Saturday's solidarity events on the capitol square in Madison include a "tractorcade" of Wisconsin farmers starting at 10:00 a.m., with a rally to follow at 11:30. Details below.
ANY KOSSACKS IN MADISON: Let's meet right after the tractor rally at the top of State Street near the Veteran's museum. I will have my large "Peace is the Word" sign. We can meet and talk, and if anyone is interested, decide on a place to eat lunch between rallies. There is a second rally scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
No RSVP needed, just show up. I will try to send out individual messages to some, but please spread the word!
Donate to help farmers offset the cost of hauling their tractors to Madison here:
http://www.razoo.com/...
Link is also available on the Wisconsin Farmers Union site referenced below in the schedule.
This info is from WEAC, the state teacher's union, and is updated frequently, so check in there for updates:
SATURDAY, March 12
COME TO MADISON SATURDAY FOR A HUGE RALLY!
This may be the largest Madison rally yet!
Main stage rally planned for 3:00 p.m. Details on speakers and entertainment will be posted here as soon as they are finalized.
Special Event: Farmer Labor Tractorcade: Farmers from throughout the state are bringing tractors to the State Capitol Saturday to show solidarity with Wisconsin workers.
Tractors will be on the square from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.., with a rally to follow. Those wishing to bring tractors MUST contact John Peck, Family Farm Defenders: familyfarmdefenders@yahoo.com. Tractors will approach the square from South Hamilton. Tractors will do one (slow) loop around the entire Capitol Square. After the tractorcade their will be a Farm rally at the State St. corner of the State Capitol beginning at 11:30 a.m. Confirmed speakers include - Joel Greeno Dairy Farmer, Sarah Lloyd Dairy Farmer, Tony Schultz Vegetable and Beef Farmer, Jim Hightower national commentator and former Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Other speakers and musical artists to be announced. If you are a farmer please wear green. We would like to be able to see you all in the crowd! Farmer allies are encouraged to bring signs in solidarity, cow bells, costumes (cows, carrots, you get the idea) - the point is to be positive, family friendly, yet strong in our position. Anyone who does farming knows that hope springs eternal... For the official press release, visit: http://www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com/
Educators' March:
1:00 p.m. (gather at 12:45)
State Capitol Square, corner of Mifflin and Wisconsin
March together as educators and supporters around the Capitol
Teachers, Education Support Professionals, Family and Friends
Main Rally:
Rally at 3 p.m. Details to come.
Madison buses
There will be buses from the WEA Trust Parking lot to the Capitol and back beginning at 10:00 am with the last bus returning from the Capitol at 8:00 pm. The buses will run continuously with no specific pick-up or drop off times as traffic varies the travel time throughout the day.
In addition to the buses listed below, AFSCME again is running buses in Madison (including the popular East Towne Mall buses) and from various cities throughout the state. AFSCME Bus Schedule
If you don't see a bus from your area, contact your UniServ office.
Milwaukee buses:
Buses will leave from the MTEA Building (5130 W. Vliet Street, Milwaukee) at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, March 12. We will start loading buses at 12:15 p.m. Our buses will load at 5:15 p.m. from Madison and leave at 5:30 p.m. You must register at www.mtea.org
before 4 p.m. on Friday, March 11, in order to secure a seat on our buses.
Sheboygan-Plymouth bus to Madison:
We will pick up at two locations:
Office Max, Sheboygan - 11:00 a.m.
Plymouth High School south Parking Lot, 11:15 a.m.
Please reserve a spot by emailing berths@weac.org by Friday, March 11, at 3:30.
Oshkosh-Fond du Lac-Beaver Dam buses:
Buses to Madison Rally on Saturday, March 12th
Oshkosh 8:00 AM bus Link to Register (this bus will drop off at Capital and Madison Marriot West)
Oshkosh 10:30 AM bus Link to Register
Fond du lac 10:30 AM bus Link to Register
Beaver Dam 10:30 AM bus Link to Register
All these buses have an approximate return time of 7:00 PM
Hudson-Menomonie buses:
West Central Education Association has scheduled buses to this event and members can sign up by calling WCEA at 800-472-6801 or 715-235-6808 by noon on Friday with names.
Buses are scheduled as follows:
HUDSON at 7:00 a.m. at County Market Parking Lot
MENOMONIE at 8:00 a.m. at- K-Mart Parking Lot
Buses will depart at the designated times above so plan to arrive earlier. Bring your own refreshments and/or snacks. The Rally at the Capitol is scheduled for 3:00 PM so departure from Madison would likely be around 5:00-6:00 PM, depending on activities, so you can plan your return time accordingly.
Rice Lake buses:
Northwest United Educators will be sending a second bus to Madison on Saturday. This bus will leave the Rice Lake Wal-Mart parking lot at 8:00 a.m. It will return to Rice Lake that evening, with time depending on events scheduled at the Capitol. If you have reserved seating on the first bus, please do not attempt to change buses!
We will take the first 55 members/families who call in to the NUE office to reserve a seat on the second bus. Call NUE at 1-800-472-6711 or 715-234-7049 in the Rice Lake area. Please do NOT leave voice mail messages.
If the second bus fills up with reservations, there will be an AFSCME bus leaving Rice Lake Wal-Mart at 9:45 (on a first-come, first-served basis).
Spencer-Mosinee-Plover-Plainfield bus:
Central Wisconsin UniServ Council will arrange for one 57 passenger motorcoach to the Rally in Madison on Saturday, March 12. The bus will leave Progressive Travel in Spencer and will stop at the CWUC office in Mosinee, at the shopping center in Plover (Hwy. B), and at the Plainfield Travel Plaza on Hwy. 73 just west of I-39. Members from locals in the western portion of CWUC can board the bus in Spencer. (Times to be determined) Bus transportation will be BY RESERVATION ONLY. Call the CWUC office at 800-472-0010 or 715-693-1740 no later than 4:30 p.m. this Thursday, March 10 to reserve your seat. Reservations will be taken on a first come first serve basis until the bus is full. NAMES WILL BE REQUIRED TO RESERVE A SEAT. A second bus (this would be a school bus) will be added only if there are enough names to fill a second bus.