Thousands turn out to say no to RTW in Mountaineer State

GST Ken Hall joins RTW protesters at rally last night.

The following is the latest installment of what will be occasional dispatches from a Teamster on the ground about the battle to defeat so-called right-to-work (RTW) in West Virginia this year.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It was a day full of surprises following yesterday morning’s press conference. Shortly after the last dispatch from West Virginia, we returned to Local 175 only to find out from Local 175 business agent Luke Farley that RTW had been introduced — the first bill of the legislative session, SB 1:

They’re trying to fast-track it. It’s going to judiciary tomorrow. Ken is set to testify. 

Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall had been busy throughout the day, speaking with the press, lobbying state legislators and preparing for the action at the Statehouse before Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s State of the State address that evening. Workers had spent the week planning to crowd the rotunda, forming a gauntlet of protesters for legislators to have to walk through on their way to hear the governor’s address.

But first there was work to be done. It was time to rally the troops nationwide. Hall appeared on labor radio to explain to union members throughout the country the latest attack on workers in the Mountaineer State — and the show of solidarity on display in Charleston:

A lot of these legislators don’t even understand what RTW is — they don’t know how it works … They call it workplace freedom — of course everyone wants workplace freedom. But that’s not what RTW really is.

Meanwhile, surrounding the upstairs rotunda, the hundreds of workers became thousands of workers, meaning the press needed to be updated with new figures for their press coverage. We had erred on the side of caution, assuming the new Capitol security and Wednesday afternoon timing of the event would mean lower turnout. As always, West Virginia workers defied expectations, creating a sea of union logos and anti-RTW signs throughout the Statehouse. One Teamster even dressed up like a lemon holding a sign that read: “The Bill Cole Agenda: A long history of selling lemons to West Virginia.”

RTW is leaving a sour taste in the mouths of many workers.

Cole, the Republican senator and majority leader, would later walk through with his GOP colleagues, greeted by the the booming echoes of booing from the workers as they made their way through thousands of workers. Hall spoke from the top stairs leading into the chamber, rousing the crowd with chants of: “Right to Work is wrong!” and “Not in my state!”

The latest battleground in the War on Workers was symbolic. If Mountaineer workers can defeat RTW again, it would be historic — and in a state with labor history as rich as West Virginia, where so many workers lost their lives on the job, and all too many still struggle to get by — it could mark a turning point for the entire labor movement.

Today will be busy too. The Senate Judiciary Committee met this morning, where Hall testified in opposition of SB 1. The legislators have asked him to return at 3:00 p.m. for more questions. The press has been covering him throughout the day as he leads the fight for workers in West Virginia.

Stay tuned.

Teamsters take stand against fast track

The Teamsters joined some 1,200 fellow union members and fair trade advocates at a Capitol Hill rally today to call on Congress to stop pushing for fast track trade promotion authority that would allow a quick up-or-down vote on bad trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Teamsters and other union members rally on Capitol Hill.

A bevy of lawmakers came out to show their support and voice their opposition to fast track. They said legislation, which is expected to be introduced by the Senate Finance Committee any day, would be a boon for big business at the expense of American workers. It would allow deals like the 12-nation TPP to ship U.S. job overseas, cut wages at home and allow unsafe food and products into this country.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) pledged to stand with workers against this corporate-backed trade vehicle that would harm workers across the globe:

We are here to fight. No more secret trade deals. Are you ready to fight? No more special deals for multinational corporations! Are you ready to fight? Are you ready to fight anymore deals that say they will help the rich get richer and leave everyone else behind?

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) noted big business is pushing hard for fast track and the TPP because it will help their profits soar:

These trade agreements mean everything to corporate America. They want fast track because it is good for their bottom lines. These guys are worker sellouts!

Several other speakers stressed the need to hold lawmakers responsible for their votes, and said that those who vote the wrong way will face the wrath of fair trade backers. Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers, called on workers to head to the halls of Congress and let their members know their thoughts on fast track:

You make sure you tell them you put them there and you can take them out of there!

