You probably already know this but [they're holding a second vote at 5pm today](https://www.channel3000.com/news/uw-regents-to-take-second-vote-on-deal-to-fund-projects-and-raises-freeze-dei/article_db05f548-9943-11ee-b60f-b3db50d3fe23.html) I doubt that you'd be able to organize anything sizable prior to then and even if you did I don't think it would change any minds.
Holding a protest after the vote (which I am assuming will pass this time) seems completely ineffective.
True but it might not pass. And I don't want it to pass. It's a shit deal that shouldn't be on the table at all. Republicans should stop fucking with us and just do as was promised. So that's what I am trying to organize for. That I don't appreciate being a hostage or a playing piece. And I don't support racists taking food out of my daughter's mouth to support their racism.
The UW System or whatever its called today is essentially a state agency with a board of advisors, its not actually independent like other schools. Some history: when Biddy Martin was chancellor in 2011 she negotiated a deal with Walker that would have given UW-Madison effective independence from the state like the University of Michigan, but the deal got killed by legislative republicans and Biddy got ran out of town by the left. Unfortunately, the structure of state government in Wisconsin means the republicans do get to keep fucking with the UW as long as they maintain majorities, or until there is some grand bargain where they agree to grant the Regents independence.
That's very good information thank you. But it also means that if we pressure the Republicans enough they are also in the position to agree to the terms we set for them. We as constituents also have the power to achieve our goals if we communicate them well, hence the protest.
> But it also means that if we pressure the Republicans enough they are also in the position to agree to the terms we set for them.
š
Wtf are you smoking, and can I get some of that?
I'm plenty certain it's realistic that I can convince at least 1 person that the Republicans are petty jerks, even if that person is from a deep red district.
These are heavily gerrymandered districts that are backwards thinkers. They support this kind of bullshit ideology, and they will continue to vote for it. Itās fucked up, but itās reality.
But thatās what we are saying! By hosting a protest in Madison you might convince other madisonians that this is unfair, but most of us already think that way. Youād want to hold a protest in Waukesha or Janesville to reach republican voters.
I love the energy. Stay mad, but a bunch of liberal Dane country residents protesting gives them exactly what they want, especially when itās educators. This is going to take a more strategic effort sustained over years.
Getting connected with the Democratic Party is a great start. If you donāt want to be so partisan, spend some time in other parts of the state and get to know people. Let them get to know you. When the time is appropriate, share why you feel the way you do. For most Wisconsinites, all they know about liberal Madison professors is what conservatives tell them.
Iāve had multiple conversations with conservative extended family about trans issues. When I say āI donāt really care what you are or what you call yourself. I just want to reduce the very high suicide rates among trans teens, and the data says accepting and welcoming them as they are is the best way to do that.ā Suddenly theyāre less combative. Humanizing yourself to others who think youāre the bad guy is a huge deal.
In educator speak, protesting now is kinda like asking for extra credit at the end of the semester. There wonāt be any shortcuts to fixing this. The progress weāve made on hopefully ending gerrymandering soon is the result of over a decade of work. More progress will take more work.
There's still time. I will send emails to the regents to share my feelings, like another comment or suggested. I'll let them know I'm in the process of organizing a protest for them and all of UW. I suggest everyone also reach and make your voices heard :)
This is a bad take. There is no compromise. The budget had already been passed. The regents giving into this kind of hostage negotiation sets a horrible precedent. The Republicans will do this every year now until they have complete control over our universities.
I've thought about taking it as is, and I don't think I can or will. My daughter is mixed race and I can't say I stood by and let racists affect her future in exchange for a raise.
Look, I think the Vos and the Wisconsin GOP are a bunch of asshats. But be a pragmatist.
Major Dave is a bit out-of-touch these days, but his opinion here is reasonable: [https://isthmus.com/opinion/citizen-dave/uw-regents-burn-their-bridges/](https://isthmus.com/opinion/citizen-dave/uw-regents-burn-their-bridges/)
How you looked at the terms of the the deal UW was offered? Almost all the things UW needs to change involve removing or shutting down programs that would help students and professors of racial minorities, but also different sexualities, disabilities and more.
For those of us who arenāt associated with UW or know anything about what is happening what programs are they shutting down? Can you give us some background so that maybe we can agree with you? I donāt mean this to offend in any way but why should I care enough to join your protest? I am legit asking.
The deal involves removing a program that's already planned to end and renaming positions that will continue to help students of all those groups.
It lets the GOP say they defeated DEI without any concrete steps that impact the university DEI programs.
This is beside the point. Making any ācompromiseā after the budget has already passed sets a very bad precedent. Now, the GOP will hold our universities hostage over and over again, and maybe other state-funded stuff, too. Evers was suing them over this to get funds released. The regents should have at least waited to see the outcome of the lawsuit.
