In an unprecedented display of the power of the working class, thousands of labor, community and student supporters joined a solidarity rally and march in Manitowoc, WI Dec. 10 to support striking members of Machinists Local 516. Local 516 members are on strike against the Manitowoc Co. because the company wants to bust their union by making the company an “open shop.” The Machinists and their supporters as one issued their answer to the company and the rest of Wall Street: “our union will not be busted!”
Supporters of the striking machinists rallied at Municipal Baseball Field in Manitowoc where an impressive list of public and private sector union leaders and community supporters spoke before a sea of thousands of labor, community and student supporters hoisting union banners and signs while wearing their union and labor-related gear. Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the WI AFL-CIO, chaired the rally and began by bringing to the main stage the fighting strikers of Machinists Local 516. Many union representatives at the rally gave monetary contributions to Local 516 from their unions or from collections taken up that day in cars or buses. Major caravans came from Milwaukee, Madison, the Fox Valley (Fondulac-Oshkosh-Appleton, Neenah-Menasha), the Lakeshore area (Manitowoc-Sheboygan), Green Bay and many other locations.
“We feel it’s important to be here for solidarity.They stood with us, now it’s our turn to stand with them and we’re going to continue to be here until the job is done,” Mahlon Mitchell, President of the Wisconsin Firefighters Association told WI BOPM Dec. 10.
After the rally, a dynamic blocks-long march to the headquarters of Manitowoc Co. which shut down lanes of Dewey Street, featured union delegations from Manitowoc County and across the state and representatives from labor councils and federations from across the state and beyond; of Voces de la Frontera, a Milwaukee-based immigrant rights worker organization; Occupy Milwaukee; the South Central Federation Of Labor; the Wisconsin Bail Out The People Movement and many others.
Chanting slogans such as “What’s Disgusting?: Union Busting,” “They say cut back, we say fight back,” and “Si Se Puede (Yes, We Can),” and singing union songs led by mostly women youth and students, the marchers joined in a moving picket line in front of the company headquarters before heading back to the park.
“It’s a great crowd today, a lot of energy. It just shows you that our spirits are not dead. Everything that’s happened from February in Madison until now, it’s carried over to the entire state. For that matter it’s carried across the entire nation. That’s why we’re seeing Occupy Wall Street, why we’re seeing Occupy D.C. And now we’re occupying Manitowoc,” said Mitchell.
Manitowoc, a city of 32,000, has rarely if ever, seen this type of mass-based progressive solidarity activity. It promises to continue as countless pledges of support were given to Local 516 to stand shoulder-to shoulder with them in their fight against the greedy, union-busting Manitowoc Co.
The next strike picket line begins at 6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12. Monday-Friday picket lines are from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday is from 6 a.m.-12 noon. If visiting the picket line, if you can, bring hot beverages such as coffee, cider, snacks etc. If you can’t make it to the picket line, there are many ways to support Local 516 from monetary contributions, solidarity statements and resolutions, stopping by the union hall, posting articles and/or photos to social media, and much more.
Contact Local 516 or the WI AFL-CIO directly:
WI BOPM Dec. 10 Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.211667622246095.53986.151521811594010&type=1
WI AFL-CIO Dec. 10 Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150412385850669.351847.139173095668&type=1
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Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement 
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