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Immigrant labor activists in the
About 600 protesters demanded paid sick leave, passage of the Employee Free Choice Act and a withdrawal of the recent bus fare increase.
The rally corresponded with International Workers Day, and a series of speakers representing both student and local organizations spoke on behalf of immigrants and underpaid workers at the Capitol. The protestors then marched to the
Jim Cavanaugh, president of the South Central Federation of Labor, urged the marchers to support the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.
According to Cavanaugh, the act would allow workers to form unions and enforce penalties on employers who violate the law.
“Workers should be assured of getting a union contract,” Cavanaugh said.
If passed, the Employee Free Choice Act would be the first pro-worker amendment to be passed in “a great many years,” Cavanaugh added.
Carolina Ortega, a representative from the student organization Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztl�n, a Chicano rights organization, said immigrants in
“Undocumented immigrant students should have the opportunity for education,” Ortega said.
According to Ortega, educated students will be able to find jobs, thereby creating an additional revenue source for the country.
Ortega also advocated giving immigrant students in-state tuition, adding the opportunity for an education would prevent many immigrants from being deported.
Member of the Student Environmental Action Coalition Bill Franks said immigrant workers should demand universal health care coverage now and argued for liberty and equality above all.
Franks emphasized the importance of joining a union, citing Franklin Delano Roosevelt as one of the many great Americans in support of workers’ unions.
“A trade union is as American as apple pie,” Franks said.
The crowd responded to Franks with shouts of agreement and cheers of “si se puede,” which in English translates to “yes we can.”
Barbara Smith, member of the Madison Area Bus Advocates, also spoke on behalf of the immigrant workers and opposed the recent fare increase.
“Bus riders should have the same rights as car users,” Smith said. “We should not have to pay more for using public transit.”
However, Dave Gorak, executive director of the Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration, said the rally was in contempt of the law.
“This is just one more demonstration that shows disrespect for the rule of law and the sovereignty of the American people,” Gorak said.
According to Gorak, the rally was not in support of immigrants, but instead supported people illegally entering the
“These people are here in violation of the law, so they have no rights,” Gorak said. “They should be back in their own countries demanding things of their own government, not ours.”
Other speakers in attendance included representatives from Progressive Dane, the Immigrant Workers Union, Student Progressive Dane and the International Socialist Organization.
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The only countering view is from the Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration…seriously? And why didn’t anyone ask how the coalition would pay for the laundry list of demands?
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What about we do NOT give money to the banks, we stop the war, we stop deportations (250.000 in 2008) for starters?
There is money, there is not willing?
Most of the laundry list of demands would be a great plan to rebounce economy, good jobs, with healthy families = better market for all!
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I know of a way to decrease bus fairs, stop wasting money on those hybrid buses. I guarantee you that the money being saved on fuel does not come close to the cost of those things.
�Workers should be assured of getting a union contract,� WHAT? Well why don’t we just shut down every business and just call ourselves communists while we’re at it.
�Undocumented immigrant students should have the opportunity for education,� Undocumented? Isn’t this just a euphemism for ILLEGAL? US citizens don’t even have access to affordable education, why they heck should we give it to people violating federal law? These people act like their such victims, last time I checked you snuck into this country by choice; if you don’t like it well…
This is the problem with radical leftists, they’re never happy and they’ll never stop complaining. They’d take us all the way to communism and then complain that there wasn’t enough freedom and we should go back to the old way.
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Ah yes, the thought of something for nothing. So appealing. Question: last year government costs amounted to 54% of our economy. Higher spending, lower collections probably mean we are going close to 70% this year. What will that do to our already suffering private sector (ie., the source of ALL our wealth?)
Add 850 B (bankster bailout) + 787 B (porkulus package) +410 B (omnibus spending package + 432B last year’s deficit= almost $2.5 Trillion. Now figure in lower tax collections and we have a deficit on the order of $3 Trillion. BEFORE we add to our give away programs, BEFORE we add in another $2 Trillion that Secy Geithner wants to give the banksters, and we could be talking $5 trillion or more. Add to that the $60 Trillion ++ we are already in debt (if you do the books using the same GAAP standards that industry must use) and it should be clear that A. We are bankrupt. and B. We will not be able to fulfill the “obligations” we already have.
Face it folks, socialism does not work.
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No Human being is illegal.
No Borders No Nations
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“No Human being is illegal.
No Borders No Nations”
FALSE. Anarchy FTL
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Employee Free Choice Act?
Isn’t that the one that eliminates the secret ballot?
Having a couple of union thugs looking over your shoulder while you make your “free choice” will very probably increase union power.
If you think that powerful unions are so wonderful just look at Detroit and the UAW, bastions of union power if ever there were any.
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“No Human being is illegal.”
It is the CRIMINAL ACTIONS of Human beings which are illegal. What other group of criminals have protest marches?
Giving ILLEGAL immigrant students in-state tuition would just increase the incentives for ILLEGALLY sneaking into the USA. Apparently no further incentives are needed.
Some bank robbers steal to buy their children food. Should we start calling them undocumented undepositors and have a march to protest silent alarms and dye packs?
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“No Borders No Nations”
So who’s going to take from the rich and give to the poor then, Robin Hood?
Or Robber Barons? Somalia has no borders and isn’t nation - how’s that working out for them?
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Those who demand the servitude of others to provide for their wants and needs forfeit all claims to the concepts of rights, liberty and freedom.
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Free everything for everybody!
But where do we send the bill?