Hundreds March Through Downtown Menomonee Falls to Protest Budget Bill

Protesters from all over the Milwaukee area converged on downtown Menomonee Falls Wednesday afternoon to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget repair bill.

Hundreds of public workers and residents assembled at about 4 p.m. in the parking lot outside North Middle School on Garfield Avenue before marching down Appleton Avenue.

Protesters chanted: “Kill the bill!” and “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Scott Walker’s got to go!” while motorists beeped their horns and waved in approval. Protesters wielded signs and American flags while police controlled crosswalks during rush hour on Appleton Avenue.

Before marching south on Appleton Avenue, the line of protesters completely encircled state Sen. Alberta Darling’s offices at N88W16621 Appleton Ave.

Joshua Przwbylski recently received his teaching certification after years of education. Przwbylski is a substitute teacher in Mequon and Menomonee Falls.

“I just got certified to teach,” said Przwblski. “I went to school for years to be a teacher and this is what I’m dealing with now. I can’t not be here – not if I want a future in this profession.”

Under the proposed state legislation, collective bargaining would be limited to wages, which can’t increase consumer price index-based cap, according to a news release from Walker. The cap could be exceeded by referendum.

Other issues that are in the bill include requiring state employees to contribute 5.8 percent toward their pension and 12 percent toward their health care benefits, according to Walker’s release. That move would save the state $30 million as it looks to plug a $137 million budget deficit by the end of June, according to the news release.

“Union workers are being attacked,” said Cary Tianen, a teacher at Bayside Middle School. “(Walker) is using the guise of economic difficulties to justify doing this.”

Many of the protesters said they were willing to make concessions on paying into their pensions and health care, but felt the bill went too far in stripping them of their bargaining rights.

“We’ve never not been willing to talk about concessions,” said Steve LeBre, a teacher in the Menomonee Falls School District. “But they have gone too far, and are trying to take away our bargaining rights.”

The protest in Menomonee Falls was sponsored by the Educators Network for Social Justice and the Milwaukee Area United Education Professionals – WEAC affiliates.

The demonstration was an act of solidarity with the thousands of protestors rallying at the state Capitol in Madison Wednesday. It also gave people in the Milwaukee area the opportunity to defend their right to organize unions.

“You can’t take away our total voice,” said Ruth Ann Petroff, a social studies teacher at Menomonee Falls High School. “To single out one group of employees is discriminatory at best.”

Several officers we’re on the scene to direct traffic during the demonstration that lasted until roughly 5:30 p.m., and there were no problems to report.

The protests throughout the state are beginning to make an impact in Madison, AFSCME leaders said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

“There are signs that some politicians are starting to listen, but they still don't understand,” the statement read. “Until this so-called budget repair scheme restores the guarantee of rights to collectively bargain, the protests will continue.”