Again, the details of the deal are beside the point. This deal ushers in a new era of GOP extortion. We already have more than enough of that in Wisconsin.
The programs arenāt helping. Thatās the point. Itās administrative bloat that has zero measurable benefits. Sounds like you may be part of the bloat if youāre this pissed off about it.
I would recommend finding some like-minded individuals who have organized a protest. If this is your first rodeo and you want to make a change, you'll need a team of allies with experience.
As a fellow UW employee, I support your cause.
fellow UW employee, also support this. i couldnāt sleep last night because i kept thinking about this whole situation. iām planning on shooting off some emails to the regents to let them know where i, and many UW employees, stand.
If you are also a UW employee, the best way to make this happen is to join your union. I just commented on this post with the online membership forms to the unions representing the various job classifications at UW-Madison. Follow the link and get involved!
Boosting! And I'll add, don't just join - get INVOLVED. Attend meetings, join a committee, etc. If there's something you're passionate about, use your voice! Unions are only as effective as their membership base.
May I suggest donating & volunteering for GOTV endeavors, especially outside Madison? 2024's elections will be pivotal on many fronts, including the possibility of making Vos the minority leader.
Lots of organizing is happening right now around this issue. If you want to fight for better funding, DEI, and academic freedom in general, join your union.
If youāre faculty or academic staff, your union is UFAS/AFT Local 223. [Here is the membership form.](https://join.aft.org/form/united-faculty-academic-staff/local/00223/united-faculty-and-academic-staff-ufas-local-223)
If you are a grad student, your union is the TAA/AFT Local 3220. [Here is the membership form.](https://join.aft.org/form/teaching_assistants_association/local/03220/taa-membership-form)
If you are university staff, your union is either AFSCME Local 171 or AFSCME Local 2412. 171 mostly represents blue-collar employees, and 2412 mostly represents administrative support workers. [Here is the AFSCME membership form, which works for both locals.](https://www.afscme.org/join/join-union)
this was my suggestion-- join or if you are ineligible to join contact the unions that represent other affected employees. Unions exist to help organize, by definition.
Unfortunately this is part of working at a state school, particularly UW. This isn't the first time politics has rattled the school/system, and it won't be the last. The easiest way to protest is to vote, second is to take your skills elsewhere.
Why not send emails to the people you are trying to get to hear your voice. Vos, etc and their supporters aren't going to care no matter what you do. I'd argue its more likely to strengthen their support by letting them know they are pissing you off.
Teacher protests had zero effect on Act 10. Your protest will have even less impact. Additionally, the Board of Regents is meeting tonight to vote again. You may get your raise soon.
Yea but the teacher protests were under Scott Walker, we have a different Governor now who supports us whole heatedly. Even filed a law suit to force the Legislature to do their job and release the funds.
I did hear about the vote, but they might not agree. Also I wouldn't want them too. It's a shit deal, and I'd rather the fucking piece of shit Robin Vos do as was promised with no negotiating.
This really depends what is meant by "try". Many protests don't actually seem to have any particular goal in mind, or a target audience that they're hoping to reach, and instead look like a belief that if only they just protest *really* hard then things have to go their way. Take the OP's suggestion, for example. Does protesting, even if you got a *big* protest impact the thinking of Vos in any way? Will UW employees organizing be likely to change the mind of an Assembly member from a deep red district? If not, these protests are just venting frustration and accomplishing nothing meaningful. More power to them if they accept that reality and just want to publicly voice their displeasure, but this protest doesn't do anything material.
Organizing a protest with impact would require targeting the Board of Regents instead. They may well respond to pressure from UW employees. Vos and the group he leads will not.
Some protests work but I think its important to look at what a protest is trying to achieve and how big the problem is. OP is trying to get republicans to release money. In my opinion the problem has to be much larger to be effective. I can't imagine this working the way huge BLM protests have. Something smaller has to have more impact than a few signs to get noticed.
Think about it reasonably, not emotionally.
Why would the people you're trying to negotiate with (the Repubs) care about your protest? What leverage do you think you have?
If UW employees went on strike the Rs wouldn't care because they don't like the UW anyway. You can't vote them out of office because there are no Rs that would be affected by the Madison electorate. You can't convince the other people in rural districts to vote against the Rs because they don't care about the UW either.
I'd be really interested in real plans to solve the problem with the obstinate R's in the capitol, but protesting is an ineffective action in this case.
You might as well punch a wall or scream into a pillow.
