UW-Madison students and state-worker unions combined efforts Thursday as they rallied and marched from Bascom Hill to the Capitol demanding a state budget that will help UW-Madison students and state workers.
The group of protesters included various student organizations from seven different UW campuses and labor unions such as the Teaching Assistants' Association and AFSCME Local 171, which represents other UW-Madison workers.
The rally began at the top of Bascom Hill where UW-Madison junior Josh Healey, a member of the Multicultural Student Coalition, set the agenda for the day.
\They're not just screwing students, they're not just screwing workers, they are screwing lots of people,"" Healey said about the state government and its handling of the budget thus far.
""UW is under attack. It's in trouble,"" UW-Madison junior and member of the Student Labor Action Coalition Ruth Castel-Branco said.
Castel-Branco said the main goals of the rally were fair contracts, tuition rollback, universal healthcare and universal education.
Eric Robson, a representative of AFSCME Local 171 union, spoke about the struggles state workers are facing with the state budget.
""The only way we pay our bills is through a credit card or picking up a second job,"" he said.
Robson added the decisions the state government must make about the budget are based on responsible government. According to Robson, nothing is responsible about cutting state jobs and university classes.
What is unique about this protest compared to the many in the past few months related to the budget is that state workers and students joined together to rally.
UW-Madison freshman Emily Paulson thought that students joining with workers in the rally would help tbring success to the groups and would increase publicity for all.
""I hope we can get enough publicity ... to get what we need for the state and for the students,"" Paulson said. ""We have the TAs with us here too and its really important they get a fair contract. There are union workers here too [who] have really important issues to push.""
Peter Brinson, a Sociology teaching assistant at UW-Madison and Vice President of Organizing at the TAA thought the joined forces at the rally was important.
""I think the most significant thing about this rally is that it represents an increasing solidarity between students and workers. We understand that all of our respected problems ... all come from the same source ... the state government,"" Brinson said.
