This year marks fifteen years since the "Wisconsin Uprising,” when tens of thousands of public-sector workers and their allies occupied the state capitol building to stop the governor’s attempt to strip them of their collective bargaining rights. Beth White, the Financial Secretary of UE Local 1186, was an active participant in the peaceful action and recounted her story for the UE NEWS.
In February 2011, Governor Scott Walker tried to pass a “budget repair bill” which threatened to strip collective bargaining rights from public employees in the state. Protests erupted at the state capitol on February 15 and continued into June. Demonstrations were held daily with many other actions taking place at universities and other municipalities throughout the state. Every UE local in Wisconsin sent members to Madison during the occupation of the capitol.
When asked about her own participation in the protests, White said, “It was a moment of pure energy. It felt like we had to be seen and heard. They had to talk with us. There was a moment of really intense hope that we could do something radical and be seen.”
White said that the uprising at the capitol was a place for resistance but also community. She described the mutual aid and organizing that took place at the capitol. Workers provided meals for each other and also set up a child care center for the protesters. Songs were often heard in the wings of the building as workers relied on music for their peaceful protests. White said a band would join them on Fridays. “There’s still people that go to the capital and sing 15 years later. [The singing] was a continued protest since they tried to stop people from going in. We were just going in and singing. That part of the resistance continues,” White said.
Asked about the attitude and energy of the protesters, White said many felt that, “We might be one person, we might be ten, we might be twenty, but we are going to be heard if we want to.” It is estimated that over 100,000 people participated in the Wisconsin uprising throughout the four months that it took place. White said that many of them were arrested. She had friends at the occupation from different parts of her life and explained that there was a strong community presence. She remembered the events fondly, even her own arrest.
“We had many arrested. That was the most exciting part for me. I did get arrested. I was 2-3 months pregnant at the time and my mom was visiting. She couldn’t resist going to the protests,” White remembered. “They asked me to disperse and I’m not a cloud. How do I disperse? They took me out of the building and let me go after. They were trying to intimidate people.”
The Wisconsin Uprising was unsuccessful in its immediate efforts. The Republican legislature stripped the supposedly financial bill of all its financial items in order to pass it without quorum, proving that the bill was purely an attack on unions. However, the uprising sparked new life into the workers of the state and helped inspire the Occupy Wall Street movement later in 2011. UE locals across the country took part in "We Are One" protests in the wake of the Wisconsin protests and built links to the anti-corporate "Occupy" movement. In 2012, the UE General Officers released a statement detailing the success of the uprising in inspiring workers throughout the country, UE’s participation in the protests, and an explanation for why both Republican and Democratic politicians were to blame for the loss.
The peaceful occupation renewed the militancy of the U.S. labor movement and helped ignite resistance to corporate rule in the years following. White said she and fellow members of Local 1186 still swap stories of the uprising. When thinking about her fellow UE members, she said, “I’ve always wanted to change the world. When I actually put my feet into something concrete, it was UE. It was something that helped me be a part of a change.”
For a longer article on the history and legacy of the 2011 protests, read this UE NEWS article published on the tenth anniversary of the uprising.