The Associated Students of Madison's Coordinating Council passed a resolution Sunday at an emergency meeting to denounce Gov. Scott Walker's proposed Budget Repair Bill, which would eliminate workers' rights to bargain collectively.
The resolution said ASM urges students to take action against the bill by attending the ""Hands Off Our Teachers"" rallies in front of the Capitol Tuesday and Wednesday, calling state representatives, writing letters to local newspapers, and encouraging others to participate.
If the bill passes, it would eliminate UW employees' right to have a say in the conditions of their employment. This would prohibit graduate students who work as teaching assistants, project assistants and research assistants from officially unionizing.
Legislative Affairs Chair Kyle VandenLangenberg said this would be an extreme detriment to the university.
""Without happy grad students there aren't happy classrooms, and without happy classrooms there aren't good discussions for people to be taught in,"" VandenLangenberg said.
VandenLangenberg also said that before 1997, when teaching assistants were granted the right to unionize, the University of Wisconsin was ranked substantially lower as an overall university.
ASM Vice Chair Adam Johnson said he has already witnessed resistance from students in regard to this act.
He said he wants to make it clear that ASM is not necessarily denouncing the bill as a whole, but that they want to ensure the security of UW employee rights.
VandenLangenberg agreed with Johnson.
""I don't think that we'll be asking the student body to stand up for unions or labor rights, what we're asking them to stand up for is the benefit packages that make the education system at this institution tick,"" VandenLangenberg said.
ASM Chair Brandon Williams said that in his e-mail discussions with the administration UW officials have remained fairly noncommittal in their stance on the bill. He said the administration is waiting to see how the language of the bill will specifically affect the university.
Members of ASM said they plan to distribute flyers, talk in classes, buy advertisements in newspapers and on Facebook, call legislators, and push the administration to take a stance in favor of graduate students' and workers' rights on campus.
