Protest in solidarity with Wisconsin workers at Daley Plaza February 18
Chicago - Friday evening February 18, 2011, approximately one hundred pro-unionists turned out in Chicago’s Daley Plaza to support public union workers in Wisconsin. The event was called by Jobs for Justice. In a week long tumult over recently elected Republican Governor Scott Walker’s draconian anti-union legislation, popular support for unionists across the state, region, and even globe, have grown exponentially. By Friday over 40,000 protesters turned out in Wisconsin’s capital, Madison, to continue a rally that had occupied the capital building rotunda for two days. Reports indicate that the protesters in Madison will continue occupying the Wisconsin Capitol building into next week, as they have since the night of February 15. The Chicago rally was to show solidarity with Wisconsin workers.
One person at the rally who spoke was Dennis Kosuth. Kosuth, who used to be a nurses aide in Wisconsin, recounted how he would work an overnight and then often be required to work a second shift because of being understaffed. “an attack on public workers is an attack on all”, he stated. “At this time, when there is so much joblessness, we need more services, not less.” Kosuth currently works in the emergency room at Stroger County Hospital.
A group of Chicago Public School teachers were also present, including Chicago Teacher Union Financial Secretary Kristine Mayle. She spoke briefly, “A lot of our members are in Wisconsin.”
An on-line petition was started and can be found at www.petitiononline.com/ctu/petition.html. Mayle also noted that IFT Local 504 of Gurnee sent a bus. The Chicago Federation of Labor is also sending a bus on Monday. People interested in riding it can contact CTU Quest Center Coordinator Carol Caref at carolcaref@ctulocal1.com.
For those who cannot access the hot link in the first paragraph of this article, the photos that Substance is unable to publish at this time can be found at http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/93511/index.php
In a familiar twist of this post-modern society, a large television screen in the square began to broadcast a news sequence of that day’s events in Madison. Like Cairo, the popularity of the opposition had become too big to ignore.
By: Garth Liebhaber
Link to Article/Photos on Daley Plaza Rally
Substance still is not able to publish photos, but the photos and captions to this article may be viewed following this link:
http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/93511/index.php