(The International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued the following on March 14, 2011.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week’s major news in the War on Workers took place in Wisconsin, where protests grew to historic levels. Saturday’s rally in Madison was the largest in Wisconsin history, with crowd estimates ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 people. Wisconsinites protested all but one Republican senator who rushed through a bill ending collective bargaining rights for public employees. The Madison community, people across Wisconsin and supporters nationwide stood united, vowing to continue the fight against this (probably illegal) maneuver to rush a vote in violation of the state’s open meeting laws. In the aftermath, Gov. Walker and eight Wisconsin senators will be facing recall efforts. The events in Wisconsin made national news. Public opinion stands strongly in favor of all the hardworking people who continue to protest and speak up for their democratic rights.
As part of this movement, solidarity rallies continued throughout the country, from Oregon to Iowa and Florida to Indiana. Through it all, Teamsters have been at the forefront of the effort to support middle-class families, waving signs, driving trucks and organizing recall efforts.
Monday, March 7, saw rallies held in Salem, Ore., Erie, Pa. and Des Moines, Iowa. More than 500 union supporters attended the rally in Salem to denounce the nationwide war on workers, while hundreds more banged drums, sang and chanted at the rally in Erie. In Iowa, hundreds of union members protested House Bill 525, which proposes significant limitations on the rights of unions to bargain for health care benefits and negotiate layoffs. More than 60 people spoke at the Statehouse in Des Moines, including Matt Ballard, President of Teamsters Local 90, also in Des Moines.
Tuesday, March 8, brought out the entire state of Florida to protest against the war on workers, with more than 30 rallies in that state alone. Members from Teamsters Local 79 were featured on a local news channel, and members from Teamsters Local 769 attended rallies in Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and Miami. In Ohio, nearly 5,000 union supporters turned out to protest Gov. John Kasich’s State of the State address, also on March 8. It was the first time in recent history that an Ohio governor’s State of the State speech was accompanied by protests. According to Fred Crow, a member of Teamsters Local 436, chants were so loud they drowned out outdoor speakers broadcasting Kasich’s address. In Michigan, Mike Parker, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 580 in Lansing likened a rally at the Capitol to a rock concert. Nearly 1,000 protestors gathered in the rotunda of the Michigan Statehouse to let their voices be heard.
Thursday, March 10, involved major rallies both in Wisconsin and Indiana. Tens of thousands of union workers gathered outside Indiana’s Statehouse for a rally to rail against several anti-education and anti-worker bills. Recall efforts gathered steam in Wisconsin, where thousands descended in emergency rallies after Republican legislators passed anti-union measures the night before. Teamsters were in full force, with members from every local in the state participating.
Friday, March 11, 4,000 turned out for a rally in Missouri. The Rally Against Corporate Greed was sponsored by Teamsters Joint Council 13 in partnership with the St. Louis Labor Council. Marvin Kropp, President of Teamsters Joint Council 13 said, “Enough is enough. We’re tired of politicians playing the same old games. After every election, they care more about punishing their opponents than solving the problems that face working families.”
Saturday, March 12, saw a number of rallies across the country. Teamsters International Vice President Ken Hall spoke to about a thousand union members and their supporters in Charleston, W.Va. West Virginia’s Legislature had passed a resolution supporting collective bargaining rights the day before. Rallies were also held throughout the Badger State, Washington, D.C., and throughout Ohio.
Rallies are planned also for the week of March 14 in Tennessee, Michigan, Nebraska, Virginia, and Florida.