Florida protesters show support for Wisconsin unions

[seafan]

Florida protesters show support for Wisconsin unions

By Bill Cotterell
Florida Today

February 26, 2011

TALLAHASSEE — Veteran labor organizer Barbara DeVane sang an old union anthem Saturday on the west plaza of Florida's Capitol, aiming an ad-lib barb at Gov. Rick Scott and Republican efforts to cut state employee benefits.

The crowd of about 250 chanting, sign-waving supporters at a noon rally in support of Wisconsin unions, roared its approval for DeVane and a series of speakers who denounced plans to lay off Florida employees and raise the cost of their health care and retirement benefits. Three counter demonstrators turned out but their signs praising Scott and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker were obscured by rally participants whose hand-lettered placards accused the GOP leaders of mounting an assault on the middle class to give tax breaks to the rich.

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A former school teacher who lobbies for retirees, DeVane has been a Capitol icon of feminist and liberal causes for decades. In 1999, she and fellow protestors opposed to the weakening of affirmative action staged a sit-in that briefly shut down the office of then-Gov. Jeb Bush.

"Don't ever forget," she told the crowd, "there's more of us than there are of them."

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Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, urged public employees to "make an alliance" with small business owners – warning their local tire dealers, barbers and clothiers that if government workers' salaries and benefits are cut, they will have less buying power. Republicans have pitted small businesses against working-class voters, she said, but merchants and consumers could overcome Scott's influence with legislators.

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...Three counter demonstrators turned out... <<<snicker...>>>


Florida stands with you, Wisconsin!




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