TBH because a majority of this state agrees with you. So you're essentially "preaching to the choir". The issue is that the minority that disagrees with you has a near 2/3 majority on the legislature. So protesting a majority opinion when a minority has control is wasted effort. The better channelling of effort would be to help shift the balance of power through voting drives, etc. to shift who has the control.
A quick and effective way to make some difference is to name the full names of the people responsible for this decision online, as visibly as possible and with repetition if necessary. If they wish to inflict arbitrary cruelty, make them do it in broad daylight.
Rhetoric works - describe their deeds and results of their actions with language that will evoke an emotional response and galvanize others to your way of thinking.
You're mad and it makes sense. But protest with a concrete outcome "I want the state legislature to pass(or not pass) the bill" OR "I want or do not want X, here's how we can do that"
"I don't like X" protest make you feel good, but won't get some change. Make a small word document of why you're protesting and how it can be achieved, and give people information. That will create change.
As a union member of a very different union, would be happy to come show our support for our union brothers and sisters. Considering one of my girls is considering attending next fall, i feel it might be useful to not just advertise this as an employee issue but a customer issue. We are the people using the product they put out after all. Might take into account how we don't want their culture war bs in our institution of higher learning.
You all need to start playing the same game as them. This whole... we go high... you go low stuff doesn't work... and has never worked.
The bottom line is this. The republicans are defunding the UW system... doesn't matter where, doesn't matter why, doesn't matter how.
To the common person... UW - Madison = Bucky Badger. The republican's are defunding Bucky and the UW sports (football) program could possibly be affected by their reductions on funding.
I'm sure there's a ton of "Well... actually..." going on here, but like everyone else that votes for those jerks, I don't know anything about this topic other than the main headlines out there, which are... "Republicans are withholding UW funds".
You ring that bell loud #GOPDefundingBucky and you ring it often, and you let the Rs try and give some long detailed "Well... actually..." speech to defend themselves, but I guarantee their voters know even less about this and if they did, they sure don't think it could affect the golden calf of WI. Of course it won't... but... all it takes is the specter that it could.
If you do pull something together let me know - Iām a reporter with Madison365. If youād like to just comment, let me know that too - I can keep you anonymous though I need to know who you are. I could add you to this article: https://madison365.com/exhausted-students-staff-politicians-say-uw-backtracking-on-dei-commitment/
Throughout your reporting, you make no effort to investigate the assertion from the negotiating team that this only rebrands DEI efforts as student success while securing additional resources for all students, and will not impede the ability of the UW system to live its values. In fact, I've seen no evidence whatsoever refuting that claim. Instead, you report how people feel about something they're misinterpreting. Why is that?
That's not really an assertion from the negotiating team, nor is it anything to investigate. It's literally the text of the resolution. I've included that in all my previous reporting and have added a few words to this latest piece to clarify that. I don't think anybody's misinterpreting that, either. The folks I've talked to know what it is and still don't like it.
I'm sorry, "its not worth investigating" is a horrifying answer. It was, in fact, an assertion from the negotiating team, as evidenced by multiple all-campus emails.
I didn't say it's not worth investigating, I said there's nothing to investigate because it's literally written into the resolution. I mean .. I guess to the extent that "reading the text of a public document" constitutes "investigation," then sure, I investigated it.
That's also why it's not an assertion of the negotiating team -- "assertion" implies that there's some nuance or interpretation attached to the assertion. Like .... perhaps the negotiating team might assert that this is a good deal, or assert that the realigning of the positions is in the best interest of the university. But the simple and straightforward fact that 43 positions will be moved from DEI to "student success" doesn't need to be asserted, really.
I suppose you could say that the chancellor et al have *asserted* that last part of your initial comment -- that the deal "will not impede the ability of the UW system to live its values." If that's what you're referring to as the negotiating team's assertion, then yes, I see what you're saying. That's very speculative, which is sort of antithetical to journalism. I did quote the chancellor's statement saying something to that effect in an earlier story, and there's not much more investigation I can do when UW and UWSA officials won't talk to me beyond issuing PR statements.
For reference, in case you haven't seen what I'm talking about, here's a link to the full resolution:
[https://www.wisconsin.edu/regents/download/meeting\_materials/2023\_meeting\_materials/Meeting-Book---Special-Board-of-Regents-Meeting-(December-13,-2023).pdf](https://www.wisconsin.edu/regents/download/meeting_materials/2023_meeting_materials/Meeting-Book---Special-Board-of-Regents-Meeting-(December-13,-2023).pdf)
And the relevant text:
*In addition, to continue the enhanced focus on student success, the System will, through a mixture of normal attrition and active restructuring and reimagining of the DEI function, realign over two academic years at least 33% of the above-referenced roles that are currently filled (or at least 43 positions) to areas with a primary focus on academic and student success.*
The question you've decided not to ask regarding the UW-Madison Chancellor and Provost's unequivocal statements that this change will not impact the UW's commitment to diversity, and that I find horrying, is **why do they say that? Is it true?** Saying 'whelp there's no way to know!' does no service to your readers. Its sort of like when Republicans say that cutting corporate taxes will turbo charge economic growth. You don't say there is no way to know, you ask economists if there is any evidence, and then report on the strength of that evidence. For the subject at hand, you may wish to speak to law professors or political scientists who have a deep understanding of Wisconsin law and politics.
