STAND WITH THE WISCONSIN WORKERS NOW! Thousands have reoccupied the Wisconsin Capitol Chanting: General Strike!  General Strike! General Strike!

Kill the Bill, or Shut it Down!

Dear Sisters & Brothers,

There is an emergency in Madison.

Senate Republicans in Wisconsin attempted the nuclear option!  In a final show of disregard for the sentiments of the majority of the people they severed the union-busting provisions from the budgetary bill.

This move allowed them to vote without a quorum on the union busting part alone. Last night they rammed this through the Senate.  Thursday it will come before the Assembly.

But not without resistance, thousands of people have already refilled the Capitol bringing with them sleeping bags, drums and making plans to stay.

The Wisconsin AFL-CIO and many others have put out an emergency call to come to Madison this morning.  Protests are schedule this whole week and weekend. On Saturday, farmers are planning to drive their tractors to Madison to join union members. Milwaukee high school students are marching 80 miles to the Capitol.

Members of the Bail Out the People Movement from around the country, who slept on the floor of the Capitol with our sisters and brothers, are saying NOW! is the time to do everything possible to stop Governor Walker, his right wing buddies and his billion dollar banker backers!

If you are unemployed this is your fight!  If you are a student this is your fight!  No matter what union you are in or what you do — this is your fight!

This is not just a battle against one bad governor — it is ultimately a fight against the entire tea party gang, who want to whip up racism and anti-immigrant bigotry and violence — who want to turn back the time to when there were no rights of any kind, no union rights, no civil rights, no peoples rights.

The people of Wisconsin cannot stand alone against such a giant enemy.

The bankers who have stolen trillions and who have foreclosed on our homes and jobs — are the same bankers and billionaires behind this attempt to smash unions.

What can you do?  There is plenty. If your community or student group or even your union has not verbalized its solidarity than make sure they do it now.  And make them do more!  Get them to act!  Send a delegation to Madison.

You know we can all get sick — a lot of us are already sick and tired.  Why not get sick for a day or two — and band together with other sick folks to form a caravan to Madison.  Stay as long as you can; the people of Wisconsin have open arms and hearts.

The bosses hate to hear us to talk about "the general strike." So let's start talking about it and even planning it.

And if you are too far away — hold a picket line or protest in your town or city square — take it to your favorite bank or billionaire.  If the Koch brothers have an office, hold a protest there.  Go inside if your feeling cold. If you're feeling tired, sit down!  After all we built the buildings — why should we always have to hang outside.  Go to the AFL-CIO.org web site for listings of their actions.

The first and last verses of the old union song “Solidarity Forever” say it best:

When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run,

There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun;

Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one,

But the union makes us strong.

In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold

Greater than the might of armies, magnified a thousand-fold.

We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old

For the union makes us strong.

Solidarity Forever!

Cheryl, Bryan,  Sal,  Ana Marie,  Ben,  Sharon,  Kris,  Dave,  Jill, Martha

You can also help BOPM organize support.  Already many of our BOPM team members are headed back to Wisconsin.  We continue to need your donations to make our work possible!  Please CLICK HERE or go to http://www.bailoutpeople.org/donatewi.shtml  to donate.

In solidarity,

Bail Out the People Movement www.bailoutpeople.org

Please donate! Go to http://www.bailoutpeople.org/donatewi.shtml

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