(The following appeared on the Minneapolis Star Tribune website on April 4, 2011.)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — From the Cathedral they marched — teachers, Teamsters, locomotive engineers — united Monday in support of workers’ rights and in defense of the middle class.
Out front, Russell Hess, megaphone in hand, asked, “Who builds America? Who teaches America?” and the people shouted, “We do!”
But to many, from the marchers to speakers at the Capitol, faith in the power of unions was overshadowed by fears of political attacks, particularly in Wisconsin, where Gov. Scott Walker, seeking to manage a budget shortfall, has pushed to limit union negotiating powers.
A sign toted by many on Monday read: “From Memphis 1968 to Madison 2011. The struggle continues.”
The event, We Are One — March for the Middle Class, was held Monday to mark the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who was gunned down in Memphis during a visit to support poorly paid and frequently injured sanitation workers.
The full story is on the Star Tribune website.