Protestors gather in the Wisconsin Capitol rotunda. Photo courtesy of Protocol Photography.
It began as a protest by a few students and teaching assistants over deep budget cuts, but quickly turned into a history making movement of working people in Wisconsin. Was the occupation of the state capital in Madison, Wisconsin a resurgence of organized labor in the United States? Or the last gasp for unionized workers, as they face continual erosion of their rights. Over the next two weeks, we’ll hear a retrospective documentary on the 2011 Wisconsin uprising, produced by Workers Independent News.
Gerald McEntee, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) president; Jordan, University of Wisconsin student; David Olsen, James Madison High School social studies teacher; Joe Conway, Madison firefighters union local 311 president; Mary Newton, Janesville teacher; Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin; Mary Bell, Wisconsin Education Association president; Stacey Benson-Taylor, AFSCME Ohio Council 8, Local 101 staff representative; Ed Hill, IBEW president; Dave Harswick, Wisconsin Education Association secretary-treasurer; Ian Murphy, Buffalo Beast editor; Phil Neuenfeldt, Wisconsin AFL-CIO president; Mahlon Mitchell, Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin president; Caral Turner, Michigan UAW Local 6888 unity committee chair; Dan Query, Waunakee High School junior; Alan Chancellor, Lafollette High School senior; Alejandra Prado, East High School student; Angelica Alvarez, West High School senior, Jessica Ruiz, West High School senior; Wisconsin teachers, students, firefighters, police officers, union members; working people, and other citizens.