The Wichita / Hutchinson Labor Federation of South Central Kansas (WHLF)
Thousands of Kansas workers led by the Wichita / Hutchinson Labor Federation and the Working Kansas Alliance had planned to protest Walker’s policies and his appearance at the fundraiser. Several busses full of protestors were set to arrive in Wichita from all corners of the state.
“Obviously this is a victory for working Kansans,” said Wichita / Hutchinson Labor Federation president Judy Pierce, “Governor Walker’s anti-worker policies have made headlines across the country, but Kansans are facing some of the very same attacks here courtesy of Governor Brownback.”
“The fact that our own Governor would stand with Governor Walker sends an appalling message to Kansas working men and women. We are Kansas workers trying to make a living, put food on the table and pay our bills. But there are people in powerful positions in this state who would just as soon make that harder to do.”
Walker is facing a recall election in his home state for his push to reduce wages and end collective negotiations for state workers in Wisconsin. Tickets for the event with Governor Brownback were going for as high as $15,000, but while facing a recall election Walker is able use a loophole in Wisconsin law to collect unlimited contributions from individual donors.
http://www.whlaborfed.org/updates/victory-fearing-mass-protest-governor-walker-cancels-wichita-visitWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is currently on a fundraising tour to raise a war chest in the event a recall signature collection effort against him is successful. Wherever Walker goes in Wisconsin he is met with protests and that seems to be the same case for when he leaves the state. Walker has canceled an appearance at an expensive fundraising dinner planned for Wichita, Kansas which featured RNC Chair Reince Priebus and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback.
The Kansas Education Association is claiming victory over Walker's cancellation citing their plans to bring in teachers and education supporters from all corners of the state to protest his visit. In a press release Wichita / Hutchinson Labor Federation president Judy Pierce said "This week, Kansans stood up and sent our own message that we don't want Walker's radical brand of politics in Kansas, just as Ohio voters rejected similar anti-worker initiatives in their state at the ballot-box."
A survey released today by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction shows that Walker's cuts to education have resulted in staff reductions and increases in classroom size across the state. Additional findings of the survey as noted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel include:
* Nine of 10 students in the responding school districts attend a district that had a net loss of staff "in one of four staffing areas" - teachers, administrators, aides and support staff.
* Four in 10 students attend districts with increased class sizes in the elementary grades.
* Though the state's school districts have experienced staff cuts in most areas over the previous two school years, the cuts are much deeper this year - almost exactly three times as deep as the 2010-'11 school year.
* Two out of three responding districts reported that they expect to have as deep or even deeper cuts next school year.
http://www.dane101.com/current/2011/11/10/walker_cancels_wichita_fundraiser_knea_cites_planned_protests
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