Madison, WI – 65,000 workers and their supporters marched on Wisconsin's Capitol, March 10, marking one year since the fight back against Governor Scott Walker's war on the people began.

In March 2011, Gov. Walker's passage of union-busting SB 11 led to a revolt as teachers from around the state participated in a ‘sick-in,’ calling in sick to work and inspiring an uprising where over 100,000 workers, students and supporters surrounded and occupied the State Capitol. 14 state senators were compelled to flee the state to avoid a quorum. The bill was halted for months as protests spread throughout the state.

“Tens of thousands of people returned to the Capitol today because they know the power of the people can win this fight,” said Alicia Skeeter, who came to join the Occupy Wisconsin contingent.

Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Wisconsin Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin and an icon of the uprising, gave a rousing speech. “We are on the right side of history. Solidarity!”

#MadisonWI #GovernorWalker

‘Recall workers’ were seen everywhere, from churches to schools to protests at events with Governor Walker. Republicans were hoping the signature total to be closer to 750,000 – so that they could challenge enough of the signatures to block the recall. Given the one million-plus signers, that possibility is remote.

“Scott Walker represents the interests of the 1%,” commented Milwaukee Occupy leader Danielle Meyer. “The Wisconsin uprising and now the Occupy movement is about ending this rule so we're very satisfied with the results of the recall.”

In early 2011, immediately after taking office, Governor Scott Walker went to war on the working class by introducing legislation to eliminate the collective bargaining of public sector unions.

The people of Wisconsin fought back, capturing worldwide attention as hundreds of thousands rallied to the state capitol, occupying the capitol building for weeks, conducting some of the state’s largest protests in history.

Union members and their allies have since organized protests throughout the state, especially at Walker's appearances. They launched a mass mobilization to collect signatures to recall Governor Walker.

Four other Republican State Senators will also be up for recall. These Republicans, Senators Fitzgerald, Galloway, Moulton and Wanggaard, supported the union-busting legislation and currently support other attacks on the people including racist anti-immigration, anti-felon and voter disenfranchisement legislation.

The recall election will likely take place in May or June.

#MilwaukeeWI #Labor #GovernorWalker

On the evening of March 9, the Senate Republicans launched a surprise maneuver to ram the wildly unpopular bill through by separating it from the budget, and avoiding the quorum requirement. As the State Senate rushed to a vote, several thousand people arrived to protest outside the locked-down capitol building, eventually forcing their way inside. One Democratic senator called the vote illegal, referencing an open meeting law that requires the senate provide 24-hour notice of such action, which the Republicans did not do.

While 14 state senators have been camped out across state borders to prevent the body from reaching quorum to pass the original bill, Governor Walker has been claiming that the union busting measures are strictly budget issues. The recent separation of the anti-union legislation from the budget bill proved to the people of Wisconsin that their Governor had been lying all along – this bill has always been primarily about taking away workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain.

The provisions of this anti-union bill will come down hard on Wisconsin workers who have had a long history of successful labor struggles. The bill would all but eliminate collective bargaining rights and would add penalties on workers who strike or organize for labor rights.

Unions are calling for the largest protest yet to take place on Saturday, March 12. A student march is being organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) from the Library Mall at 11:00 a.m. to meet up with thousands of workers outside the capitol.

#MadisonWI #CollectiveBargaining #Wisconsin #publicSectorUnions #GovernorWalker