TAA Stewards Endorse Nov 2nd Oakland General Strike

Posted on Posted in General

October 31, 2011

Occupy Oakland:

We, the Stewards’ Council of the Teaching Assistants’ Association (TAA) of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, stand alongside you in your valiant efforts to restore democracy to the 99%. Furthermore, we support you and your allies in your general strike scheduled for November 2. We and people the world over will be watching with great anticipation when you successfully shut down the port of Oakland on that day and bring EGT and the other 1% operating in Oakland to their knees.

We are also dismayed by the violence that the militaristic Oakland police have dealt to you, especially to your brother Scott Olsen; those officers should be joining you in your protests, like so many did here in Madison last spring. It is unconscionable to treat peaceful demonstrators with the contempt and cruelty the Oakland police have shown you, yet it only serves to stiffen the resolve of the 99%. Stay courageous and we shall all prevail.

In solidarity with Occupy Oakland’s call for “People who organize out of their neighborhoods, schools, community organizations, affinity groups, workplaces and families are encouraged to self organize in a way that allows them to participate in shutting down the city in whatever manner they are comfortable with and capable of,” our Stewards’ Council calls on our members to participate in the following actions:

 

  • Attend the teach-in held by Occupy UW in Humanities 1101 at 5:30pm on Wednesday, November 2nd. (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186251084791222)
  • Join our brothers and sisters at Occupy Madison at 800 East Washington throughout this week.
  • Get your friends – graduate and undergraduate students – to join up with the growing movement of Occupy UW (http://www.facebook.com/groups/166017546822875/)
  • If appropriate, incorporate the current events and the history of the labor movement into your teaching this week.
  • Create written, photographic, or video displays of solidarity, either as an individual or from any organizations you belong to, and send them to strikers in Oakland. (Volunteers will be on hand at the Nov 2nd teach-in to assist with delivering messages of solidarity.)

In solidarity, and on behalf of our Stewards’ Council,

Matt Moehr, Stewards’ Council Co-chair (mattmoehr@gmail.com)
Lenora Hanson, Stewards’ Council Co-chair (lahanson3@gmail.com)

Teaching Assistants’ Association (TAA)
Madison, WI
AFT Local #3220 | AFL-CIO