Today's Teamster News 03.15.15

Teamsters
New JFK truck rules will drive job growth  Crain's New York Business   ...Not long ago, the Teamsters represented 5,000 air-freight drivers at JFK. Today, it's 1,200. And it's not just Teamsters. JFK supports more than 50,000 jobs in the city. An uncompetitive airport puts them at risk.
But a de Blasio administration regulation that took effect March 5 finally harmonized our trucking rules with the rest of the country, so industry-standard trucks can now pick up and drop off at JFK...
Trade
Do unions have the oomph to stop Obama's trade agenda?  Politico   ...“They certainly have gotten the attention of people who have relied on union support,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who acknowledged that her fellow Democrats often take labor’s loyalty for granted...
TPP: Just don't do it  The Ed Show   ...Nike implores employees to support TPP, which would boost trade to Nike's Vietnam manufacturing ties. Ed Schultz, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Charles Kernaghan discuss...
State Battles
Over 350 Workers Gather in New Hampshire to Call on Gov. Scott Walker to Apologize for Anti-Worker Agenda, Statements  Granite State Progress   ...Over 350 workers gathered outside of a NH GOP event in New Hampshire today to condemn Scott Walker’s anti-working family agenda and call for an apology following his recent CPAC comments equating working men and women with the terror group, ISIS...
War on Workers
A Lot Fewer Americans Get Unemployment Benefits Than You Think  Huffington Post   ... The share of unemployed Americans who receive unemployment insurance benefits has dwindled to its lowest point in decades, thanks in part to benefit cuts in Republican-led states...
By Saving Billions in Retiree Health and Pension Benefits, Auto Bailouts Were an Even Bigger Success Than Acknowledged  Economic Policy Institute   ...Thanks to the success of the federal bailouts, the company pension plans have all continued and paid all benefits earned by the retirees. And no pension liabilities have been transferred to the PBGC or the federal government...
Housemate Takes Blame for Shining Laser at Planes in Bronx  New York Times   ...After being charged this week with injuring several pilots by shining a laser beam at their plane, Frank J. Egan was held up as a pest, his arrest an example of pinpoint investigative work...

