This Washington
UW Rallies in Support of Wisconsin Workers
A coalition of progressive, labor, and campus groups gathered near the University of Washington's Red Square Wednesday morning to show support for Wisconsin public employees. The event, about 125 folks showed up, billed itself as a UW-to-UW rally in support of employees at the University of Wisconsin, who are weathering an attack by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Walker has proposed pay cuts for state employees, which unions have agreed to, and more significantly, which is what all the controversy is about, removing the right of public employees to collectively bargain. Labor groups nationwide and in Washington are in uproar over Walker's bill.
Speakers warned that if students and campus workers don't show support and solidarity here in Seattle, Washington could become the next Wisconsin, drawing parallels between Wisconsin's crisis and that faced by workers at UW.
Jim Gregory of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies said "it's insane that a man like Scot Walker could be elected governor of any state, let alone Wisconsin" and "it's insane that teachers and public employees are being blamed and scapegoated" in this economic crisis.
David Parsons, head of UAW Local 4121 and who wrote an op/ed for PubliCola on the importance academic student employees in Feburary, told supporters that Wisconsin was the first state to have organized graduate student employees. "Forty years later, everybody here is a beneficiary," he said, arguing that "collective bargaining is a fundamental human right." UAW represents 4,000 academic student employees on campus.
Three of the unions representing workers on campus are currently in bargaining negotiations with the UW. Eunice How of USAS reminded rally participants of legislation moving through the state legislature that, although less sweeping than Gov. Walker's proposal, would curb the bargaining rights of Washington ferry workers.
In the Olympia legislature, though public employee benefits are high on the list of conservative targets, a bill similar to Walker's legislation that would have taken away public employee union's right to collective bargain fell flat. Still, labor recently took a hit in Olympia when conservative democrats hijacked January's unemployment insurance package, leaving out labor's much longed for children's benefit. Public employees have also seen their take home pay cut through increased health care contributions and mandatory furlough days.
Connecting the crowd of workers and students, higher education has also taken massive cuts in funding from the legislature in recent years and is set to receive a cut during the next biennium between $189 million to $246 million , which will likely be shouldered by student through increases in tuition.
The protesters focused their message on corporate greed. One sign read "Neuter the fat cats" while a massive blow-up "fat cat" swayed in the background. How also told rally participants that “it is corporations that must be held accountable for paying workers so little they must rely on taxpayer-funded social services, for exploiting special tax breaks and loopholes, and for squandering outrageous taxpayer bailouts without creating jobs for working class and middle class Americans."
Speakers warned that if students and campus workers don't show support and solidarity here in Seattle, Washington could become the next Wisconsin, drawing parallels between Wisconsin's crisis and that faced by workers at UW.
Jim Gregory of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies said "it's insane that a man like Scot Walker could be elected governor of any state, let alone Wisconsin" and "it's insane that teachers and public employees are being blamed and scapegoated" in this economic crisis.
David Parsons, head of UAW Local 4121 and who wrote an op/ed for PubliCola on the importance academic student employees in Feburary, told supporters that Wisconsin was the first state to have organized graduate student employees. "Forty years later, everybody here is a beneficiary," he said, arguing that "collective bargaining is a fundamental human right." UAW represents 4,000 academic student employees on campus.
Three of the unions representing workers on campus are currently in bargaining negotiations with the UW. Eunice How of USAS reminded rally participants of legislation moving through the state legislature that, although less sweeping than Gov. Walker's proposal, would curb the bargaining rights of Washington ferry workers.
In the Olympia legislature, though public employee benefits are high on the list of conservative targets, a bill similar to Walker's legislation that would have taken away public employee union's right to collective bargain fell flat. Still, labor recently took a hit in Olympia when conservative democrats hijacked January's unemployment insurance package, leaving out labor's much longed for children's benefit. Public employees have also seen their take home pay cut through increased health care contributions and mandatory furlough days.
Connecting the crowd of workers and students, higher education has also taken massive cuts in funding from the legislature in recent years and is set to receive a cut during the next biennium between $189 million to $246 million , which will likely be shouldered by student through increases in tuition.
The protesters focused their message on corporate greed. One sign read "Neuter the fat cats" while a massive blow-up "fat cat" swayed in the background. How also told rally participants that “it is corporations that must be held accountable for paying workers so little they must rely on taxpayer-funded social services, for exploiting special tax breaks and loopholes, and for squandering outrageous taxpayer bailouts without creating jobs for working class and middle class Americans."
