Sunday, February 20, 2011

Don't let this light fade. How you can help.


These Teamsters creatively protest in Hudson, Wisc.

All across the country people are asking what they can do to help their brothers and sisters in Wisconsin.
 
The first thing they can do is go to (or stage their own) Wisconsin Solidarity rallies. There's one in nearly every state capital on Monday and Tuesday. Go to the Teamster.org "Stop the War on Workers" web page to find out where and when they are. The page is being updated constantly, so you may know of a rally that hasn't appeared on the list yet. If you live in or near a state capital, you might want to call your local for information.
 
Just to give you an idea of the state of play, there are rallies scheduled for Juneau, Alaska, at noon on Tuesday, but we're not sure where yet; a rally at the State Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., on Wednesday, but we're not sure of the time yet; a rally in Phoenix, Ariz., on Tuesday, but we're not sure where or when.
 
And that's just the "A" states.
 
We do know, too, that the rallies in Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio, will be big this week. Both legislatures are very quickly moving drastic anti-worker bills similar to the one Koch whore Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is trying to ram through the legislature.
 
In Ohio, there are a whole bunch of rallies throughout the state. There's a Town Hall forum in Toledo on Monday, a forum in Youngstown on Monday, a mobilization in Dayton on Monday, a mobilization in Columbus at the Statehouse on Tuesday, a mobilization in Canton on Tuesday and a rally in Columbus with Jesse Jackson on Wednesday. Here's a recent list of the Ohio events from the AFL-CIO.
 
You can also urge people you know to visit the Teamsters' "Stop the War on Workers" Facebook page, the teamster.org "Stop the War on Workers" page, and the AFL-CIO's "States of Denial" web page, which will update you on anti-worker legislation around the country and allow you to sign petitions.
 
Some other things you can do:
  • You can sign an open letter to the Wisconsin Legislature opposing Walker's bill.
  • You can order a pizza for the Wisconsin protesters. Or breakfast. Seriously.  Find out how here
  • You can contribute $14 to the Wisconsin state senate committee to support the Democratic senators (including Dave Hansen, a former truck driver and member of Teamster Local 662). Here's the link.
  • You can put a sign in the window of your house, your business or your car. Doesn't matter that it's handwritten. It could say "Stop the War on Workers," or "Solidarity with Wisconsin" or "I Support the Cheddar Revolution."
  • You can tweet a positive comment about your union and add the hash tag #NotMyWI. Some examples: "Union protected my from sexual harassing boss," "without insurance bargained by my union, i'd be wearing dentures."