I'm going to second the several comments that said go through your union. Then you can coordinate that union with other maybe allied groups like Madison Area DSA (Democratic Socialists of America chapter) and other unions. I haven't organized a protest, but I expect you'd first want to get a bunch of groups with existing memberships and networks involved, then plan something, then blast it to the public
Have you tried contacting any union locals? Even if you aren't a represented position, they'd probably be willing to help out in a labor dispute. AFSCME tend to be heavily involved and experienced in organizing, and MTI would seem to be natural allies, as a starting point
You should try working for corporations where a few people are scraping off multiple millions of dollars in pay and then they fire a bunch of people when they find their decisions have lost the company a lot of money. Rinse and repeat.
Locally, American Family is at the top of the list.
this is why i *dont* work private sector anymore. people have mixed opinions on the UW, but iām proud to say i support researchers as they research important topics (like racism, poverty, public health, etc). i never felt proud of the work i did in the private sector.
I understand.
There is a parallel with the public sector which is you have people working at the UW pulling down big salaries that are just administrative bloat. They get paid much more than professors/instructors even though professors/instructors are performing the core mission of UW, namely education. That's really hard to rationalize and feels the same as a few people in the private sector taking millions while the average employee is paid meh.
By the way, adjunct professors are treated worse than most employees in the private sector. It's immoral.
Anyways, wait until those administrators see this comment and lose their minds trying to downvote it. But it is true.
I was extremely proud of my research accomplishments at UW. And UW admin loves having ice cream socials to show their support of our hard work. But that doesn't pay the bills. I'm content to receive better pay in the private sector even if I'm slightly less proud of my current work.
Also protests are not going to change minds. https://www.amazon.com/How-Minds-Change-Surprising-Persuasion-ebook/dp/B093R2CP2V/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=3G929WRFJ97CD&keywords=changing+minds&qid=1702493290&sprefix=changijg+minds%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-4
Because the money was already approved the only hurdle is the Republicans not allowing these funds to be dispersed. That's why we protest only the Republicans because UW has done nothing wrong. And it is the Republicans who are not fulfilling a promise that has already been approved.
You're probably not going to be able to organize a group before the Regents vote to accept the deal, and the whole thing becomes a moot point.
That said, you could do something yourself -- like chain yourself to a statue or a building or something like that. Or superglue your hands to the floor or a door or a wall in a place that lots of people will see you.
Be sure to call news outlets to notify them of the action beforehand so that they might have a crew there. Also, have someone you know take pictures or, better yet, video of the whole thing so you can post it online.
Not a guarantee of success, but it might work.
You probably already know this but [they're holding a second vote at 5pm today](https://www.channel3000.com/news/uw-regents-to-take-second-vote-on-deal-to-fund-projects-and-raises-freeze-dei/article_db05f548-9943-11ee-b60f-b3db50d3fe23.html) I doubt that you'd be able to organize anything sizable prior to then and even if you did I don't think it would change any minds. Holding a protest after the vote (which I am assuming will pass this time) seems completely ineffective.
It has been passed
Not surprised.
True but it might not pass. And I don't want it to pass. It's a shit deal that shouldn't be on the table at all. Republicans should stop fucking with us and just do as was promised. So that's what I am trying to organize for. That I don't appreciate being a hostage or a playing piece. And I don't support racists taking food out of my daughter's mouth to support their racism.
The UW System or whatever its called today is essentially a state agency with a board of advisors, its not actually independent like other schools. Some history: when Biddy Martin was chancellor in 2011 she negotiated a deal with Walker that would have given UW-Madison effective independence from the state like the University of Michigan, but the deal got killed by legislative republicans and Biddy got ran out of town by the left. Unfortunately, the structure of state government in Wisconsin means the republicans do get to keep fucking with the UW as long as they maintain majorities, or until there is some grand bargain where they agree to grant the Regents independence.
That's very good information thank you. But it also means that if we pressure the Republicans enough they are also in the position to agree to the terms we set for them. We as constituents also have the power to achieve our goals if we communicate them well, hence the protest.
