Around Town: Protesters rail against Walker plan for state workers
Mike VandenBrook came to a rally at the state Capitol on Sunday afternoon with his head and leg in bandages and using a walker. He wore a sign that said, “I didn’t see it coming” on the front. On his back a sign read, “I must have been in a coma.”
VandenBrook was one of about 150 people who converged on the Capitol to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to strip state workers of most of their collective bargaining rights. His costume was a reference to Walker’s comment Friday that people who didn’t see his proposal coming must have been “in a coma.”
Walker was “pretty slick pulling that on a Friday,” not allowing the public time to organize, said VandenBrook, a psychologist at Oakhill Correctional Institution in Fitchburg who has worked for the state for 33 years.
“Most of the people here realize these are difficult times,” he said. “I’m certainly willing to play my part and take a cut. That’s not the major issue. The major issue for me is that we weren’t even asked or included in the decision. That’s not the democratic process.”
Diane Meier, 64, a retired teacher and administrator, said she remembers a time in the late ’70s, before collective bargaining, when schools were closed for more than a month because of strikes.
“It polarized the community,” she said.
Another protest was held Sunday morning in front of the Governor’s Mansion, drawing about 100 people. More demonstrations at the Capitol are planned for today, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Walker’s bill now goes before the Legislature, which could act on it this week.
Sandy Thistle, 47, who has spent more than 20 years as a union carpenter and teaches at MATC, protested at the Governor’s Mansion, saying there are a handful of Republican legislators who could be influenced the demonstrations.
“Union wages prop up the economy in this state,” Thistle said. “They bring up the wages of everyone else, whether or not they are in a union.”
The governor said his bill, part of a plan to plug a $137 million hole in the current state budget, will avoid employee furloughs and layoffs. It requires the vast majority of state, local and school employees to pay half the cost of their pensions — about 5.8 percent of pay for most state workers.
Public employees also would pay a larger share of their health care premiums.
“This isn’t an assault on one group. This is an assault on workers,” said Justin Sargent. 42, who works at the Capitol. “We have never seen any nation or state get out of an economic downturn by attacking the middle class.”
VandenBrook was one of about 150 people who converged on the Capitol to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to strip state workers of most of their collective bargaining rights. His costume was a reference to Walker’s comment Friday that people who didn’t see his proposal coming must have been “in a coma.”
Walker was “pretty slick pulling that on a Friday,” not allowing the public time to organize, said VandenBrook, a psychologist at Oakhill Correctional Institution in Fitchburg who has worked for the state for 33 years.
“Most of the people here realize these are difficult times,” he said. “I’m certainly willing to play my part and take a cut. That’s not the major issue. The major issue for me is that we weren’t even asked or included in the decision. That’s not the democratic process.”
Diane Meier, 64, a retired teacher and administrator, said she remembers a time in the late ’70s, before collective bargaining, when schools were closed for more than a month because of strikes.
“It polarized the community,” she said.
Another protest was held Sunday morning in front of the Governor’s Mansion, drawing about 100 people. More demonstrations at the Capitol are planned for today, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Walker’s bill now goes before the Legislature, which could act on it this week.
Sandy Thistle, 47, who has spent more than 20 years as a union carpenter and teaches at MATC, protested at the Governor’s Mansion, saying there are a handful of Republican legislators who could be influenced the demonstrations.
“Union wages prop up the economy in this state,” Thistle said. “They bring up the wages of everyone else, whether or not they are in a union.”
The governor said his bill, part of a plan to plug a $137 million hole in the current state budget, will avoid employee furloughs and layoffs. It requires the vast majority of state, local and school employees to pay half the cost of their pensions — about 5.8 percent of pay for most state workers.
Public employees also would pay a larger share of their health care premiums.
“This isn’t an assault on one group. This is an assault on workers,” said Justin Sargent. 42, who works at the Capitol. “We have never seen any nation or state get out of an economic downturn by attacking the middle class.”
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