~Photo by Zach Roberts The OccupyWallStreet movement, through consensus, has issued its first official statement. The process took two weeks. It may seem like a long time, but a fascinating article by Richard Kim of The Nation explains why this statement is a Herculean achievement, and it may not be for the reasons you think. [...]

By Jim Wright You ever stop to wonder what you life would be like if it was 1911 instead of 2011? Imagine. Imagine what it was like to be your great grand parents. In 1911, the United States was in the middle of the Second Industrial Revolution.  It was a time of wonder and ever [...]

I think this is far and away the best labor song ever written. Natalie Merchant sings with an intro clip sung by Florence Reece, the songwriter. I look at these images and wonder why anyone believes that if the unions are broken, we will not end up here again. Human nature endures – the good [...]

A little Labor Day weekend music from the mighty REM. Stay safe, have fun, and remember to thank a union and remember those who had the bravery to organize. The time to rise has been engaged You’re better best to rearrange I’m talking here to me alone I listen to the finest worksong Your finest [...]

There are two large hotels in Anchorage that are currently under boycott for mistreatment of workers – the Anchorage Sheraton and the Anchorage Hilton. On Tuesday, August 9, The Mudflats reported that three community leaders were expelled from the office of the General Manager of the Sheraton when they came to express the concerns of [...]

We couldn’t be prouder of Mudflats contributor and big scary Alaskan “union thug” Ryan Marquis of Kenai. Here he is with newly elected Senator Jennifer Schilling (D) in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Ryan was one of many Alaskans who have helped out on the ground in Wisconsin this year, proving that there’s nothing like boots on the ground [...]

~The Right’s Vision of America The much anticipated recall election is happening today in Wisconsin. Six Republicans in the state senate may be recalled. There are two camps in this fight, each with a radically different vision for America, the role of government, and the rights of workers to organize. When Gov. Scott Walker introduced [...]

By Shannyn Moore I should have a disclaimer on this column. I am the daughter of two retired educators. Their story is simple, but serendipitous. Two college graduates from depressed communities in the South had an opportunity to come to Alaska as teachers — for one year. It has now been well over 40. As [...]

Madison, WI. By Patrick DePula. Showing signs of sheer desperation, three GOP senators up for recall elections on July 12 have now resorted to asking the courts to stop the election citing dubious alleged “irregularities” in the filing of recall petitions.Never mind the wholesale recall petition fraud perpetrated by the Wisconsin Republican Party; substantiated with [...]

By Patrick DePula In what is seen as a win for public labor Unions, Governor Scott Walker’s controversial Anti-Collective Bargaining law was struck down. Thursday Morning, Dane County Judge MaryAnn Sumi issued a permanent injunction against the bill, effectively killing it until the Supreme Court is able to act. Sumi’s 33 page decision said there was “clear [...]

By Patrick DePula Madison, WI. The sky was gray, the temperature below 50, and the wind brisk.  Perfect Wisconsin protesting weather.  Nearly 20,000 people came out to the capitol last Saturday to protest the Walker Administrations’ war on the middle class.   You’d never know that the Wisconsin Uprising continues if you get your news from [...]

Mama Grizzlies are an Invasive Species: Sarah Palin Mobilizes Just 500 Tea Party Dullards in Madison Amidst Overwhelming Counter Protest. By Patrick DePula (Madison, WI) When the Americans for Prosperity-sponsored Tea Party Rally was announced several weeks ago, most left-leaning Madisonians yawned.  AFP rubes have been gathering on the Capitol Square annually for the last [...]

By Patrick DePula Kathy Nickolaus is the Waukesha County Clerk. She’s also either completely incompetent, or a criminal. Either way, she should seriously consider resigning in light of her recent stellar performance as the county elected official directly responsible for elections. On April 5th, Clerk Kathy “lost” the Supreme Court election returns for the entire [...]

Tuesday night yielded mixed results for both the Anchorage Assembly and School District. Assembly: It Could Have Been Worse Although the final verdict isn’t yet in on one progressive incumbent, and a pile of absentees are still outstanding, things aren’t looking great for Mike Gutierrez. With a 252 vote deficit to overcome, Gutierrez can in [...]

By Patrick DePula (photos: Bill Feeny) (Madison, WI) It is a place that used to be proudly called Wisconsin. A place with a rich progressive history that had long been known to elect Governors who generally moderate themselves in recognition of the fact that they serve the people of the state, and not corporate interests. [...]