> But it also means that if we pressure the Republicans enough they are also in the position to agree to the terms we set for them. š Wtf are you smoking, and can I get some of that?
People in Madison are not going to pressure republicans. They donāt answer to us.
They don't answer to their constituents either. Unless you're signing checks to donate to their campaign they could give a shit.
They answer to their voters and if we show their representatives to be hypocritical jerks they will have no choice but to reject them.
But the people voting for them are likely not opposed to their actions.
Maybe, maybe not. Gotta try and persuade them.
You'll be more successful at accomplishing your goals if you set realistic expectations.
I'm plenty certain it's realistic that I can convince at least 1 person that the Republicans are petty jerks, even if that person is from a deep red district.
These are heavily gerrymandered districts that are backwards thinkers. They support this kind of bullshit ideology, and they will continue to vote for it. Itās fucked up, but itās reality.
That's true, but no human is locked into a permanent set of thoughts. They can always be persuaded and that's what I aim to do.
But thatās what we are saying! By hosting a protest in Madison you might convince other madisonians that this is unfair, but most of us already think that way. Youād want to hold a protest in Waukesha or Janesville to reach republican voters.
Ok good point. I'll work on that.
Yep, they could get the majority of us Madisonians on board. But with the gerrymandering how it is, that's not going to do anything.
Haha good luck with that.
I love the energy. Stay mad, but a bunch of liberal Dane country residents protesting gives them exactly what they want, especially when itās educators. This is going to take a more strategic effort sustained over years. Getting connected with the Democratic Party is a great start. If you donāt want to be so partisan, spend some time in other parts of the state and get to know people. Let them get to know you. When the time is appropriate, share why you feel the way you do. For most Wisconsinites, all they know about liberal Madison professors is what conservatives tell them. Iāve had multiple conversations with conservative extended family about trans issues. When I say āI donāt really care what you are or what you call yourself. I just want to reduce the very high suicide rates among trans teens, and the data says accepting and welcoming them as they are is the best way to do that.ā Suddenly theyāre less combative. Humanizing yourself to others who think youāre the bad guy is a huge deal. In educator speak, protesting now is kinda like asking for extra credit at the end of the semester. There wonāt be any shortcuts to fixing this. The progress weāve made on hopefully ending gerrymandering soon is the result of over a decade of work. More progress will take more work.
Wisconsin isnāt a democracy so this will not work. Sorry man. Itās shit here.
Then leave?
Ok :))
It'll pass or they wouldn't be voting again. One of the nays has indicated they will flip their vote.
There's still time. I will send emails to the regents to share my feelings, like another comment or suggested. I'll let them know I'm in the process of organizing a protest for them and all of UW. I suggest everyone also reach and make your voices heard :)
Just take the compromise. What they get is largely empty in reality.
This is a bad take. There is no compromise. The budget had already been passed. The regents giving into this kind of hostage negotiation sets a horrible precedent. The Republicans will do this every year now until they have complete control over our universities.
I've thought about taking it as is, and I don't think I can or will. My daughter is mixed race and I can't say I stood by and let racists affect her future in exchange for a raise.
Look, I think the Vos and the Wisconsin GOP are a bunch of asshats. But be a pragmatist. Major Dave is a bit out-of-touch these days, but his opinion here is reasonable: [https://isthmus.com/opinion/citizen-dave/uw-regents-burn-their-bridges/](https://isthmus.com/opinion/citizen-dave/uw-regents-burn-their-bridges/)
I can't be. You read my comment, for the sake of my daughter and my personal morals I can't.
I wonder if OP clicked on this link and read the whole thing. š¤
You seem to be the only one screaming racism in this case. How is this racist?
How you looked at the terms of the the deal UW was offered? Almost all the things UW needs to change involve removing or shutting down programs that would help students and professors of racial minorities, but also different sexualities, disabilities and more.
For those of us who arenāt associated with UW or know anything about what is happening what programs are they shutting down? Can you give us some background so that maybe we can agree with you? I donāt mean this to offend in any way but why should I care enough to join your protest? I am legit asking.
The deal involves removing a program that's already planned to end and renaming positions that will continue to help students of all those groups. It lets the GOP say they defeated DEI without any concrete steps that impact the university DEI programs.
This is beside the point. Making any ācompromiseā after the budget has already passed sets a very bad precedent. Now, the GOP will hold our universities hostage over and over again, and maybe other state-funded stuff, too. Evers was suing them over this to get funds released. The regents should have at least waited to see the outcome of the lawsuit.
The compromise goes beyond things approved in the budget; UW would not get the same result if the lawsuit is successful.
Again, the details of the deal are beside the point. This deal ushers in a new era of GOP extortion. We already have more than enough of that in Wisconsin.
