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By TODD RICHMOND, Associated Press
      


MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore urged
Wisconsin residents Saturday to fight Republican-backed efforts to
strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights,
telling thousands of protesters that "Madison is only the
beginning."


      The crowd roared in approval as Moore implored demonstrators to
keep up their struggle against Republican Gov. Scott Walker's
legislation, comparing their fight to Egypt's revolt. He also
thanked the 14 state Democratic senators who fled Wisconsin to
block a vote on the bill, saying they'll go down in history books.

      "We're going to do this together. Don't give up. Please don't
give up," Moore told the protesters, who have held steady at the
Capitol for nearly three weeks. 

   Police said there were "tens of thousands" of protesters but
didn't give a specific count. The vast majority of the crowd was
pro-union, and no one was arrested or cited. Rallies drew huge
crowds the previous two Saturdays, too: about 70,000 on Feb. 19,
and an even larger one on Feb. 26.


      Moore said the wealthy have overreached, first taking the
working class' money and then taking their souls by shutting them
up at the bargaining table. The crowd yelled "thank you" before
Moore began to speak, and he responded: "All of America thanks
you, Wisconsin."


      Walker has said the legislation is needed to help ease a state
deficit projected to hit $3.6 billion by mid-2013, though opponents
see it as an effort to weaken unions.


      Negotiations between Democrats and Republican broke down
Thursday, though communication lines remain open, said Sen. Tim
Cullen, one of the Democrats who fled the state. Cullen said it's
difficult for either side to compromise, since Democrats don't want
to lose support from their base and Walker doesn't want to appear
weak by backing down.


      Walker's spokesman didn't return a message Saturday, though the
governor has said that he won't compromise on the collective
bargaining issue or anything that saves the state money.


      Two other Democratic senators joined the Rev. Jesse Jackson in
Chicago to urge Walker to negotiate with workers. Sen. Lena Taylor
said Democrats left because they "needed to slow the bill down"
after it was approved unchanged in the state Assembly.


      "I ask the governor, 'Do your job. Come to the table and speak
to Wisconsin workers,'" Taylor said. "We agree that fiscally we
need to do things differently. We even agree that there are some
places where we need to talk about how we negotiate. ... However we
refuse to accept in America that we don't believe that a voice at
the table is an option. It is not an option of a leader and it
surely is not the Wisconsin way."
      


Sen. Chris Larson urged protestors to stay strong.

      "We've been here for the last 16 days we'll continue to be here
until worker's rights are removed as the target in this budget
repair bill by our governor," he said.


      Activists began a sit-in at the Capitol on Feb. 15, and although
a judge ended protestors' overnight stays late last week, several
hundred were back in the rotunda Saturday chanting "Who's house?
Our house!" and "Hey-hey, ho-ho, Scott Walker's got to go!"

      Renee Peplinski, a fifth-grade teacher in Wisconsin Rapids, said
she doesn't mind making financial concessions to help the state
even though it would hurt her family. She's more concerned about
losing her collective bargaining rights. Without union protections,
teachers would be at the mercy of administrators who could decide
to fire them for any perceived slight, she said.

      "Every teacher I know is depressed," said Peplinski, 42.
"Every minute of the day there's this black cloud."


      Outside, hundreds of people marched in the streets, banging
drums and carrying signs that read "No one has ever died from
overexposure to education" and "Worst bill ever."


      Walker has said the bill is needed to ease a deficit that could
hit $137 million by July and $3.6 billion by the middle of 2013.
His proposal comes up with the money for this year in part by
forcing state employees to pay for half the cost of their pensions
and twice their current health care premiums - concessions
equivalent to an 8 percent pay cut.


      With the labor bill stalled, Walker said layoffs may be
necessary so the state can start to realize the $30 million savings
he had assumed would come from the concessions. All state workers,
except those at prisons, state hospitals and other facilities open
around the clock, would be potential layoff targets.


      Walker informed state employee unions Friday that he intends to
issue layoff notices to 1,500 workers that would be effective on
April 4.


      Associated Press writer Caryn Rousseau contributed to this
report from Chicago.

Gallery

In union strongholds, residents wrestle with cuts

Wis. governor warns of layoffs, talks to Democrats

Politics and Government News

Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore urged
Wisconsin residents Saturday to fight Republican-backed efforts to
strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights,
telling thousands of protesters that "Madison is only the
beginning."

Michael Moore rallies Wis. pro-union protesters

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