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Filed under: In The News
Jennifer Uphoff Gray participates in a "Les Miserables" flash mob protest at the Wisconsin state Capitol. Credit: Courtesy of Jennifer Uphoff Gray
When newly elected Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced Feb. 11 that he wanted to take away most of the collective bargaining rights of public employees, he probably expected some backlash.It's unlikely, however, that he had any idea his plan would lead to tens of thousands of protesters rallying daily at the state Capitol.
Many of the early protesters were teachers, but they were soon joined by parents and their children. When the teachers went back to work on Feb. 22, parents kept the pressure on by organizing their own rallies -- police estimated there were "about 70,000" protesters at the Capitol on Feb. 27, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.
ParentDish spoke to Jennifer Uphoff Gray, a Madison mother of three, with children in preschool, second and fourth grade. The artistic director of the Forward Theater Company, who has attended eight rallies since Feb. 17, and plans to take her kids with her to another rally on March 5, talks about Walker's bill, the protests and why she thinks parents should get involved. An edited version of the interview follows.
ParentDish: How did you first get involved in the protests?
Jennifer Uphoff Gray: I was aware that Gov. Walker had announced that he was introducing a bill that would significantly curtail union rights in our state. But I was in tech for a production and didn't have a chance to read much beyond the headlines. A few days later, Tuesday night, Feb. 15, I received word that my middle son's public school would be closed the following day because the Madison teacher's union had decided to do a mass protest at the state Capitol.
As images of teachers and parents and students protesting peacefully on that Wednesday, Feb. 16, started to come out, I realized that there might actually be an opportunity to defeat this bill. ... The next day, I took my son down to the protest. There were about 25,000 people there that day. It was an extraordinary learning opportunity for him.
PD: How so?
JG: He got to see what public discourse in action looked like. We also ran into several of his teachers in the Capitol building. They were very moved, and they thanked him for being there to support such an important cause. That had a big impact on him.
PD: Why is this an important cause to you?
JG: I've spent my entire life active in political and progressive causes. This bill of the governor's cuts at the fundamental social bargain that we have entered into with our communities and our public workers. These workers did not cause the financial crisis that we are in. Even so, salaries have been cut, benefits have been deferred, public workers have stepped up to be part of the solution. Even with the governor's request for significant changes to financial compensation, the unions have agreed to all of those cutbacks. Walker is only interested in dismantling public unions. This is not about the budget.
PD: What has it been like at the protests?
JG: It has been profoundly inspiring. The crowds are multi-generational; you see college students, children, adults, public and private employees, small business owners. People are polite, they are respectful, they are patriotic, they show their support for the institutions of our state, they show respect for the Capitol building, itself.
The people who were locked out organized cleaning crews every hour, leaving the building cleaner than when they found it. When some of the snow that had been there for weeks started to melt, volunteer crews (of protesters) started picking up trash that had been there since before the protests started.
The other thing I would say is that there have been no significant arrests. Over these two weeks there have been probably half a million people in and out of the Capitol area. The typical Badger hockey game, at least nine or 10 people get arrested. (Laughs.)
PD: What happened when the schools reopened?
JG: On Monday, Feb. 21, the Madison teachers announced that they would return to teaching the following day. That evening, a number of parents in the Madison school district started spreading the word on Facebook that they were going to organize a rally to represent their children's teachers. I helped spread the word about that protest and went down on the 22nd. There were, again, tens of thousands of people at the Capitol that day. Among them were hundreds of parents carrying signs that said "I am here for so and so because he or she is teaching my child."
These are our teachers. These are our families. What the governor is trying to do is wrong.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-05-2011 @ 11:43PM
amy bagadonuts said...is this a joke? did she see the mess and extensivedamage left by her and her teacher friends!? they left that place a complete dump and set a horrible example for her kids.. Shame on her.
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3-06-2011 @ 2:06PM
Common Sense said...Public sector employee unions and public sector employees are a net drain on the economy. All they do is take without thinking about the consequences. I found it amusing that the loony union folk in Wisconsin were complaining about corporate profits when they, as public sector employee's work for none of the businesses or rich people they are trying to slam. That argument is a mere diversion – and a pretty bad one at that. Is the thug-ocracy of the union left telling the very tax payers who pay their wages (who for the most part make less than these parasitic union thugs) that tax payers are evil and vile employers? Scotty, beam me up, there is no intelligence in a union. Just one single Gorgon Medusa synopsis passed around the unthinking zombie drone thugs of the union. No public sector employee should ever be allowed to unionize because they do not work for a "for profit" enterprise. They must understand that elected officials are not to be construed as a "sugar daddy" but as wise stewards of OTHER PEOPLE's MONEY. Public sector unions are a tape worm, a lamprey, in essence, a parasitic organism sucking the life blood out of the economy for an entity (government) that produces absolutely no wealth at all. Government only takes wealth form others and destroys it. Once again, public sector employees are a net drain on the economy. Do not let them form unions, and keep their numbers paired down to the absolute minimum so that they have no power over the public purse to unethically, and unfairly enrich themselves beyond the economic value of their jobs.
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3-14-2011 @ 4:37PM
tom chaney said...what do you goverment is they take kick from the corparted company are superintend has to take a 8% cut and pay his insurance like the rest of the employee he part of the school district cut in pay like the rest there not special people they waste alot of money you dont know about on them selfs
3-06-2011 @ 2:20PM
Common Sense said...Oh, how I would have loved to show at this protest with a Ronald Reagan's likeness that says, "Viva La Reagan Revolucian! The truly great one knew what to do with public sector unions. .. and he got re-elected after that, by the way... That's a hint to public officials...
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3-08-2011 @ 10:05AM
dick said...In the water
Must be something in the water in WI Are you kidding me, the public sector unions represent less than 7 % of the people, net drain, get serious, its not about budget, its about busting unions, which were not responsible for your budget deficit to begin with. Parasite union thugs, its the only way to protect oneself from the Republican stupidity and greed.
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3-10-2011 @ 11:58AM
steven r said...HAVE YOU HEARD OF HAVING A RECALL WE DID IT HERE IN CALIFORNIA .IT'S TIME TO RECALL YOUR GOVENER
3-14-2011 @ 4:46PM
tom said...did governor know this law cover him and, the senator and represtives they are public employee to there are elected so they have to go by the law to take a 8% cut in pay get just cost of live rises as they come and pay for there insurance and retirement since im sure they dont pay them self we taxes payer do may not corparted company they work but it corparted back governor ,sen , reps that what you got to watch more for themtrying to do away with middle class america wake
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3-27-2011 @ 12:16AM
JMS said...I hope everyone who has commented and was able to put a sentence together made a phone call to one of his/her teachers and thanked them. Teachers are under paid and under appreciated. I don't even have kids and I do not feel cheated paying taxes for your pay. I would give up a movie ticket or a football game to give you more. It isn't like our society would end if there were no more actors, but if there were no more teachers....
Our culture must change and we must begin to truly appreciate those who are important. Keep up the fight; you deserve every positive thing you get.
Oh, for those who are wondering, I do keep up with some of my teachers and thank them often. I'm 50 years old and I know I am fortunate because of my parents and teachers.
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