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Chicago: 10,000 in the streets for labor solidarity April 9, 2011 Picture: Ana Santoyo On April 9, in coordination and solidarity with union organized “We Are One” rallies taking place around the country, 10,000 workers, students and activists converged on Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago. The demonstration was called by representatives of the Chicago Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, SEIU Local 1, AFSCME, UNITE HERE Local 1, the Chicago Teachers Union, the Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Federation of Teachers. The rally included speakers representing workers' unions and organizations from all over Illinois and surrounding states. Susan Vecchione, a worker at the Rutledge Hall Elementary School in Lincolnwood, Ill., told the crowd that the war on unions being waged across the country is a threat to all workers. “If it can happen in Wisconsin, it can happen here,” Vecchione said, reassuring that, “We are strong and we are united.” The rally's main speaker was retired AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer William Lucy. Lucy was with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tenn. fighting for the rights of municipal workers on April 4, 1968, when King was assassinated. Lucy made clear to the crowd that if Dr. King had not been tragically gunned down that fateful day that he would be in the streets with the workers. “If Dr. King was alive today he would be standing with the workers and students and citizens of Wisconsin. He would be marching with the workers and citizens of Ohio, Indiana…and every other place where workers’ rights are being taken away or threatened or denied. “In a nation where one percent of the people own 33 percent of the wealth and the remaining 99 percent of us have to scuffle for our share of what’s left, there’s something wrong with that picture.” Members of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and the Party for Socialism and Liberation raised a banner reading “Tax the Rich! End the Wars!” and gathered hundreds of petitions and distributed material to the many workers in attendance who agreed with the perspective. Every day, the bald -faced lies of the ruling class are being exposed as workers are beginning to realize that the answer to budget shortfalls is not the dismantling of workers’ rights. The only answer is to make Wall Street, the Koch brothers and the billionaire’s Tea Party puppets pay for their crisis! INFORMATION: 773-463-0311