Save Our Services, Save Our State

media release: Join us Wednesday May 14 for a rally!

State employee union members and our supporters will rally to call on state leaders to reinforce state programs under threat from federal funding cuts, and to protect the public during this constitutional crisis.

Gather at 5:00 pm at the State Street corner outside the WI Capitol in Madison. Speakers begin at 5:30 pm.

Federal funding cuts are expected to swiftly curtail services provided through state programs such as heating bill assistance, public health, mental health, Badger Care, food and housing supports, natural resource protection, and many other services. Organizers are calling for the state to cover budget shortfalls from federal cuts to the extent possible.

Layoffs of state employees are likely given the high volume and vast scope of federal cutbacks. Many Wisconsin state employees most at risk of layoff are serving in positions such as LTEs with low pay and no paid sick leave or vacation, or Project Positions, and have already seen their hours cut, appointments ended early, or layoff dates identified for several months from today.

At the rally, we will advocate to protect programs important to Wisconsin residents. We will also express support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, to promote fairness in serving the public and staffing public agencies.

We want to warn our neighbors and stand with them, and advocate to save vital programs. Many mistakenly believe that federal funding cuts will not affect them. Actually, a significant fraction of state and UW workers' jobs are funded by the federal government, and federal funding cuts will profoundly affect the state programs that our communities rely on

Fifteen percent of state employees in Wisconsin are federally funded, and 30 percent of Wisconsin’s state budget is federal money. At UW, over 18 percent (4,200 FTEs) are federally funded, and 27 percent of the budget of UW is federal grants and aids.

We will also be collecting donations for UAW 291 on strike in Oshkosh. Items needed: Baby items, diapers, paper towels, toilet paper, canned goods, and pre-packaged snacks.

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