Gov. Walker has threatened to call out the National Guard against workers who protest his extreme plan to cut benefits of middle class workers and strip them of their rights.

Stand in solidarity with tens of thousands of workers who have been protesting -- sign the open letter on the right.





Letter text:

Members of the Wisconsin Legislature,

The Associated Press reports, "Gov. Scott Walker says the Wisconsin National Guard is prepared to respond if there is any unrest among state employees in the wake of his announcement that he wants to take away nearly all collective bargaining rights."

The Governor’s decision to ask the Wisconsin National Guard to be prepared for a fight against nurses, teachers, and other public employees puts Wisconsin firmly on the wrong side of history. The idea that a governor can use the military to impose his personal, political will on the people he governs is a primitive relic of the past – one that resulted in almost a century of bloodshed in this country. It must not be repeated again.

Trying to ram through cuts to the health care and pensions of Wisconsin nurses and teachers – and take away their right to negotiate for fair benefits – is already unacceptable. But the Governor's threat of military force against Wisconsin citizens who serve their state proudly is even more shameful.

We say "no" to the Governor's budget -- and "no" to the use of the National Guard against the people of Wisconsin. And we ask you to join us.

Sincerely,

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee

VoteVets

CREDO Action

Markos Moulitsas, Daily Kos

Democracy for America

Patrick Landgraf, President/Business Manager Sheet Metal Workers Local Union #18 AFL-CIO

Mary Rehwald, former Ashland City Councilor

Kent Johnson, Walworth Village Board member

Tammy Downing, President of AFSCME Local 145

Roger Christensen, Past President Local 309 IP&GCU

Justin Givens, AFSCME Local 122, Council 24

Steve Arnold, member UFAS (AFT local 223), member Fitchburg, WI Common Council

Phil Hansotia, Chair: Issues and Resolutions Committee, Door County Democratic Party

Jane Sorley, Shawano County Demoncrats Vice-Chair

Joanne Williams, Sec. Treasurer Walworth Co Democratic Party

Chris Narveson, 2nd Supervisor for the Town of New Glarus, WI

Nathan Timm, Founder of Dane County Grassroots Network

Cindi Haag, Town Clerk, Town of Wilson, Eau Claire County

Ed Garvey, founder Fightingbob.com

Loren Molling, United Transportation Union Local 311: President

Bruce Penny, Past UAW Local 95 President-Janesville, Wi

Val Campbell, Past General Chairman, Green Bay and Western Railroad Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers

Sandra Small, former member of the Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors; District 5

Christian Vettrus, AFSCME Local 82 Union Executive Board member

Ernest Korpela, Former State Representative-Ashland, Bayfield, Iron and Price Counties

Dorothy Krause, Fitchburg, WI Common Council Candidate

Richard Spindler, Eau Claire Progressive 93rd Team Leader

David Conley, Douglas County Board Supervisor

Ed Wagner, Alderman, City of Marshfield, Supervisor, Wood County Board of Supervisors

Barbara Hazlett, Secretary, Waushara Area Democratic Party

Daniel Wilcox, Member, Board of Directors, Writers Guild of America, West

Susan Covarrubias, Madison Teachers, Inc. Union, Faculty Representative

Dennis Brault, Vernon County Supervisor

Judy Farrell, past Vice-President Whitewater Education Association

Susan Healy, MTEA Building Rep

Michelle Kleppe, Organizing for America, Regional Field Director

Catherine Frederick, Steward, MATC Part Time Teachers Union

David Hamel, Vice Chair, Marquette county Democratic Party

Steven Pfundtner, Union President, AFSCME WSEU Local 1800 Northeast Wisconsin

Terry Bobbe, Secretary, Democratic Party of Door County

Linda Riesen, Past President, Council 10, WEAC

Shelley Anderson, Vice President, Stoughton Education Association

Yvonne Schutte, Union Steward, National Association of Letter Carriers

Thomas Bauknecht, Langlade Co. Democratic Party Chairman, Antigo Alderman

Elizabeth Marshall, American Federation of Musicians Local 166, board member

Kim Jordan, New London Education Association, WEAC

Colleen Hansen, Past Union President of the Ashwaubenon Education Association

James Collins, Former Chair - Chequamegon Dems of Ashland and Bayfield Counties

Andrew Voelzke, Executive Board member of United SteelWorkers Local 2-209

Denise Ehren, Secretary, AFSCME Local 1131

Gail Lando, Burnett County Democratic Party Vice Chair

Barbara Woodriff, Recording Secretary, Green County Democratic Party

Debbie Kinder, Alder, Wisconsin Dells City Council

Tom Crofton, Chair, Rural Caucus Democratic Party of WI, Richland County Board Supervisor

