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Video: State employees protest at Wisconsin School for the Deaf

Photo

Photo by Dan Plutchak

Mary Burpee of Elkhorn, a union supporter, shouts across the street to Delavan Mayor Mel Nieuwenhuis who was supporter Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill. The protests took place March 11, 2011 in front of the Wisconsin School for the Deaf.

Photo

Photo by Dan Plutchak

Mary Burpee of Elkhorn, center, and Sue Gootsan of Lake Geneva, holding a sign, protest outside the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in Delavan March 11, 2011 against the recently signed budget-repair bill.

Pro-union marchers pass by Gov. Scott Walker supporters during a protest Friday in front of the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in Delavan. Dan Plutchak/staff.

Watch the video stream HERE.

DELAVAN — Although Gov. Scott Walker signed a controversial budget repair bill earlier in the day, that didn't stop hundreds of union supporters from taking to the street in Delavan to oppose the measure.

Pro-union groups gathered in front of the Wisconsin School for the Deaf late Friday afternoon, carrying signs and chanting anti-walker slogans.

Across the street, several dozen supporters of the bill held signs supporting Walker, who grew up in Delavan and graduated from the high school just down the block.

Among the Walker supporters was Delavan Mayor Mel Nieuwenhuis who said he was relieved that the budget measure had passed. He said he felt unions had gained too much power. Collective bargaining is a privilege, not a right, and that's where unions got it wrong, Nieuwenhuis said.

"I support teachers, I just don't support unions," he said.

Back in front of the school, Mary Burpee of Elkhorn shouted into a bullhorn leading the crowd in chants.

Burpee said she came to support the union members and to urge them to recall Walker.

Merryann Wen of Delavan, one of the rally organizers, said she was pleased with the crowd that had already arrived by 4:30 p.m., and that more protesters were expected.

Wen, a member of public employee union AFSCME, said the bill will significantly affect her.

State employees have been working under an extension of their expired contract. That contract now will be cancelled.

Under the measure signed today, state workers will be required to contribute at least 12.6 percent to the cost of their health insurance premiums and half of their pension contribution. That amounts to 5.8 percent of their salary.

The bill also eliminated collective bargaining for everything except wages, which will be capped at the rate of inflation.

Another protest is planned in Delavan Monday (March 14) over proposed state budget cuts that forced the district to send preliminary layoff notices to 41 teachers.

The protest will be held 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Delavan-Darien School District Administrative Center.

A final decision on layoffs won't be made until May 15 as the school district learns more about the impact of the recently passed budget bill.

The Delavan-Darien School Board decided Feb. 23, 2011 to send preliminary non-renewal notices to 41 teachers.

The move was to cover an anticipated $1.2 million reduction in revenue, Superintendent Wendy Overturf said.

Overturf said district officials did what they could to minimize the trauma.

"I certainly understand because I would feel the same way," she said. "As we planned on how to do this, we had discussion with the association on how to best minimize anxiety, knowing that there was little we could do to totally eliminate it."