Waukesha Teachers Continue to Protest in Madison

Teachers from the continue to rally in Madison after they finish the school day. The demonstrators have traveled by bus to the Capitol about every other day, said Kathy Stonitsch, president of the teacher’s union, the Education Association of Waukesha.

While other school districts have closed due to the amount of teachers calling in sick to participate in the rallies, Stonitsch said that Waukesha teachers don’t have that option.

“We don’t have contract rights that allow us to take days off like some of the other districts do,” Stonitsch said. “Other districts have personal days, which is what the teachers are using. They are actually not calling in sick. Our personal days have to be approved.”

The teachers currently are headed to arbitration over

Going to Madison several times a week following a day of teaching can be tiring but the teachers continue to fight against Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill.

Walker’s proposed bill calls for state employees to contribute 5.8 percent of toward their pension and 12 percent toward their health care costs. The collective bargaining portion of the bill would limit the unions to negotiate their salaries but benefits would not be subject to collective bargaining.

Unions who oppose the bill have been protesting in Madison for more than a week.

Walker’s supporters also protested on Saturday during a Tea Party rally.

The teacher’s aren’t stopping, though.

“We are trying to do what we can outside of the school day – struggling with that a little bit with that because we want to be here for our kids, but we know the real battle for our kids is out in Madison,” Stonitsch said. “It is hard, but we feel in our community that this is what we have to do.”

For special education Michelle Mader, it is more than having to contribute more money into pension and health-care costs. By eliminating the collective bargaining for benefits, teachers will have no job security and could fear losing their job if they stand up for their children.

Teachers and others who work with special needs students will fight for their students, she said, including taking on the school board and state legislation.

“It was part of who we are and what we do,” Mader said. “We don’t just teach, we try to represent and help effect positive change. Under this law, that won’t happen.”

Calling Walker’s bill “un-American” and “cruel,” Mader said teachers will fear going before those in power.  

“Any of that will be grounds to just fire people.,” Mader said. “The voice that parents and kids, in particularly the neediest like those with disabilities, those voices will be effectively silenced.

“That is exactly what the governor wants, because he doesn’t want anybody bringing up issues that might cost money for stuff. He pretends to represent the working families of Wisconsin. We know the working families. We teach the working families. They are going to have no representation at all because everybody is going to fear for their jobs if they raise any kind of issues.”