Today's Teamster News 03.14.15

Teamsters
FedEx Freight Workers In California Vote To Join Teamsters Local 439  teamster.org   ...A group of 50 drivers at FedEx Freight’s Stockton, Calif., terminal have voted to join Teamsters Local 439. The vote took place Thursday, March 12 and today, and the workers voted 33 to 12 to become Teamsters...
Teamsters Testify About UNFI At Supply Chain Commission Hearing  teamster.org   ...Former Workers Tell Commission Members About UNFI’s Abuses...
Drivers For Facebook Contractor Loop Transp. Gain Strong Agreement, Wage Increases  teamster.org   ...Drivers for Facebook contractor Loop Transportation are now covered under a Teamsters Local 853 contract, providing for wage increases, health care benefits and a number of improvements to their working conditions. The contract, which workers overwhelmingly voted to ratify on Feb. 21, went to Facebook for its agreement as Loop’s paying client before implementation...
San Bernardino County Public Employees To Vote In Teamster Election  teamster.org   ... Ballots were mailed out this week to more than 15,000 San Bernardino, Calif., county, city and agency employees to vote in an election for Teamsters representation...
Teamsters Continue Fight To Unionize More Bay Area Drivers KGO ...The Teamsters hit the streets of San Francisco for a rally. They're handing out union cards to the drivers of Bauer Transportation, a company contracted to drive workers to some Bay Area tech companies, including Cisco and Google...
Woodbridge Winery Workers Join Teamsters Local 601 In California  teamster.org   ...Nearly 50 workers at Woodbridge Winery in Acampo, Calif. joined Teamsters Local 601 in Stockton, voting 32-13 in favor of representation. The new bargaining unit of cellar operation employees includes 46 workers who are seeking improved pay, benefits and the protection of a union contract...
Trade
Unhappy Third Birthday for Korea FTA Drags Down Obama Push for Fast Track  Public Citizen Global Trade Watch   ...U.S. Exports Down, Imports from Korea Up and Job-Killing Trade Deficit With Korea Balloons 84 Percent on Third Anniversary of Korea Pact, Which Is TPP Template...
Progressives: We’ve Never Heard Of This “Progressive” Group Backing Obama’s Trade Deal  BuzzFeed News   ...The “Progressive Coalition For American Jobs,” run by former Obama campaign staffers, purports to represent the progressive left on the trade deal that the progressive left hates...
Major Unions Stepping up Battle against Free-Trade Pact  Associated Press   ...the Teamsters union called for U.S. negotiators on the trade pact to press for a crackdown on Mexican cross-border trucking as part of the emerging agreement...
‘Exploitation’: Clothing Labels Accused Of Cambodia Worker Discrimination, Child Labor  RT   ...HRW [Human Rights Watch] says workers in Cambodia’s garment factories, producing name-brand clothing sold in the US, Canada and Europe, often come to grips with "discriminatory and exploitative labor conditions." According to HRW, the combination of short-term contracts which make it easier to get rid of workers at any moment, poor government labor inspection and enforcement, as well as aggressive tactics against independent unions make it extremely difficult for workers to assert their rights...
State Battles
Push to rewrite Kansas collective bargaining laws stalls  Kansas City Star   ...The committee was set to vote Friday on both measures, but Chairwoman and Olathe Republican Julia Lynn canceled the meeting. Lynn said she’s not sure when the votes will occur and said House GOP leaders have signaled that they’re reluctant to tackle such issues...
Chumbley: Right to work all wrong for Missouri  Springfield News-Leader   ...Missouri's General Assembly is preparing to pass the deceptively titled Right to Work and Paycheck Protection bills. These bills are an attack on workers and an offense to the God of justice...
Union members rally against GOP labor bills outside Legislature  Las Vegas Review-Journal   ... Hundreds of union members rallied in front of the Nevada Legislature on Thursday to protest Republican efforts to curb collective bargaining and push public employee retirement reforms...
Union workers to protest Walker in NH  New Hampshire Union Leader   ...Union members and organizers plan to protest outside when Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks to a state Republican Party event Saturday at Concord High School...
WV Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signs prevailing wage change, Coal Jobs and Safety Act  WOWK TV   ...Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed three bills into law March 12, including one that changes West Virginia's prevailing wage law...
Maine Republicans Try Again To Push Through 'Right-to-Work' Legislation  NPR   ...Republicans are once again trying to move a so-called "right-to-work" bill through the Legislature. Their goal is to put an end to a long-standing requirement that public and private sector workers in a unionized shops must either join the union or pay representation fees as a condition of employment...
Senate Kills Bill To Restore State Minimum Wage  New Hampshire Union Leader   ...The Republican-dominated state Senate has rejected a bill to restore a state minimum wage in New Hampshire. The legislation would have set the hourly rate at $8.25 in 2016, $9 in 2017 and $10 in 2018...
War on Workers
The Retirement Savings Gap Between Haves and Have-Nots Is Getting Bigger  Bloomberg   ...The median retirement account balance when you look across all households? $2,500...
Dangerous Trains, Aging Rails (opinion)  New York Times   ...To protect communities and the environment, the Transportation Department needs to act quickly to require more resilient rail cars, improve the safety of rail infrastructure and operations, and reduce the volatility of oil at the wellhead, before it is loaded onto trains...
Miscellaneous
U.S. Retail Sales Fall Amid Rough Weather  Wall Street Journal   ...U.S. retail sales fell for the third consecutive month in February as a mix of bad weather and consumer caution outweighed an improving labor market and cheap gasoline prices...

Teamster state representative leads rally against fast track in Oregon

State Rep. (and 10-year Teamster) Rob Nosse.

Oregon state Rep. Rob Nosse, a 10-year Teamster, led 200 people in a rally against fast track Monday night in Portland.

Brother Nosse is a labor representative with the Oregon Nurses Association and a member of Teamster Local 223.

Oregon is a key battleground in the fight to stop fast track because of one man: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden. Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, hasn't said whether he supports a fast-track bill that Republican leaders say they'll file in April.

The rally was organized to pressure Wyden to oppose fast track. The Oregonian reported:

Top Republicans are negotiating with Wyden, ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, over the terms of the bill in the hopes he can bring enough Democratic support to win congressional passage. 

"We need to call Sen. Wyden and tell him, 'Vote no.'  Fast track is not a way to do trade deals," said Morgan Gratz-Weiser of the Oregon Sierra Club, at a rally held in Director Park in downtown Portland...

"We got NAFTA, we got CAFTA and the way I see it, workers got the 'shaft-a,'" said Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain, referring to the North American and Central American trade pacts that were among several that have been staunchly opposed by organized labor.

If we beat fast track, we beat the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other job-killing trade deals.

Monday night's rally against fast track in Portland.

