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Rally in Springfield to support unions

BY KURT ERICKSON
THE SOUTHERN SPRINGFIELD BUREAU

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois union members and other activists are expected to rally at the Illinois Statehouse Saturday as part of a national protest over efforts to weaken union rights.

MoveOn.org, a liberal advocacy group, as well as public sector labor unions, are calling for people to attend rallies at state capitals at noon as a show of solidarity against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's push to eliminate union rights.

Locally, supporters of public employee unions plan to rally at the Carbondale Town Square, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The event is an effort to show solidarity with union workers across the Midwest, whose collective bargaining rights have been thrown into question by recent proposals in Wisconsin and Indiana.

Organizers are unsure how many people will show up for the Springfield event. A permit issued by the Illinois Secretary of State estimates the crowd to be no more than 1,000 people.

Both the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 and the Illinois Education Association have informed their members of the event and will be sending speakers to the rally.

"The point of it is just to show support for the folks in Wisconsin," said IEA spokesman Charles McBarron.

Latinos United for Change, Illinois Peoples Action and Move-On.org members are organizing a caravan of cars to leave Bloomington-Normal at 9:30 a.m. to attend the Springfield event.

Sonny Garcia of the Central Illinois Organizing Project said it is unlikely the Illinois General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, would push for any Wisconsin-style changes in union rules.

But, Garcia said, "With the budget crisis the state is in, you never know."