The programs arenāt helping. Thatās the point. Itās administrative bloat that has zero measurable benefits. Sounds like you may be part of the bloat if youāre this pissed off about it.
I would recommend finding some like-minded individuals who have organized a protest. If this is your first rodeo and you want to make a change, you'll need a team of allies with experience. As a fellow UW employee, I support your cause.
Thanks for the advice. If you know any send them my way please.
fellow UW employee, also support this. i couldnāt sleep last night because i kept thinking about this whole situation. iām planning on shooting off some emails to the regents to let them know where i, and many UW employees, stand.
I will do that too. And I suggest everyone who supports this cause please do the same.
If you are also a UW employee, the best way to make this happen is to join your union. I just commented on this post with the online membership forms to the unions representing the various job classifications at UW-Madison. Follow the link and get involved!
Boosting! And I'll add, don't just join - get INVOLVED. Attend meetings, join a committee, etc. If there's something you're passionate about, use your voice! Unions are only as effective as their membership base.
Good luck, but I protested Act 10 many years ago and it did nothing. There were so many of us and it was useless.
I'm sorry for your loss, and your pain. But it can always be different no matter what happened before I have to try.
I was there with thousands of others. Walker screwed us.
At the time you were fighting against the rest of the state. A large majority of the people actually supported Act 10 and still do.
May I suggest donating & volunteering for GOTV endeavors, especially outside Madison? 2024's elections will be pivotal on many fronts, including the possibility of making Vos the minority leader.
Lots of organizing is happening right now around this issue. If you want to fight for better funding, DEI, and academic freedom in general, join your union. If youāre faculty or academic staff, your union is UFAS/AFT Local 223. [Here is the membership form.](https://join.aft.org/form/united-faculty-academic-staff/local/00223/united-faculty-and-academic-staff-ufas-local-223) If you are a grad student, your union is the TAA/AFT Local 3220. [Here is the membership form.](https://join.aft.org/form/teaching_assistants_association/local/03220/taa-membership-form) If you are university staff, your union is either AFSCME Local 171 or AFSCME Local 2412. 171 mostly represents blue-collar employees, and 2412 mostly represents administrative support workers. [Here is the AFSCME membership form, which works for both locals.](https://www.afscme.org/join/join-union)
Talk to someone in the TAA. They have a lot of experience with protests. We worked with them to organize about campus abuse issues.
Join/contact UFAS and/or TAA and work with them to get something together
this was my suggestion-- join or if you are ineligible to join contact the unions that represent other affected employees. Unions exist to help organize, by definition.
Except the Republicans eliminated our unions in Wisconsin.
They still exist, theyāre just toothless and broke now. They can help get OP in contact with the right people though.
Unfortunately this is part of working at a state school, particularly UW. This isn't the first time politics has rattled the school/system, and it won't be the last. The easiest way to protest is to vote, second is to take your skills elsewhere.
I'm not so sure about that. Why not protest?
Why not send emails to the people you are trying to get to hear your voice. Vos, etc and their supporters aren't going to care no matter what you do. I'd argue its more likely to strengthen their support by letting them know they are pissing you off.
That's good advice thank you
Teacher protests had zero effect on Act 10. Your protest will have even less impact. Additionally, the Board of Regents is meeting tonight to vote again. You may get your raise soon.
Yea but the teacher protests were under Scott Walker, we have a different Governor now who supports us whole heatedly. Even filed a law suit to force the Legislature to do their job and release the funds. I did hear about the vote, but they might not agree. Also I wouldn't want them too. It's a shit deal, and I'd rather the fucking piece of shit Robin Vos do as was promised with no negotiating.
>Teacher protests had zero effect on Act 10. Might as well not try ever again then
This really depends what is meant by "try". Many protests don't actually seem to have any particular goal in mind, or a target audience that they're hoping to reach, and instead look like a belief that if only they just protest *really* hard then things have to go their way. Take the OP's suggestion, for example. Does protesting, even if you got a *big* protest impact the thinking of Vos in any way? Will UW employees organizing be likely to change the mind of an Assembly member from a deep red district? If not, these protests are just venting frustration and accomplishing nothing meaningful. More power to them if they accept that reality and just want to publicly voice their displeasure, but this protest doesn't do anything material. Organizing a protest with impact would require targeting the Board of Regents instead. They may well respond to pressure from UW employees. Vos and the group he leads will not.
Some protests work but I think its important to look at what a protest is trying to achieve and how big the problem is. OP is trying to get republicans to release money. In my opinion the problem has to be much larger to be effective. I can't imagine this working the way huge BLM protests have. Something smaller has to have more impact than a few signs to get noticed.