For more photos of the rally, click here.

Unions, activists to protest TPP in DC Friday

It’s no secret (at least to Teamster Nation readers) that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a raw deal for America’s workers and consumers. But unions and TPP opponents on Friday will take that message to decision makers themselves.

A noontime rally is planned outside the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in downtown Washington, D.C., to coincide with a meeting of negotiators from the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations in the nation’s capital. While all 18 rounds of discussions have been held behind closed doors, this one is even more secretive and won’t include an opportunity for stakeholders to comment.

The Obama administration and multinational corporations have made it clear they want to push forward with finalizing the TPP as soon as possible. They tout economic gains for employers and employees alike. But the numbers just don’t support those claims. A report released last week by the Center for Economic and Policy Research shows that even when using the most pro-TPP statistics to determine U.S. economic growth, the deal would result in a pay cut for 90 percent of U.S. workers.

The TPP seems like even less of a good deal when you add lax seafood rules, the use of child labor to make garments for sale in the U.S. and potential changes that could wreck the U.S. dairy industry. At least, that is, for those who aren’t multinational corporations.

Americans aren’t against trade, they just want fair trade. They oppose putting U.S. workers at a disadvantage and U.S. consumers at risk. They’ve seen enough lost jobs, shuttered plants and hollowed-out communities.

It's time to rebuild the middle class, not tear it down, and that means only approving trade deals that benefit working Americans. Let trade negotiators know that Sept. 20.

California Teamsters ride for immigration reform

Teamsters today, part of the Caravan for Citizenship in Bakersfield, Calif.

Hundreds of California Teamsters rode to Bakersfield on their bikes and in their big rigs today to rally for immigration reform. 

KABC News reports:

Hundreds of immigration reform activists from Los Angeles and thousands from across the state traveled by car, bus and motorcycle to Bakersfield Wednesday, hoping to get their message out to a key lawmaker. 

Organizers are calling it the largest caravan in California history. 

Activists held a rally at the office of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield. They say he along with the top Republican leaders have been dragging their feet when it comes to immigration reform, and they need him to act now. 

"The message to Congressman McCarthy, the third-ranking GOP member in the House, our representative, is we want a vote on immigration reform with a path to citizenship now," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA). 

Thousands of labor workers from across the state also made the journey. Since the Senate passed an immigration bill in June, activists have been out in force trying to convince House Republicans to do the same.

Stacy Hendler Ross of the South Bay Labor Council reported on the kick-off event at the Labor's Edge blog:

In the working class East San Jose neighborhood where Cesar Chavez’s family first landed upon moving to San Jose when he was a child, a small but passionate group gathered. In front of the home of Cesar’s younger brother, Librado Chavez, a carpenter and member of Local 405 for 60 years, they chanted the motto that Cesar transformed from “Sal, si puede” (Get out if you can) to “Si se puede” (Yes you can). 

After songs like “Picket Line”, harkening back to the days of demonstrations led by Cesar Chavez, Librado urged Americans to join the critical effort to push the U.S. Congress toward commonsense immigration reform... 

The event launched the San Jose part of a statewide caravan to Bakersfield to pressure Republican Congressman and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy to use his influence to pass commonsense immigration reform. Groups from throughout California will also gather at McCarthy’s home office on September 2nd, Labor Day, for a united demonstration.

We're proud of our brothers and sisters who went to Bakersfield today!

Stand up to ALEC in Oklahoma

Working families in Oklahoma are standing up to ALEC and their state lawmakers today to march for the middle class.

ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council) will hold its annual meeting today and tomorrow in the Oklahoma capitol. Teamsters, other unions, working families, politicians and labor leaders will be there to tell Oklahomans what ALEC is really about.

The event will continue on Friday with a screening of the Bill Moyers documentary, “United States of ALEC” followed by a panel discussion and community forum on the effects of ALEC in Oklahoma.

March info:

What: March for the Middle Class and Working Family Rally

When: 4-8 p.m., Thursday, May 2, 2013

Where: Coca-Cola Event Center, 425 E. California Ave., Oklahoma City

The event will feature speeches, live music and hot dogs provided by the Oklahoma Building Trades.
Forum and documentary screening info:

When: 2-5 p.m., Friday, May 3, 2013

Where: Cox Convention Center, Great Hall A (Second Floor)

If you can’t make it to either event, please sign the petition saying you’re committed to raising your voice against ALEC.

