Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, the state AFL-CIO and its affiliates have called for a massive turnout for a rally Tuesday at the Statehouse in Columbus to protest a Republican bill to repeal collective bargaining for public employees.
In robocalls and emails sent throughout the state, Strickland said "the fate of Ohio's middle class is on the line" and urged people "to join with the thousands who will gather to oppose Senate Bill 5 and the rest of our opponents' backward agenda."
The agenda of Gov. John Kasich, who narrowly defeated Strickland in November, includes drastic cuts in health and education programs, abolishing the state's tax on large inheritances, privatizing agencies, such as the turnpike and prisons, curtailing reproductive freedom and restricting rights of immigrants.
"The people of Wisconsin are standing up and speaking out," Strickland said. "We must do likewise. We must defend the people of our state."
Communist Party labor journalist John Wojcik reported from Indianapolis;A thousand union members and their allies are sitting in and blocking the entrances to the state Senate chamber here. The demonstrators, singing, playing music and chanting slogans, say they are fighting two anti-union measures that Republicans are seeking to pass in the state legislature.
Democrats, taking their lead from their counterparts in Wisconsin, are boycotting the senate proceedings, denying Republicans a quorum required to vote on the "right to work for less" proposals.
North Texas Communist Party leader Jim Lane reported from Austin;
 |
| Texas protest |
Texans rallied in front of their state Capitol, Feb. 21, to show solidarity with Wisconsin workers fighting to maintain their union rights.
They had marched from the Texas AFL-CIO office in the early evening, led by state AFL-CIO President Becky Moeller and her second in command John Patrick. At least three Democratic state representatives joined her in congratulating the crowd of 500 or so. About 150 of them were union leaders from across the state who were gathering for a legislative conference the next day. The rest were Austinites. All were bursting with enthusiasm for the opportunity to express solidarity with the working people of Wisconsin, who were continuing to grow their numbers and national support.
Several speakers lamented the sorry performance of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican who is head of the National Governors Association and is publicly encouraging right-wingers to support union-busting in Wisconsin. "What's disgusting?" asked the Texas crowd, answering: "Union-busting!" "What's disgusting? Union-busting!"
Montana's leading (and probably only) Communist Party member Jesse Jack reported from Helena;Montanans from Helena and across the state assembled at the State Capitol here on President's Day to reject the ultra-right state legislature's assault on working families.
Among what are considered the worst pieces of legislation to be introduced this session are bills to privatize veterans' homes, roll back public employee salaries to 2005 levels, criminalize abortion and prohibit its coverage by insurance plans, cap state employee salaries, slash budgets for the Montana university system, gut state environmental law, repeal incentives for renewable energy - and even declare global climate change to be beneficial for the state.
With Republicans in Montana's legislative bodies going to town on the State budget with what the protestor's categorize as reckless abandon, it would be easy to assume that the state was in the midst of a financial crisis. However, Montana has over $350 billion in the bank, a luxury previous governments secured by not deflating surpluses through handouts for the rich. Furthermore, Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, has proposed a budget that maintains funding levels for public programs and still allows the government to live within its means.
The Republican attack on Montanans brought people from all walks of life, and from all around the state, to Helena, beginning with an assembly on the Capitol lawn under a banner reading "For love of Montana", and featuring a spirited crowd of environmental activists. Conservationists, hunters, families and concerned citizens of all types gathered to join in song and discussion within view of the lawmakers who were debating these bills...
This is not a matter of spontaneous labor protest. This is an orchestrated, nationwide far left challenge to the "Tea Party"/Republican agenda.
This is a battle for the future of America.
No comments:
Post a Comment