Madison is just 150 miles north of Rosemont.

For union members across the country, this will be a hell of a weekend. From Michigan to Ohio, Indiana to Wisconsin the lines have been drawn.

Michael Moore described it as a war against the working people of the United States last night on Rachel Maddow. And what had been a one-sided war has now produced a huge fight back. Non-violent, but powerful.

Tomorrow in Rosemont just outside of Chicago, the 130,000 member Illinois Education Association will hold its annual state Representative Assembly.

I will be there as a delegate.

If you have followed this blog, you know what I have thought.

But here are some other thoughts and things I’ve heard:

Last week the union representing hotel workers in Chicago and other cities signed an agreement with the Hilton Hotel. You may know that the RA has usually been held at the Rosemont Hyatt Regency O’Hare. In support fo UNITE HERE, the IEA pulled out of that hotel and is now meeting next door at the Rosemont Convention Center.

I have been told that a representative of the union UNITE HERE will address the delegates and thank them for their support.  I also hear that a petition will be circulating for delegates to sign supporting the hotel workers and will be presented to the Hyatt management at next door’s Hyatt Regency on Friday evening after our meeting is adjourned for the day.

Look for “Tax the Rich” buttons in the lobby.

What about a New Business Item calling for a boycott of all Koch enterprises? The Koch brothers, by some counts the third riches guys in the U.S. and right-wing activists, bankrolled the entire Wisconsin anti-union campaign?

Delegates have asked if the IEA leadership can secure buses to Madison when Saturday rallies are called?

What else has the IEA been doing in support of Wisconsin public service workers and their unions? Can we get a report to the delegates? I know I have seen many IEA faces in Madison.

Will the delegates reject any change to the legislative platform on retiree benefits, tenure, seniority or the further eroding of local bargaining rights?

If there are lessons for us in the events in Wisconsin (and man, are there!), one of the most important is that the enemies of unions are not interested in discussion. They look at quick concessions as a sign of weakness.

If we leave Rosemont having gotten that down it will be as historic an RA as there could be. And how right to have a historic RA on this historic weekend for working folks and unions.