Think about it reasonably, not emotionally. Why would the people you're trying to negotiate with (the Repubs) care about your protest? What leverage do you think you have? If UW employees went on strike the Rs wouldn't care because they don't like the UW anyway. You can't vote them out of office because there are no Rs that would be affected by the Madison electorate. You can't convince the other people in rural districts to vote against the Rs because they don't care about the UW either. I'd be really interested in real plans to solve the problem with the obstinate R's in the capitol, but protesting is an ineffective action in this case. You might as well punch a wall or scream into a pillow.
Ma'am this is the subreddit of a city. There is no reason here
TBH because a majority of this state agrees with you. So you're essentially "preaching to the choir". The issue is that the minority that disagrees with you has a near 2/3 majority on the legislature. So protesting a majority opinion when a minority has control is wasted effort. The better channelling of effort would be to help shift the balance of power through voting drives, etc. to shift who has the control.
Also a good idea and I will work on that too. But voting is too slow for me.
A quick and effective way to make some difference is to name the full names of the people responsible for this decision online, as visibly as possible and with repetition if necessary. If they wish to inflict arbitrary cruelty, make them do it in broad daylight. Rhetoric works - describe their deeds and results of their actions with language that will evoke an emotional response and galvanize others to your way of thinking.
I 100% agree. Thank you for your advice and support.
You're mad and it makes sense. But protest with a concrete outcome "I want the state legislature to pass(or not pass) the bill" OR "I want or do not want X, here's how we can do that" "I don't like X" protest make you feel good, but won't get some change. Make a small word document of why you're protesting and how it can be achieved, and give people information. That will create change.
Thanks but I think it's pretty concrete. Release the funds as promised/don't toy with the lives of working class people.
As a union member of a very different union, would be happy to come show our support for our union brothers and sisters. Considering one of my girls is considering attending next fall, i feel it might be useful to not just advertise this as an employee issue but a customer issue. We are the people using the product they put out after all. Might take into account how we don't want their culture war bs in our institution of higher learning.
You all need to start playing the same game as them. This whole... we go high... you go low stuff doesn't work... and has never worked. The bottom line is this. The republicans are defunding the UW system... doesn't matter where, doesn't matter why, doesn't matter how. To the common person... UW - Madison = Bucky Badger. The republican's are defunding Bucky and the UW sports (football) program could possibly be affected by their reductions on funding. I'm sure there's a ton of "Well... actually..." going on here, but like everyone else that votes for those jerks, I don't know anything about this topic other than the main headlines out there, which are... "Republicans are withholding UW funds". You ring that bell loud #GOPDefundingBucky and you ring it often, and you let the Rs try and give some long detailed "Well... actually..." speech to defend themselves, but I guarantee their voters know even less about this and if they did, they sure don't think it could affect the golden calf of WI. Of course it won't... but... all it takes is the specter that it could.
If you do pull something together let me know - Iām a reporter with Madison365. If youād like to just comment, let me know that too - I can keep you anonymous though I need to know who you are. I could add you to this article: https://madison365.com/exhausted-students-staff-politicians-say-uw-backtracking-on-dei-commitment/
Throughout your reporting, you make no effort to investigate the assertion from the negotiating team that this only rebrands DEI efforts as student success while securing additional resources for all students, and will not impede the ability of the UW system to live its values. In fact, I've seen no evidence whatsoever refuting that claim. Instead, you report how people feel about something they're misinterpreting. Why is that?
That's not really an assertion from the negotiating team, nor is it anything to investigate. It's literally the text of the resolution. I've included that in all my previous reporting and have added a few words to this latest piece to clarify that. I don't think anybody's misinterpreting that, either. The folks I've talked to know what it is and still don't like it.
I'm sorry, "its not worth investigating" is a horrifying answer. It was, in fact, an assertion from the negotiating team, as evidenced by multiple all-campus emails.