Today's Teamster News 03.12.13

This New Puerto Rican Law Makes Wealthy People Want To Move There To Avoid Taxes  Business Insider   ...Billionaire hedge funder John Paulson, who famously bet against the subprime housing market, is reportedly weighing a move to Puerto Rico to take advantage of a new tax law there...
Illinois settles SEC fraud charges over pension fund disclosures  Reuters   ...Illinois failed to inform investors about the impact of problems with its pension funding schedule as the state offered and sold more than $2.2 billion worth of municipal bonds from 2005 to early 2009...
Ex-Detroit mayor Kilpatrick convicted of range of corruption charges  NBC News   ...Prosecutors said that Kilpatrick, 42, steered $83 million in city work to a friend and contractor, Bobby Ferguson, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks...
After Watering Down Financial Reform, Ex-Senator Scott Brown Joins Goldman Sachs’ Lobbying Firm  ThinkProgress   ...During his nearly three years in the U.S. Senate, Scott Brown (R-MA) frequently came to the aid of the financial sector — watering down the Dodd-Frank bill and working to weaken it after its passage — and accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign cash from the industry...
Congress wants role as Obama pushes trade agenda  Associated Press   ...A strong trade agenda, said Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah requires close cooperation and consultation with Congress. Members of Obama's Democratic Party tend to oppose "fast track," arguing that trade pacts negotiated by past administrations have resulted in job losses in America and given short shrift to environmental and labor and human rights issues...
Sequester scuttling Sandy shape-up?  Manufacture This  ...New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, are still repairing after Hurricane Sandy, five months later. But now there's a new complication: the sequester has taken a bite out of federal aid money...
Missouri Senate Backs Union Paycheck Bill  Associated Press   ...The Missouri Senate has given first-round approval to a measure that would require public employee unions to seek annual consent to automatically deduct dues from members' paychecks...
Judge Cans Soda Ban  Wall Street Journal   ...Mayor Michael Bloomberg was dealt a stinging blow on Monday when a state Supreme Court Judge quashed his plan to ban the sale of large sugary drinks in the city's restaurants and other venues...
Why liquor privatization still faces a long road  PennLive   ...While some legislators say a bill introduced this week to end the state's longtime monopoly is on the fast track, others say they aren't so sure such a swift timetable is in the cards...
Behind Closed Doors: Americans for Prosperity chapter leader is no stranger to Pence  Indianapolis Star   ...Americans for Prosperity is a national group launched by Charles and David Koch, billionaire brothers and influential conservative leaders who financially supported Pence’s campaign for governor...
Minnesota Poll: Majority supports raising state minumum wage  Minneapolis Star-Tribune   ...But Minnesotans are divided on how high to go, $7.50 an hour vs. $9.50...
Realtors asked for budget provision expanding foreign ownership of state land  The Cap Times   ...Wisconsin Realtors look to be next in line to benefit from Gov. Scott Walker’s “Wisconsin is open for business” vow...
Teamsters begin picket at Thorn Creek Basin facility  NWITimes.com  ... About a dozen Teamsters Local 705 members began pickets Monday at the Thorn Creek Basin Sanitary District facility in frustration with the current negotiations for a new contract...
Teamsters rally in Memphis behind Republic Services workers  Commercial Appeal   ...The nation’s second-most powerful Teamster came to Memphis Sunday with Teamsters from across the nation to express their support to sanitation workers employed by Republic Services. About 180 employees are working under an expired contract to serve about 200,000 Memphis-area residents...
Teamsters Educate City Leaders About Republic Services' Poor Record  IBT  ...More than 2,000 mayors, city councilmembers, and local administrators at the conference were greeted by Teamsters holding a banner that stated "Republic Services Trashes American Cities." The League of Cities attendees also received leaflets that read, "Tell Republic: Do It Right or Pay the Penalty."...

Teamsters rally for fired ice cream workers in Modesto

Earlier today: Just practicing.

Hundreds of Teamsters from three Teamster locals are putting on a tremendous show of solidarity in Modesto, Calif., even as we blog. Teamsters from Local 386, 572 and 853 are wearing t-shirts and carrying signs that say, “WANTED: Ignacio Guiterrez for Unlawful Acts Against Latino Workers."