Susan Lucht, Chief Steward AFSCME local 555

Isaam El-Amin, Former Chief Steward Local 46 UAW

Carrie Nelson, Lakewood Uniserve Director, representative

Kathy J Cahill, President Retired, Local 973, AFSCME/WSEU

Kim Ness, Vice President Howard-Suamico Education Support Personnel Association

Thayer Coburn, Treasurer, School Board, Whitewater Unified School District

Richard Tremarello, Executive Board Officer, Milwaukee Musicians' Association, Local 8, American Federation of Musicians

John Owen, Union Steward Wisconsin Professional Employees Council 4848

Penny Urben, Milwaukee Teachers Education Association - Building Representative/Committee Chair

Skip Hay, Past President, Wisconsin Marketing Education Association

Tim Krause, Phd, Trustee, Village of Biron

Larry Goodman, Board Member, Township of Ft. Winnebago

Robert Janke, Member, Eau Claire Area School Board

Kelly Herda, Nicolet Union High School, School Board Member

Kim Waltz, NTCFA Executive Committee Member and CWUC representative

Gwen Carr, Chairwoman, Wisconsin American Indian Democratic Caucus

Anne Hernandez, EA-MTI president

Stacy Thompson, United Faculty-UWEC College of Arts and Sciences Representative

Wendy Haag, Chair, Teacher Rights/Janesville Education Assoc.

Tim McNaughton, Vice President and Steward, AFSCME Local 2486, Wood County Courthouse and Professional Unit, WI Rapids, WI

Teresa Schmidt, North Lakeland School Board, Vice President

Dee Ives, SEIU International GOP Advisory Committee, WI representative

Jim Wieczorek, School Board Member - Reedsburg

Jeff Kriner, Negotiator - Bayfield Education Association

Tammy Dawson, American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO Local 6196 Union President Portage, WI

Sagar Tolani, AFT Local 2169 Exec Board Member and VP representing Graduate Employees on the AFT-Wisconsin Board

Lorie Bednarek, AFSCME Local 40 (Columbia County) - Bargaining Committee

Leslie Crawford, Past steward - CWA local 4630

Colleen Davis, President, School District of the Menomonie Area School Board

Todd Hissong, National Board Director, Screen Actors Guild

Holly Rataczak, American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO Local 6196 Union Vice-President Portage, WI

Carrie Schultz, Recording secretary, Local 379

Cherryl Belliveai, Council Woman, City of Rhinelander

Joseph Salzer, Alderperson, Rhinelander City Council

Jim Ronge, Union Steward, Local 695 Teamsters, Alderman, City of Juneau

Susan Gogue, Secretary Baraboo Education Association

Omavic McMurray, Former Bargain team member, Child Care Providers Together

Sue Conard, President, AFSCME Local 1240

Paul Oosterhouse, Vice President, Taycheedah Correctional Institution

Nancy Schauer, Union Vice President, AFSCME Local 79b

Judith Gatlin, AFSCME Local 1914, Council 24

Julie Allen, Council 40 Executive Board Member for District 7

Caryl Ligler, Past Unit Director NUE-Spooner

Annette Fazzari, Vice-President of APWU Local #778

Elaine Welin, Past Local Union President and WI-AFT Retiree Member

Matt Wimmer, Assistant Shift Union Steward, Teamsters Local 695, Madison, Wi

Richard Gallo, President, Kenosha, WI American Postal Workers; Dir. Education & Organization APWU of Wisconsin, Board Member Kenosha AFL-CIO Council

Kathi Hansen, Former Negotiator, Kaukauna Education Association, WEAC

Harold A. Olson, Jr., Past negotiator, Local 516 AFL-CIO

Pattie Salter, Town of New Glarus, Clerk-Treasurer

Beth Heidersdorf, Ex Union President for AFL-CIO Garment Workers. Oshkosh B'Gosh

Margaret Olsgard, USW Local 9460 Vice President

Candice Bar-Lev, Shorewood Education Association President

Aimee Auer, Vice President of WEAC-Fox Valley

Mia Laursen, Union President of the Turner Education Associatioin

Jim Beaver, Union Representative with our UniServe SCEA

Maureen Write, President Local 777, Workers United

Lois Ames, President, American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1882

David Ames, Chief Steward AFGE Local 1882

Lynn Freimuth, Local 79B Oneida County Courthouse Workers Treasurer

Eugene Barufkin, Wisconsin Single-Payer-Network Founder

Jennifer Lake, President of Northwood Education Association

Daniel Seibel, Former District 8 WSP Representative

Charles Pampuch, NATCA (National Air Traffic Controllers Association) Milwaukee Local President

Carri Karschney, Secretary, AFSCME Local 281

Merrill Wyatt, President of local lodge 1260 IAMAW

Dennis Davis, Teamsters Local 160 shop steward

Leslie Wright-Bobholz, SEIU board director

Frederick W Fleishauer, Circut Judge