MTEA statement on the murder of George Floyd and the movement for Black lives:
The underpinnings of our nation, its states, cities and institutions have a racist history and continue to be inherently racist. MTEA angrily mourns the murder of George Floyd along with countless other Black men and women who have been killed by police and white supremacists: Breonna Taylor, Dontre Hamilton, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Philando Castile. We support the protests demanding justice and reform.
MTEA believes that Black lives matter and that our students deserve a reality where that is true. Doing the daily work of becoming an anti-racist educator must be central to the work of all MTEA members.
MTEA demands justice for our students and we are committed to working to ensure this. Our students are entitled to a public education that is anti-racist, restorative and honors their past, present and future.
Last night, we saw uprisings in cities across the country and in Milwaukee. MTEA members can take immediate solidarity action to support the movement for Black lives through these Legal Help organizations.
Hennepin County District Attorney Mike Freeman has finally charged Darek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd. He now needs to charge, arrest and prosecute the other three MPD officers as accomplices.
Join other labor activists at a rally and protest at Mike Freeman’s house to demand Justice for George Floyd. Wear your union colors and bring union banners – Mike Freeman relies on union activists to get elected. He needs to know that labor stands with our communities in demanding #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd and that #AnInjuryToOneIsAnInjuryToAll.
Please wear a mask and practice social distancing.
A Madison-based social justice organization hosted a virtual forum Wednesday on the first phase of reopening Dane County, featuring a panel of local officials and experts.
The organization that hosted the panel, Freedom Inc., wanted to give people the chance to learn more about what the first phase of reopening Dane County meant for businesses, courts and communities. The virtual panel, which was streamed live on Facebook, featured talks from UW epidemiologist Dr. Nasia Safdar, Madison school board member Ananda Mirilli, Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.
When the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned Governor Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order on May 13, the county extended the order that same day. Last Friday, the county announced plans to begin Forward Dane, Dane County’s phased reopening program. Phase one was set to begin Tuesday.
During phase one, all businesses — such as restaurants, gyms, salons and retail stores — can reopen at 25 percent capacity. Childcare services may also reopen, with no more than 15 to a group. Outdoor gatherings of 50 or fewer are allowed, with physical distaning, as well as gathering at private residences of 10 people or fewer, with physical distancing.
As for schools, virtual instruction will continue through the rest of the school year, but basic operations and activities that are approved by Public Health will be permitted, according to the document.
“Public health has developed the Forward Dane plan based on metrics on how to stay on top of the virus, monitoring the percent of positive tests, looking at our ability to do contact tracing,” Rhodes-Conway said during the panel.
Phase one will be active for at least 14 days, which is the incubation period for the virus. If the county meets the necessary criteria to continue on, the county may then move to phase two.
Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell also gave insight on court sessions. Since the start of social distancing policies, the courts have been able to livestream court sessions. Friday evening, The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an order that allows circuit courts and municipal courts to resume in-person proceedings, if it can be done safely.
Ultimately, restrictions are slowly being lifted so if the number of cases begins to increase again, they can be tightened.
“While we hope that by following this plan our path to reopening will be linear, we cannot predict the path of this virus,” the Forward Dane document said. “It’s possible that we may have to tighten or loosen policies so we can all stay safe and healthy and keep our healthcare and public health systems from becoming overwhelmed. We have created Forward Dane using data and the best evidence available so we can ensure our peaks stay low and we avoid the need for additional Safer at Home orders.”
The full document is available on the Public Health site.
Whether or not you can attend in person or in a vehicle today, please consider adding your name and email to the Madison Anti-racist Emergency Response List. If you’re looking to do more and learn more after today, you can specify what you’re looking for and organizers will follow up to help you keep growing and stay connected to antiracist struggle in Madison.
Amalgamated Transit Union International President John Costa issued the following statement in reaction to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN:
“We are deeply disturbed and angered by the tragic death of George Floyd, an African-American who was held, handcuffed, on the ground by a white Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck as he pleaded, “I can’t breathe.”
“Those all-too-familiar words, first uttered by Eric Garner, an African-American who was suffocated during a 2014 arrest by a white New York police officer, come as a tragic reminder of the injustice inflicted on persons of color every day in the United States.
“We as a nation must not tolerate the brutality on display in this ugly event, nor can we continue to abide the hate and racial profiling that make awful incidents like this all too common.
“We are calling for a full and independent investigation into Floyd’s death, and for appropriate action to be taken to ensure that justice is served.
“Furthermore, as our members – bus drivers – have the right to refuse work they consider dangerous or unsafe during the pandemic, so too Minneapolis bus drivers – our members – have the right to refuse the dangerous duty of transporting police to protests and arrested demonstrators away from these communities where many of these drivers live. This is a misuse of public transit.
“The Amalgamated Transit Union has a long history of fighting for social justice as well as the rights and equal treatment of all people regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.
“If any good is to come of this, we in the labor movement and the nation must unite to stop the systemic cycle of injustice, racism and hatred that plagues our country.”