They are rallying to support workers fired by ice cream maker La Michoacana. Neighbors and politicians have joined them. Dolores Huerta, founder of the United Farm Workers, is there to show Latino people throughout California are standing with them.

The workers decided to form a union after the company announced it was making record profit, but would cut their wages. Days before the union election, La Michoacana fired long-time drivers, merchandisers, warehousemen and office staff. That's illegal.

Rick Middleton, Teamsters vice president and secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 572 in Carson, Calif., made that point:

This action by Ignacio Guttierez, the owner of Palateria La Michoacana, was unlawful and we won’t tolerate it. No man is above the law and these workers deserve justice.

The workers at Palateria La Michoacana reached out to the Teamsters union in February after the company announced to their workers that it was making record profits, but would be cutting the workers’ wages.

Ileana Herrera, an office worker in Gardena, Calif., came to today's rally:

I had experience from a prior job but I wasn’t getting a raise, that’s one of the main reasons I want a union. I want something better, I want respect.

So did Antonio Casillas, a five-year employee who delivered ice cream to Modesto before he was fired. 

When they came to us in February with the company report they said that they had to lower our wages due to a Department of Transportation requirement. This didn’t seem right and we immediately reached out to the union.

Solidarity!

Today's Teamster News 06.26.12

Exclusive Interview: Joseph Stiglitz Sees Terrifying Future for America If We Don't Reverse Inequality  Alternet   ...Americans will be facing insecurity, of economic insecurity, healthcare insecurity, a sense of physical insecurity. We will be worrying politically about the role of extremism...
Extreme Poverty Sets a New Record (Again)  Angry Bear   ...The rate of extreme poverty (income less than half the poverty line also called "deep poverty" and "severe poverty") set a new record in 2010 for the second year in a row (the record only goes back to 1975...
Labor Shares and Corporate Savings  Econbrowser   ... Globally, corporations paid about 65 percent of their income to labor (as opposed to capital) in 1975, compared with about 60 percent in 2007...
State Corporate Campaign Spending Limits Rejected  Associated Press   ...The Supreme Court on Monday turned away a plea to revisit its 2-year-old campaign finance decision in the Citizens United case and instead struck down a Montana law limiting corporate campaign spending...
Cities Sell Out To Corporations  Dungeon Diary   ...Brazil, Indiana was out of money and couldn't afford to keep up parts of its infrastructure, so they turned to the private sector and the result was sponsored fire plugs with KFC buckets on top of them...
Turzai: Voter ID Law Means Romney Can Win PA Politics PA   ...House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) suggested that the House’s end game in passing the Voter ID law was to benefit the GOP politically...
Modesto ice cream firm denies firings targeted union vote; Teamsters to rally  The Modesto Bee   ...Representatives of the Teamsters have filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that the company violated federal law by laying off 33 drivers in May, a week before a union vote was planned...

5K at Wisco rally; "one of biggest ever"

We're following the Wisconsin rally to defeat Gov. Scott Walker's attempt to take an ax to the state's middle class. Here's what we're learning:

There are an estimated 5,000 10,000 people at the Statehouse rally. A thousand of them signed up to speak at a hearing on the heinous plan. Cheers went up when the red-white-and-blue Teamsters trucks showed up.

Update: The Wisconsin State Journal reports:

More than 10,000 protesters crowded the southwest side of the Capitol building, many of them carrying signs and chanting “recall Walker.” Meanwhile, inside, thousands crowded the rotunda and watched TVs set up to broadcast the public hearing scheduled to discuss the governor’s proposal.

Here are some twitter feeds:

@MelissaRyan: Most focused lefty rally I've ever been to, everyone on msg. Big crowd still occupying capitol.

@kochea7: And the eastern exit towards state street is absolutely packed. One can hardly move in the hallway.

@JacquelynGill: Firefighters, tho exempt from the bill have shown up from to support us!

@lafalkenstein: big cheers when Teamsters pulled up on Cap Square

@efremj: It's absolutely electric out here at the Capitol.

@JacquelynGillI see union signs from educators, iron workers, Oscar Mayer, firefighters, Tyson Foods, dairy, state & municipal employees

@epicurlean: Crowd is big...I meah, REALLY big...

