A popular “Prairie Fire” is fighting for public workers and us all

The Communist Party USA urges the widest possible solidarity with public workers all over our country. We especially salute the workers and demonstrators in Madison, Wisconsin who have captured the imagination of the nation with their powerful and peaceful protest against union busting and crass efforts to destroy the livelihoods of thousands of dedicated public workers. Teachers, health care workers, firemen, sanitation workers, Emergency workers, police and municipal workers of all kinds are under severe, nationally coordinated attack by rightwing Republicans and some conservative Democrats.

These attacks will not only weaken the economy but also deny vital public services to millions who need them the most. This “prairie fire” is just the beginning of a massive popular upsurge. Wisconsin and similar actions developing in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and in many other states, are evidence of a broad and unified coalition of resistance.

Like Egypt, young people and students in Madison are bringing great energy to the fight. This is the reinvigoration of the mighty coalition that swept our country in the 2008 elections. It is a powerful coalition built around core forces of the progressive movement: our multinational, multiracial, male and female, young and old, gay a straight, working class and organized labor, with the civil rights, youth, women, environmental, LGBT, peace and senior movements.

This attack is in large part payback by extreme rightwing Republicans for the billions of dollars they have received from billionaires, banks, corporate CEO’s and the super rich for election campaigns, attack ads, rightwing conservative PACs and funding for extreme tea party organizing. This attack has nothing to do with deficit reduction. It is a carefully coordinated plan to destroy public worker unions and weaken labor’s ability to organize its members for political action. In the wake of the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court allowing corporations unlimited, secret spending in elections, the rightwing billionaires, the bankers and corporate CEOs, and the Chamber of Commerce want to eliminate any organized opposition to their power. They want to completely shift the burden of the economic crisis that they created onto the backs of working families and the poor.

Show your solidarity. You can:

1. Pass a resolution in your union, church or community organization calling for support for the just demand of the Wisconsin Public Workers.

2. Join many of the online efforts to build support through social networks:

3. Spread the word far and wide!!

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