We’d rather be in the classroom, but it was time to speak out

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Workday Minnesota

By Terry Schoessow, Special to Workday

MADISON, Wis. - If you had told any of our group of eight teachers a month ago that we would be spending a sunny afternoon in February picketing at the state capitol in Madison, we would have thought you had lost your mind.

As elementary school veteran staff, we would be 100 times more likely to be correcting math papers or putting up a bulletin board. Yet that is exactly what happened on Saturday, as we joined tens of thousands of fellow public workers and their sympathizers on the Capitol Square to protest the bill that would unilaterally dump our collective bargaining agreements, sick leave, retirement language, preparation time, and general union rights under the guise of “a moderate proposal” to balance the state budget.

Most teachers I have heard from are willing to negotiate paying a greater portion of health care and retirement, but Governor Scott Walker has not offered to negotiate. Therefore, a trip to Madison was in order.

Everyone we saw was peaceful and orderly. Signs were even posted inside and people marched around with signs stating, “This is a PEACEFUL demonstration.” Many streets were blocked off by police for the demonstration, but when they weren’t, people waited for the walk light and allowed others to pass. Although there was abundant chanting and singing, we saw no altercations.



Read more: http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4770

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FULL story at link..

[onehandle]

1. The Egyptians are wasting their time. Mubarak will never back down.

And the few hundred thugs on horses and camels made it above the fold on the New York Times as equals to the tens of thousands.*

Mubarak will never back down.

*True: http://twitter.com/Atrios/status/39332916374802432