Whip of reaction propels Wisconsin struggle

The bosses, bankers and their politicians, such as Gov. Scott Walker, thought their attempted union-busting and austerity measures would demoralize and defeat the poor and working people of Wisconsin. But in the face of serious odds and setbacks, the power of the people’s resistance kept rolling the week of Aug. 21.

Anti-Walker protest in Milwaukee, Aug. 26.

On Aug. 25, the state started making payroll deductions for pensions and health insurance for tens of thousands of public-sector workers. The state’s actions were due to a union-busting law, Act 10, enacted on June 29. On average, these wage cuts range from 10 percent to 20 percent. In January state employees will be robbed even more. They’ll have to pay for 10 percent of the cost of services for illness and injuries, up to $500 for a single person and $1,000 for a family.

Taking advantage of the fact that many public workers no longer have union protection, municipalities and school districts are now doing the same, and will continue to do so — unless there is mass resistance. State, county and municipal workers stand to be robbed of at least $1 billion over the next year or so. This massive transfer of wealth will go to the rich, including to the banks and bondholders, in fees, interest payments and bonds.

Anti-austerity action in Madison, Wis., Aug. 25. WW photos: Bryan G. Pfeifer

In response to this wholesale robbery — which will have disastrous consequences in cities, towns, and villages across the state, unless fought — hundreds of protesters converged on Madison on Aug. 25, marching from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to a rally on the Capitol steps.

“These are austerity measures,” J. Eric Cobb, executive director of the Building Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin, told the crowd, which filled the approach to the Capitol with chants, songs, signs, union banners and heart-shaped balloons. “You can’t call this shared sacrifice.”

After the rally on the steps, the protesters surged into the Capitol for another rally in the rotunda. Thirteen protesters were arrested for refusing to leave the people’s Capitol after so-called closing hours.

Message to Walker: ‘Get out’

Hundreds of protesters came out in the Milwaukee neighborhood of Riverwest on Aug. 26 to tell Gov. Scott Walker, “Get Out! You’re Not Welcome!” Virtually the entire neighborhood around the charter Messmer school — where Walker visited elementary school children and school staff — was out on porches, streets, sidewalks and the alleys behind the school to tell the racist union-buster to leave their neighborhood. Numerous residents invited anti-Walker protesters into their homes and yards.

Riverwest residents said Walker’s “visit” was an extreme provocation after he signed Act 10 and pushed through the 2011-13 state budget, which has the worst cuts to social safety nets in state history. Riverwest is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Wisconsin, with many people of color, lesbian, gay, bi, transgender and queer people, women, children, students and seniors. Many of them will suffer greatly and may even die due to Walker’s actions, which are being pushed by the banks, corporations and the Pentagon.

During the protest, Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement organizer Bryan G. Pfeifer was arrested and charged with resisting/obstructing an officer. Political activist Ljubomir Andrijasevic was also arrested and charged with impeding an investigation, a municipal citation. Supporters and eyewitnesses say the charges are bogus and are an attempt to intimidate the progressive political movement. A campaign is underway to have all the charges dropped.

Jobs NOW!

During the week of Aug. 21 the organization Jobs Now! and unemployed activists held a sit-in at Rep. Paul Ryan’s district offices in Wisconsin to demand the politician fight for living-wage jobs in Congress and hold town hall meetings on the issue. Attempting to get a face-to-face meeting with their congressperson, and despite facing locked doors, bans on cameras, increased restrictions on parking and a constant threat of arrest, unemployed protesters maintained their presence all week at Ryan’s offices. By the end of the week all of Ryan’s offices were occupied and, despite being locked out there, they reoccupied the Kenosha office more than once.

“The ‘Where is Paul Ryan?’ movement continues to grow every single day. On [Aug. 23] it expanded to Racine, but [it has] expanded to Janesville and Lake Geneva as well. Now, literally every single Paul Ryan constituent office in Wisconsin is under protest or occupation, or both!” says the Jobs Now website, where videos of the protest actions are available. (http://wisconsinjobsnow.org)

Say NO to Nazis

Nazi scum are planning to come to West Allis, a working-class suburb just west of Milwaukee, on Sept. 3. They will be confronted by a diverse array of counterprotesters. More than 30 labor, community and student organizations attended a counterprotest planning meeting on Aug. 21.

Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement has distributed thousands of counterprotest English and Spanish flyers and posters throughout Metro Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and other areas.

The anti-Nazi leaflet reads in part, “The only weapon we have to defend our unions, to fight foreclosures and evictions, is our unity. Like the Tea Party bigots who support Walker, the Nazis are doing the dirty work of big business.”

It concludes: “Don’t let the Nazis be unopposed when they come to West Allis. Defend the unity that brought 100,000 people to Madison to fight the union-buster, Gov. Walker. Say NO to racism. We need jobs, not hate.”

The week of Aug. 28 progressive West Allis residents and their allies are hitting the streets of the city with a banner: “West Allis against Racism & Union-Busting.” Leafleting will take place at shopping plazas, restaurants and door-to-door to counter the fear mongering of the police and the big business interests behind them and the Nazis. For leaflets and more information visit www.wibailoutpeople.org.

For more information and updates: www.defendwisconsin.org, www.vdlf.org, wisaflcio.typepad.com, www.wisaflcio.org.