The people’s request for a public hearing was denied by the WI Senate. Thus the people are holding their own community hearing. Testimonies at the meeting will be recorded and sent to Madison. Free and open to the public. Family members of those convicted of a felony (ies) are especially invited to attend to testify how this legislation would negatively impact entire neighborhoods and communities.

6 p.m., Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Hall

734 N. 26th. Street, (and Wisconsin Avenue) Milwaukee

Clybourn Street Exit off of Hwy 94

MCTS bus routes # 10, 30, 27

For more information: 414-342-4300.

Background:

Occupy The Hood and numerous labor-community-student supporters including Occupy Milwaukee, are continuing their campaign to kill bills in the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate that target convicted felons.

The bills, known as AB 286 and SB 207, would essentially make convicted felons indentured servants of big-business. Due to the institutional racism of U.S. society in particular the way police operate in communities of color and the prison-industrial complex, people of color would be the hardest hit by these bills. With this legislation employers could legally threaten and fire workers convicted of a felony for any reason (and especially if they voiced opposition to negative working conditions or tried to organize a union). Employers could fire outright and this legislation has no recourse for felons to sue for discrimination.

As with anti-immigrant legislation, these bills are a dire threat to all workers; employers would be given yet another club to drive down all workers’ wages. This Jim Crow, slave labor legislation must be opposed and stopped!! The right-wing politicians in the legislature want this bill passed soon so our work this coming week in defeating these bills is critical. Please do whatever you can to help including contacting your elected officials. Over the next week a series of actions aimed at killing both bills are taking place throughout Wisconsin. See below for the series of actions.

For more information:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=241283155920946

http://www.facebook.com/pages/OccupytheHoodMKE/268550996522816?sk=wall

Oct. 28 press conference in Milwaukee at Urban Underground.

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