Bring Tents, Michigan

You heard that right.  Whereupon, Tuesday, December 11th, thousands are planning to descend on Lansing, Michigan to protest "right to work" legislation aimed at "allowing" workers to work for less than minimum wage.

Aaah, c'mon.
 

Occupy Wall Street reports non-violent civil disobedience trainings presently in effect.  Occupy Detroit has the youtube example below,, titled Building A Beloved Community:

 

Detroit Free Press reports police bracing for a day of actions including USA Today estimates of up to an unprecedented 10,000 people in the streets, making it the biggest crowd the Michigan state capitol has ever seen.

More here from Allison Kilkenny with The Nation.  Including the youtube below:


 
  
Occupy Wall Street reports: 

Last Thursday, nearly a thousand union members and supporters gathered inside the Michigan capitol building in Lansing to protest lawmakers' decision to ram through "right to work" legislation. The day ended abruptly when police began assaulting and pepper-spraying protesters, provoking an evacuation and lockdown of the capitol building. The protests have continued, and at least eight people have been arrested.

Meanwhile, Detroit autoworkers join a hunger strike in solidarity with GM Columbian autoworkers, and as blogged earlier here:




The Los Angeles Times reports President Obama in Detroit, Michigan today blasting "right to work" legislation in a speech saying it would hurt workers' ability to bargain for better wages.

[Governor Rick] Snyder surprised many in the state by supporting the last-minute effort to pass the so-called “Freedom to Work” law in the waning days of the legislative session. He said it would help the state compete for jobs by letting investors “know that Michigan is the place to do business.” Supporters say it was all the more important after Indiana passed similar legislation earlier this year.

But Obama, who earlier greeted Snyder after touching down in the state, said “right to work” laws have nothing to do with economics, and “everything to do with politics.”

“We should do everything we can to keep creating good middle-class jobs that help folks rebuild security for their families,” Obama said to Daimler workers. “What we shouldn't be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions.”

“What they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money,” he said.

 Courtesy of Los Angeles Times

Photographer:  Paul Sancya/AP

12.10.12 President Obama speaks to auto workers in Redford, Michigan, blasting "right to work" legislation and "holding firm on raising tax rates on wealthier Americans."

 

The LA Times also reports:

When it comes to the fiscal cliff talks, Obama maintained that he was “willing to compromise a little bit,” but held firm on raising tax rates on wealthier Americans.

“That's a principle I won't compromise on because I'm not going to have a situation where the wealthiest among us, including folks like me, get to keep all our tax breaks and then we're asking students to pay higher student loans,” he said. “We're not going to do that. We're not going to make that trade-off. That's not going to help us to grow.”