@christipiglet: I love the people in the Capitol building windows cheering! Brings tears to my eyes

@markpitsch: East High principal: 700-800 students, half the school, left at 11 a.m. to walk to the Capitol rally.


Writes the Daily Page:

In the Capitol Rotunda, the huge crowd waved placards to protest Walker's plan for gutting public employees' collective bargaining rights and making them pay more for their benefits.


Even with tensions running high since Walker announced his proposal last week, the protesters were remarkably well behaved. Their signs were reasonable, too. "Respectfully disagree, Scott," said one. "Stop, collaborate, listen," said another. Walker had mentioned putting the National Guard on alert in case of labor unrest, but it's hard to imagine cracking heads over such a sensible response from public employees.

The throng in the Rotunda watched the hearing on video screens and signed blue slips to get their names in the queue to speak. Mike Huebsch, secretary of the Department of Administration, opened the proceedings with a bloodless recitation of the budget bill's virtues from Walker's point of view. That didn't go over well with the crowd, who booed Huebsch's repeated calls for "a return to the fundamental principles of frugality."

A dreadlocked women standing next to me snorted at Huebsch's slogans. She was Michelle Dickinson of the UW Extension. "As a single mom, I can't afford the 10% pay cut," she told me. "I'm going to have to go into foreclosure."

Stimulus-funded sheriffs guard Kochs from protesters

The mainstream media actually sent reporters to cover the rally against the Koch brothers' annual secret meeting in Southern California yesterday. The New York Times  typically explained the union-busting billionaires's event as "liberals" protesting "conservatives." (Note to the mainstream media: you don't have to be liberal to be alarmed by the concentrated economic power of billionaires and corporations). 

If you haven't been following, the Kochs, two of the world's richest men, hold a secret meeting every six months with their billionaire friends to plot their political strategy. The Kochs are especially dangerous because of their radical opposition to any governmental safeguards to protect workers or the environment. They've spent at least $100 million trying to have an impact on the courts, the Congress and public opinion -- with remarkable success. Until recently they've kept their influence hidden. Lately, news and blog reports have exposed them and their secret meetings. On Sunday, 1,500 protesters rallied outside the lavish resort where they held the latest get-together.

Here's what the Los Angeles Times reported:

The protestors waved signs condemning "corporate greed," chanted slogans and surged toward a line of helmeted police officers at the entrance to a resort where billionaires Charles and David Koch were holding a retreat for prominent conservative elected officials, major political donors and strategists.

The New York Times offered these details:

Sport utility vehicles with tinted windows shepherded attendees in and out of the complex, and two dozen Riverside County sheriff’s deputies in riot gear, their batons out, guarded the entrance to keep out anyone not registered as a guest.

What the Times neglected, and ThinkProgress noticed, was that the Kochs' meeting attendees were guarded by law enforcement officers who owe their jobs to President Obama's stimulus -- which the Kochs opposed! Lee Fang reported

The Koch gathering was highly guarded by a phalanx of police officers, a helicopter, and even a no-fly zone around the resort. David Dayen, who chronicled much of the demonstration, reported that the city of Rancho Mirage contracts its police force from Riverside County sheriffs. Ironically, Koch’s front groups lobbied aggressively to kill some of the funding for the very sheriffs who worked tirelessly to ensure safety at the event.

The Kochs like to call themselves "libertarian" and advocate for small government. What they really like is small government for everybody else. According to the Observer, the Kochs use free federal land to graze cows; entered into a joint venture with Venezuelan and Italian state-owned companies to build a fertilizer plant; cut down timber on federal lands for a pittance to make paper (you might want to think about switching from their Bounty paper towels); bought a plant that makes ethanol, which is heavily subsidized by U.S. taxpayers; and built pipelines after the government forcibly seized private property for them.

And that's just for starters.

25 arrested at Koch brothers protest

firedoglake reports "well more than a thousand" protesters showed up at the rally to protest the billionaire union-busters confab in Rancho Mirage. Twenty-five people were arrested for trespassing by police who showed up in riot gear.

firedoglake reports:

The Koch Brothers, billionaires who have generously funded conservative and libertarian causes for over a generation – including the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and tea party groups like Americans for Prosperity – put together an annual meeting, typically held in the California desert, with fellow corporate CEOs and conservative operatives, to plan the year ahead. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain were reputed to attend the gathering at the sprawling Rancho Las Palmas resort. The Kochs bought out the entire resort for Saturday and Sunday. Some activists who stayed at the resort Friday night and booked dinners at their restaurants on Saturday had their reservations canceled by the resort, and were given $150 each for their trouble.