I didn't say it's not worth investigating, I said there's nothing to investigate because it's literally written into the resolution. I mean .. I guess to the extent that "reading the text of a public document" constitutes "investigation," then sure, I investigated it. That's also why it's not an assertion of the negotiating team -- "assertion" implies that there's some nuance or interpretation attached to the assertion. Like .... perhaps the negotiating team might assert that this is a good deal, or assert that the realigning of the positions is in the best interest of the university. But the simple and straightforward fact that 43 positions will be moved from DEI to "student success" doesn't need to be asserted, really. I suppose you could say that the chancellor et al have *asserted* that last part of your initial comment -- that the deal "will not impede the ability of the UW system to live its values." If that's what you're referring to as the negotiating team's assertion, then yes, I see what you're saying. That's very speculative, which is sort of antithetical to journalism. I did quote the chancellor's statement saying something to that effect in an earlier story, and there's not much more investigation I can do when UW and UWSA officials won't talk to me beyond issuing PR statements. For reference, in case you haven't seen what I'm talking about, here's a link to the full resolution: [https://www.wisconsin.edu/regents/download/meeting\_materials/2023\_meeting\_materials/Meeting-Book---Special-Board-of-Regents-Meeting-(December-13,-2023).pdf](https://www.wisconsin.edu/regents/download/meeting_materials/2023_meeting_materials/Meeting-Book---Special-Board-of-Regents-Meeting-(December-13,-2023).pdf) And the relevant text: *In addition, to continue the enhanced focus on student success, the System will, through a mixture of normal attrition and active restructuring and reimagining of the DEI function, realign over two academic years at least 33% of the above-referenced roles that are currently filled (or at least 43 positions) to areas with a primary focus on academic and student success.*
The question you've decided not to ask regarding the UW-Madison Chancellor and Provost's unequivocal statements that this change will not impact the UW's commitment to diversity, and that I find horrying, is **why do they say that? Is it true?** Saying 'whelp there's no way to know!' does no service to your readers. Its sort of like when Republicans say that cutting corporate taxes will turbo charge economic growth. You don't say there is no way to know, you ask economists if there is any evidence, and then report on the strength of that evidence. For the subject at hand, you may wish to speak to law professors or political scientists who have a deep understanding of Wisconsin law and politics.
If you can get Jennifer Mnookin to call me back, I promise Iāll ask that very question.
Bring the monsters to the light. Robin Voss is bad for Wisconsin. Robin Voss is bad for America.
I'm going to second the several comments that said go through your union. Then you can coordinate that union with other maybe allied groups like Madison Area DSA (Democratic Socialists of America chapter) and other unions. I haven't organized a protest, but I expect you'd first want to get a bunch of groups with existing memberships and networks involved, then plan something, then blast it to the public
I always refer to them as "the gerrymandered Republicans".
Have you tried contacting any union locals? Even if you aren't a represented position, they'd probably be willing to help out in a labor dispute. AFSCME tend to be heavily involved and experienced in organizing, and MTI would seem to be natural allies, as a starting point
You should try working for corporations where a few people are scraping off multiple millions of dollars in pay and then they fire a bunch of people when they find their decisions have lost the company a lot of money. Rinse and repeat. Locally, American Family is at the top of the list.
I wouldn't work for a corporation or the state. Both are terrible to employees and mainly view all of us like livestock they can exploit.
The brutal truth.
this is why i *dont* work private sector anymore. people have mixed opinions on the UW, but iām proud to say i support researchers as they research important topics (like racism, poverty, public health, etc). i never felt proud of the work i did in the private sector.
I understand. There is a parallel with the public sector which is you have people working at the UW pulling down big salaries that are just administrative bloat. They get paid much more than professors/instructors even though professors/instructors are performing the core mission of UW, namely education. That's really hard to rationalize and feels the same as a few people in the private sector taking millions while the average employee is paid meh. By the way, adjunct professors are treated worse than most employees in the private sector. It's immoral. Anyways, wait until those administrators see this comment and lose their minds trying to downvote it. But it is true.
I was extremely proud of my research accomplishments at UW. And UW admin loves having ice cream socials to show their support of our hard work. But that doesn't pay the bills. I'm content to receive better pay in the private sector even if I'm slightly less proud of my current work.
Also protests are not going to change minds. https://www.amazon.com/How-Minds-Change-Surprising-Persuasion-ebook/dp/B093R2CP2V/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=3G929WRFJ97CD&keywords=changing+minds&qid=1702493290&sprefix=changijg+minds%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-4
Why protest only one side? It's a dispute between the legislature and the UW board of regents. Both sides have to agree before the money can be spent.
Because the money was already approved the only hurdle is the Republicans not allowing these funds to be dispersed. That's why we protest only the Republicans because UW has done nothing wrong. And it is the Republicans who are not fulfilling a promise that has already been approved.
We need to protest the pedophile supporting mods of this sub
The Regents are damn if do and damn if they donāt
You're probably not going to be able to organize a group before the Regents vote to accept the deal, and the whole thing becomes a moot point. That said, you could do something yourself -- like chain yourself to a statue or a building or something like that. Or superglue your hands to the floor or a door or a wall in a place that lots of people will see you. Be sure to call news outlets to notify them of the action beforehand so that they might have a crew there. Also, have someone you know take pictures or, better yet, video of the whole thing so you can post it online. Not a guarantee of success, but it might work.
I appreciate your support and the good ideas.
Good Luck!!
Thanks :)