solidarity

I’ve been saying it, I’ll say it now, and I’ll say it again; the movement that is happening in Madison is creating a relative epicenter for the progressive movement in the U.S.

Walking into the Capitol one encounters elementary, middle, and high school aged children. There are students, staff, and faculty from higher education institutions across the state. I don’t think anyone could even begin to imagine the impact this is having on our young people as they truly experience the epitome of democracy in action.

But it’s not just students and teachers; labor unions are well represented. There are public AND private sector employees. There have been marches of police and fire personnel, sometimes with bagpipes, around the Capitol. Walking home from the Capitol today I saw a large tanker truck sounding its horn as it drove around the Capitol Square.

In this still-struggling economy, our country needs one thing:  more good jobs. But instead of focusing on finding ways to create good jobs, politicians have turned their attention to political payback to the corporate CEOs who spent more than $1 billion on the November elections.

In states across the country, workers are fighting back against corporate-backed lawmakers who are trying to use state budget problems as an excuse to gut workers’ rights and benefits, when in fact it was Wall Street’s gambles and broken promises that have hurt taxpayers and the middle class—not workers. CEOs are trying to shift the blame for high unemployment and rising poverty levels away from themselves and onto workers and our unions.

But we won't let that happen.  Workers across the country -- from Wisconsin to Indiana, from Ohio to Florida -- are fighting back.