FOLLOWING A weekend that included one of the largest protests in Wisconsin history, labor activists and the Madison-area labor council are organizing to oppose all provisions of Gov. Scott Walker's union-busting "budget repair bill."
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Our group, which named itself the Kill the Whole Bill Coalition, was formed in part to counter some union officials' public offer of concessions. Marty Biel, executive director of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 24, has stated publicly that his union would be willing to accept cuts in pay and benefits, and even bow to a two-year "freeze" in collective bargaining if Walker agrees to return to bargaining in 2013.
But that's not acceptable to many public-sector workers in Wisconsin, who would see their income slashed by as much as 20 percent under Walker's plan. And with the huge numbers of non-union working people actively in support of our struggle, it's important that we stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable people in our state.
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There was virtually no debate on whether we should endorse a general strike--only how to prepare for one. No one argued for accepting concessions. We have already made concessions for many years, and we've gotten to the point where we've got nothing left to give. For example, members of AFSCME Local 171 are preparing video interviews with their members who work full time and yet receive food stamps.
http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/22/madison-labor-raises-the-stakes
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