The Guardian offers this delightful detail:

As the attendees arrived in their private jets, they were greeted by an airship that circled over the hotel's golf courses and tennis courts bearing the logo: "Koch brothers dirty money."

More to come.

Headed to the Koch rally

Today's the day for the rally against the billionaire Koch brothers, who are holding their semiannual billionares' confab to talk about getting richer at the expense of working people.

The meeting will be at a posh Rancho Mirage resort; the rally will be close by, in the parking lots closest to the Rancho Las Palmas Resort, starting at about 1 pm.  If you can't make the rally, you can watch a panel discussion livestreamed beforehand (sign up here). You can also join the Sierra Club's Facebook campaign against the Kochs here.

Finally, firedoglake is sending some bloggers to the event, and ThinkProgress's Lee Fang will also be there, exposing the billionaires attending the Koch's caucus.

Remember: Sun. rally at Koch secret mtg

Just a reminder that if you live in Southern California, you can show your disgust for the union-busting billionaire Koch brothers on Sunday. They're holding their semi-annual secret meeting at a lavish resort in Rancho Mirage.  Purpose of the meeting: figuring out how to get richer by helping the government destroy the middle class.

According to The Guardian, 

...they will share ideas about how to tighten their grip on politics and the judiciary by shaping election campaigns...

What's scary about these billionaires is that last year's Supreme Court Citizens United decision made them more powerful than ever. They can now give unlimited amounts of money -- secretly -- to their favorite politicians (that includes Supreme Court justices, btw). 

Here's what else is scary about them, according to the Sierra Club's Michael Brune in the San Francisco Chronicle:

What's different about the Kochs is that they subscribe to a radical libertarian philosophy that opposes any governmental safeguards to protect people or the environment. It's a grim vision of our country that few Americans would ever subscribe to if they could see it plainly, and yet -- thanks to the brothers' enormous wealth -- it's had an out-sized effect on both our government and our public discourse. It's like a hidden riptide that keeps pulling you out to sea no matter how hard you strike toward the shore.

If you can't go to the rally, you can join the Sierra Club's anti-Koch Facebook campaign here.  And you can watch a livestreamed panel discussion beforehand here. 

Here are the details of the rally, brought to you by The Desert Sun:

Protesters of the Koch Industries gathering will rally at 1 p.m. Sunday at The River in Rancho Mirage.

The “Uncloaking the Kochs” event will be held in the parking lots closest to the Rancho Las Palmas Resort, where the invite-only Koch event is taking place.

Koch officials have not released any details about the conference.

Officials are planning for as many as 1,000 protesters. Parts of Rancho Las Palmas Drive may be blocked off to accommodate the crowd.

Rally Sunday at Koch secret meeting

This weekend, David and Charles Koch and their billionaire pals are holding their annual secret meeting to figure out how to impoverish more working people. If you live in Southern California, try to get to the rally in Rancho Mirage to protest their loathsome confab. The billionaires' confab itself is at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort, but the rally will be from 1:30-3:30 pm at The River parking lot (at the intersection of Rancho Las Palmas Dr. and Bob Hope Dr., opposite 41000 Bob Hope Drive).

If you can't make it to the rally, you can watch a panel discussion beforehand. Sign up to watch it livestreamed here.

ThinkProgress has an update on the agenda of the secret meeting, which is getting less secret by the minute. The billionaires plan to focus on undoing new laws to prevent another global financal meltdown like the one that caused the recession in 2008. They also hope to raise more money this year for their candidates, their anti-union think tanks and their phony grass-roots groups. Reports ThinkProgress:

At last year’s Koch fundraiser, Charles Koch promised to match every dollar committed by attendees. He raised $30 million dollars at the Aspen meeting in 2010, and hopes to do better this year, again matching every dollar raised with one of his own.

Make them stop. Go to the rally if you can. For information, click here.

Wow, they actually covered one of our rallies

I admit I was a little surprised when I saw the cable news channels covering the big anti-Wall Street demonstration in New York yesterday.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Of course, it took 31,000 people, when a mere 600 tea baggers can attract the cameras. Still, it’s an improvement.