Portland AfD responds to Wisconsin GOP vote to kill collective bargaining rights

AfD-Portland is helping organize two local rallies in response to the Wisconsin vote to eliminate public employees' collective bargaining rights and in support of job creation, preserving the safety net and our common wealth, and making Wall Street pay for the collapse they encouraged. Here's the email notice:

In an act of class warfare, Wednesday the Wisconsin Senate (with the Democrats still in self-imposed exile) cut the collective bargaining rights of public sector unions and the people responded immediately by poring an estimated 7000 protesters into the state capital building in Madison. So many people occupied the capital that the police gave up trying to stop them and as of 10 PM Wednesday evening the doors of the building were wide open. Many of those protesting the decision have called for a General Strike. The Republican Senate action would still need to be approved by the Wisconsin Assembly before becoming law.

Read the AP story here. See some video from the NBC affiliate here. The MSNBC story is here. Slide show of pictures of the scene here.

Portland must respond. Below are notes on two upcoming public protests in Portland. WE MUST BE THERE!

Please forward this message.

STAND WITH ALL WORKING FAMILIES!! WISCONSIN, OHIO, INDIANA......
"SAVE THE AMERICAN DREAM" RALLY
March 15, 5 pm, Terry Schrunk Plaza at SW 3rd and Madison

"In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans as 'right to work.' It provides no 'right' and no 'works.' Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining...We demand this fraud by stopped."-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King was on the front lines of the sanitation workers struggle in Memphis just before he was killed. He understood the struggle for union rights, civil rights, for human rights.

Today, he would be on the front lines in Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio.

Now is the time to join the fight for Full and Fair Employment, quality public education, good jobs, strong communities, advanced manufacturing, a green economy and ...the American Dream!

More info: jwjpdx.org, 503.236.5573

PORTLAND RISING
RALLY & MARCH OF JOBS AND BENEFITS, NOT CUTS
Saturday, April 16-Noon at Pioneer Courthouse Square

Eight million jobs were lost in the 2008 meltdown. Today there are more than five jobs seekers for every job. Instead of creating jobs, Congress is focused on cutting the safety net!

Let's stand up for community values:
• Create good jobs now.
• Stop job killing trade agreements.
• Protect and strengthen the safety net.
• Support collective bargaining as 15,000 workers lauch campaign for fairness at work in Portland.
• Wall Street should pay for the economic crisis, not working people!

Sponsored by Jobs with Justice, Alliance for Democracy, AFSCME Council 75 and Local 3135, Economic Justice Action Group of 1st Unitarian Church, Oregon Progressive Party, SEIU Local 49 and 503, Teamsters Local 206, flierLocal 555, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and more.

More info: jwjpdx.org, 503.236.5573

Printable flyer here.