:00 AM
Meet at Central United Methodist Church 215 N. Capitol (Corner of Ottawa & Capitol)
Monday, February 21 – 2 p.m.
Montana State Capitol – 1301 E. 6th Ave.
Monday, February 21 – noon
Front steps of Legislative Building – 401 S. Carson St.
Monday, February 21 – noon
Grant Sawyer Building, 555 E. Washington Ave.
Friday, February 25 – noon – 3 p.m.
Statehouse – 125 W. State Street
Tuesday, February 22 – 12:15 p.m.
East Side of the Roundhouse
Tuesday, February 22 – 5 p.m.
Outside Fox “News” studios – 1211 6th Ave (6th Ave and 48th St.)
Monday, February 21 · 12:00pm – 3:00pm
State Capitol – 1 East Edenton St.
Monday, February 21 – noon
State Capitol – 900 Court St. NE
Thursday, February 24 – 11:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m.
Tom Paine Plaza – Across from City Hall
Wednesday, February 23 · 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Lackawanna Court House – 200 Adams Ave.
Tuesday February 22 – 4:30 pm
State House
For more information call 401-338-1665
Tuesday, February 22 – noon
Steps of the Statehouse
Wednesday, February 23 – 12:30-1:30 p.m.
444 N. Capitol Street NW (between Louisiana and E Streets)
There will also be a feeder march starting in DuPont Circle at 11:30 a.m.
Monday, February 21 – noon-1p.m.
Capitol Steps in Olympia
Driving directions and parking information: http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/direction-park.htm
Monday, February 21 – 10am
Lower Rotunda of the Capitol
Tags: Governor Kasich, Governor Walker, labor, Madison, Ohio, public employees, public sector employees, SB 5, solidarity rally, unions, We are One, Wisconsin
