The times are a-changing
Dear Friends,
To say that life has been a little “out of the ordinary” at the Union the last two weeks would be a major understatement. While some of us may wonder from time to time if the news in Madison reaches beyond the midwest, that has certainly not been a concern of late. During this complex time, the Union has continued to be a “go to” place for meetings, discussions, and gatherings during the well-publicized events for many people from all political view points.
In case you’ve missed a few of the details along the way, there are two main topics of interest right now for almost any member of the university community: 1) Governor Scott Walker’s budget repair bill; which seeks to increase state employee contributions to pension and health insurance programs, while removing most of their collective bargaining rights, and 2) the possible implementation of the New Badger Partnership, which would separate UW-Madison as a public authority from the rest of the UW System.
Both of these initiatives are easy enough to understand when considered individually, but having to juggle them both at the same time has added greater complexity to understanding the impacts of each.
From the Wisconsin Union’s perspective, the important thing to emphasize right now is a renewed commitment to dialogue, understanding, and patience. All of these of have been in great supply during the last two weeks – which is a true testament to the nature and spirit of the people on campus, in Madison, and the greater state of Wisconsin.
A commitment to true dialogue and deep understanding of the issues and opportunities associated with the repair bill and the proposed partnership is something the Wisconsin Union will support throughout the coming weeks and months. We will continue to provide educational programs and a place to gather to explore these topics as they develop and we believe it is central to our role to do so.
As for a commitment to patience – we ask all of you to hang in there with us as we do the same with you. We promise to do our best to “keep the light on!”
Take care,
Mark C. Guthier
Wisconsin Union Director
