The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Students rally to protest anti-union bill in Wisconsin

Politically active students took to the streets to stop what they said was injustice. The International Socialist Organization (ISO) sent two UVM students to Madison, Wis. on Feb. 26 and 27, ISO member Alexander Buckingham said. Buckingham and Karley Reising went to protest the recent anti-union bill, which limited the collective bargaining rights of public sector unions in Wisconsin, Buckingham said. “It is labor finally fighting back,” Buckingham said. “Workers in the U.S. have been attacked for the last 50 years with only a few examples of a large fight back; this is what class warfare looks like.” Other ISO members said they agreed with Buckingham that Madison defines a return of class-consciousness in America. The new law would remove the ability to collectively bargain over almost all issues, according to an article in the Green Bay Press-Gazette. This law will not be published until March 25 and will not take effect until then, according to the article. This is causing union workers to rush in last attempts to reach agreements with school boards and local governments, the article stated. The bill is being challenged in court and on the streets of Madison, where protesters such as Buckingham and Reising said they worked to stop the bill. It is no longer a one-sided class war; there is now actually a hope for the future of unions, an ISO member said at the weekly meeting. All 50 states had rallies at their state capitals on Feb. 26 to oppose the bill, according to Change.org. Although ISO members said they agreed that this was a move in the right direction, they still expressed a desire to build socialism in the country. Larger numbers are needed at times to make a change, an ISO member said.

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Students rally to protest anti-union bill in Wisconsin