Union supporters regroup after stunning election reversal

[iwishiwas]

Source: madison.com







Union supporters regroup after stunning election reversal

STEVEN VERBURG | [e-mail] | 608-252-6118 | Posted: Sunday, April 10, 2011 8:00 am

Demonstrators march Saturday from the Capitol to the offices of the state business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, on West Washington Avenue. "This is the first time we are bringing the protest to the WMC," said organizer Ben Manski.

Days after a shocking reversal in a critical Supreme Court race, liberal activists rallied Saturday at the state Capitol, pointed fingers at the state business lobby and made plans to build on the movement that generated weeks of mass demonstrations and a spate of recall campaigns.

"This is about regrouping for the long haul," said Ben Manski, a Madison lawyer who helped organize events that were to continue Sunday with workshops on political topics from direct action campaigning to building coalitions to taxing the rich.

On Saturday, protesters marched to the offices of the state business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, on West Washington Avenue.

..................

"There has been a lot of publicity about the Koch brothers influencing Wisconsin politics, but the fact is that Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is the lobby group that's in the Capitol day in and day out working to shift taxes from the wealthy to the rest of us," Manski said.



Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_5c4eabd6-62d4-11e0-9c11-001cc4c002e0.html

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This should be the goal yet with Walker and his poodle repugs in the Legislature, it is difficult to say the least! Ed Garvey is a leader in Wisconsin progressive politics.


"What they should be doing is creating jobs, not divisions in the state of Wisconsin," said Ed Garvey, an attorney who spoke during a rally outside the Capitol.

[jody]

1. Apparently the 93+% of private sector workers who are non-union are not ready to fully support the

35-45% of public sector workers who are union members.

[No Elephants]

12. Unions help ALL workers.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

16. what makes you say that? Do you know the make up of the Madison protests in the past month?

Non union members VASTLY outnumbered the Union members at the larger rallies and protests. We're ready to rumble, just waiting for the right moment. Adding - We were there in Support of our Union members and of ALL workers & people who care about Democracy.

[jody]

19. ROFLMAO I know the makeup of union membership both private & public. nt

[eowyn_of_rohan]

20. I said the make up of the PROTESTS not of union membership

:eyes:

[JackRiddler]

18. Propaganda. A 40-plus point shift since the last SC election shows incredible support for unions.

Why are you trying to construct the Republican talking points before they even do so?

[devilgrrl]

22. Why?

Because who he is.

[elocs]

2. All of this protesting and demonstrating needs to translate into votes,

and those who support workers' rights and oppose Walker and his minions need to put action to their words and actually show up and vote on election day.

Again, like last fall, there were thousands of Democrats and like-minded Independents who did not bother to vote here in Wisconsin last week. Oh we read of it being spun about how great a 33% turnout was for a spring election, but what was it about this election at this time that was not important enough for people to grasp that they need to go and vote? Had Democrats turned out at close to 50% and Republicans at 33% then Kloppenburg would have been swept onto the Supreme Court. We should have had much, much more motivation to vote than your average Republican.

Talk is cheap, action takes effort. From hereon out, Democrats, no more excuses--show up and VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!

[iwishiwas]

5. Well said.

[quakerboy]

6. +1

If this election was any marker, they may get some of the recalls done, which will at least slow things down, but they are unlikely to be successful in replacing walker. So it will be status quo and the state level version of executive orders through the rest of his term.

Where were the votes? I would dispute any winner of that election until an independant and trustworthy investigation is completed. But whichever way it goes in the end, to have it so close show me that despite all these amazing protests, the people are not yet "there".

[jody]

11. But "protesting and demonstrating" has already translated into votes - against the issues touted by

those protesting and demonstrating.

People who were ecstatic over Kloppenburg's win claiming a victory for unions must now accept her possible defeat as a victory for anti-union voters.

Of course people from both sides will put their on spin on the results of WI's election but that's the way with democracy.

Voters closely divided over a privilege granted by elected representatives of We the People can grant a privilege one session and take it away in the next.

[RedCloud]

13. When your state gets unionized, you will finally see the light!

[jody]

15. Many states prefer jobs to unions. That's why unions attract less than 93% of private sector workers

[eowyn_of_rohan]

17. Well you are misguided there, too.

[tblue37]

23. And get rid of hackable voting machines and partisan election workers!

[GreydeeThos]

3. Reversal? - This looks more like larceny

A Federal investigation into the Republicans is in order here.

[iwishiwas]

4. Tammy Baldwin, Dem WI did write to Holter and requested one.

[Citizen Worker]

7. Demonstrations work and work well when they are disruptive to business. That means demonstrations

need to be staged during the hours of business, not on weekends. We did it here in Washington when we organized 600 Union members and marched to the offices of the Association Of Washington Business in the state capitol. The people inside were literally trembling at the sight of us standing outside and demanding that business cease blocking legislation for unemployment compensation. We prevailed because we were peaceful, orderly, well organized and RELENTLESS in our demands.

[Overseas]

8. K&R. Glad they're holding all right wing funders accountable.

[Zorra]

9. Walker woke the sleeping giant. Then Waukesha completely pissed the giant off.

About 49.999% (not counting whatever votes republicans stole statewide) of the electorate that voted in the WI SC election voted for a relatively unknown candidate for stae supreme court in a spring election. Against an incumbent candidate that held the position for 13 years.

We are in the infancy of this movement; the giant is just a toddler right now, but giants grow up fast.

Baby is hungry.

[EFerrari]

10. Reversal? Is that what we're calling fraud these days? n/t

[KamaAina]

14. Maybe it's a Wisconsin regional expression

:sarcasm:

[defendandprotect]

21. k