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MADISON, FEB. 28, 2015 — At today’s protest of thousands at the state capitol in Madison, Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary Treasurer of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, called on all workers and community members to come to the state capitol in Madison this week to stop the Wisconsin State Assembly from voting for right-to-work-for-less.

“We are not going anywhere. We need to stay all day and all week,” said Bloomingdale.

On Feb. 25, the Wisconsin State Senate passed an RTW bill. The bill needs to be voted for in the majority by the Assembly before going to Gov. Scott Walker who has said he’ll sign RTW legislation if it comes before him. The Labor Committee of the Assembly will convene at 10 a.m. Monday, March 2. Labor-community forces will be there to say NO to RTW.

After Bloomingdale spoke, Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the WI AFL-CIO, said: “Let’s pack the gallery. Let’s pack the capitol.”

Numerous labor and community supporters participated Feb. 28 including Fight For $15 activists, youth, seniors, women, the LGBTQ community, environmentalists, faculty, students and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“We are in solidarity. There are so many forms of state violence and right-to-work is one of them. Mass incarceration and poverty are state violence. We have to see the commonality of our struggles. We can and will stand together and fight,” said Eric Upchurch II of the Young Gifted and Black coalition while inside the state capitol Feb. 28.

Be There! Tell your co-workers, neighbors, kids, parents and other loved ones! Monday, March 2! 10 a.m. Labor Committee of the Wisconsin State Assembly. State Capitol, Madison. PACK THE CAPITOL TO SHUT DOWN RTW & RELATED AUSTERITY!

Protesters demanding an end to right-to-work-for-less legislation and other austerity in Madison Feb. 28, 2015 [Photo: Joe Brusky]

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#‎IBelieveThatWeWillWin‬ ‪#‎DefeatRTW‬

Thousands protest in Madison Feb. 28, 2015 [Photo: Joe Brusky]

Ferguson Response Network: http://fergusonresponse.tumblr.com/

Peoples Power Assemblies: https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesPowerAssemblies

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Please join us on Thursday, March 12th, in Detroit for Rasmea’s sentencing hearing.  Rasmea was unjustly convicted in November of last year, and the prosecution is now asking for an enhanced sentence of 5-7 years in prison.  (The vast majority of those convicted of Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization are sentenced to no more than 21 months.)

Rasmea’s defense attorneys are arguing that she shouldn’t be imprisoned for even one more day, and over 70 important leaders of unions and community-based, faith-based, civil rights, and student organizations, as well as prominent academics and activists, who all wrote letters of leniency to Judge Gershwin Drain, agree.

In addition, it must be made clear that Rasmea will be appealing the conviction regardless of the outcome of the sentencing, so visit the national Rasmea Defense Committee’s new website at www.justice4rasmea.org to help us fundraise for the appeal and learn of other action steps you can take.

More information also at: http://www.stopfbi.net/

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International Women’s Day with Rasmea Odeh in Chicago March 8: http://tinyurl.com/o6xljgw

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Feb. 24, 2015 Madison [Photo: Joe Brusky]

EVENT: http://tinyurl.com/k95d5q8

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WHAT: March to SHUT DOWN “Right to Work”
WHERE: March begins at Library Mall
728 State St, Madison, WI
WHEN: 11 am Saturday February 28

A coalition led by union rank and file workers will march on the Wisconsin Capitol this Saturday in opposition to so-called “right to work” before the legislation advanced to the assembly next week. (NOTE: The march will go down state street and join in solidarity with the state capitol rally at noon-see information below.)

Shut down right to work for less!
Build a fighting worker and community movement!

Workers and community members pack the rotunda at the state capitol in Madison, Feb. 25, 2015. The are demanding “Shut Down RTW!”

EVENT: http://tinyurl.com/mrwdasz

Working families will rally in Madison on Saturday at noon at the state capitol to oppose right to work. Late on Wednesday, the Senate passed a right to work bill and the Assembly is expected to take it up next week. This bill will cut wages and benefits for all Wisconsin workers, increase workplace deaths and erode the working class. Stand in solidarity as we continue to raise our voices against this attack on working families and our communities.

FIST in Madison, Wisconsin February 25, 2015

Occupy! Shut RTW Down!

By Heath Ginnar Tschetter

Earlier this week, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Senate republicans attempted to shove through right-to-work-for-less legislation. This legislation would greatly reduce the living standards as well as worker’s representation in the workplace all across Wisconsin, as it has done in every state RTW has been implemented.

RTW states are well known to be low-wage states with deep histories of racism and discrimination. Union leaders and supporters as well as various activists participated Feb. 25, occupying the many floors of the Capitol building while the Senate took their vote chanting slogans such as “What’s disgusting? Union busting” and “Don’t sell us out.” I spoke with members of the Steamfitters Local 601 from Milwaukee. One member said: “I want my voice to be heard and I won’t let what was fought for and sacrificed for in the past be in vain.” Another said “I lost money being here. I have no paid days off. If I don’t work I don’t get paid. I missed a day of work to support this.”

This is a direct testimony to the attitude of the working class and oppressed peoples in Wisconsin towards the politicians the capitalist class has bought and paid for and our attitude towards this RTW legislation. I joined the protests with members of Illinois and Wisconsin Fight Imperialism Stand Together (FIST). We were on the scene for a variety of reasons. The primary ones were to oppose Scott Walker’s incessant attack on unions and worker’s rights which will disproportionately affect people of color, the LGBTQ community and women.

This is not the first time Wisconsin has come under heavy assault from the bosses and their lackeys. In 2008 General Motors had decided it was going to abandon the working class of my home town Janesville, leaving many workers to be left without a job or a means of providing for themselves and families. For sale signs now dot the landscape. With this loss of manufacturing jobs all that remains is dead end service sector jobs or low-wage factory work that is non-union. If RTW passes, this trend will continue. We will not accept this!

Every sector of the working class & oppressed is being attacked in Wisconsin and this has increased with bill after bill in the right-wing legislature since January. We call on everyone being attacked to come to the state capitol to protest and occupy the capitol again and if need be Madison to shut RTW down!
Heath Ginnar Tschetter is a FIST member from Janesville, WI.

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Feb. 24, 2015 Madison [Photo: Joe Brusky]