Students and Labor: A Perfect Union

by Kate Childs Graham  |  April 04, 2012

From the earliest days of Scott Walker’s assault on collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin, students helped light the spark that has energized working families across the country. Their activism, their values and their keen sense of right and wrong have complemented and galvanized progressives, public service workers and the unions to which they belong.

In this spirit, the United States Student Association (USSA) and AFSCME have come together to form a partnership to stop university budget cuts and strengthen the progressive student movement. During the past year, USSA and AFSCME have worked together in Colorado, Michigan and New Jersey. Last month, the California State Student Association and University of California Student Association, both affiliates of USSA, joined with Local 3299 to protest cuts to higher education in the state. And this month, they will lobby together in Sacramento.

"The demands of the students are our demands, too," said Kathryn Lybarger, a UC Berkeley gardener and president of Local 3299, in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. "We are priced out of sending our own children to the university, too.”

Because of that solidarity, USSA honored AFSCME as its Coalition Partner of the Year at its annual awards ceremony.

AFSCME Sec.-Treas. Lee Saunders accepted the award on behalf of the union. He noted the group’s shared histories – past and present. Both USSA and AFSCME are celebrating anniversaries this year: their 65th, our 75th. Both USSA and AFSCME were born in Madison, Wis. And both USSA and AFSCME stood in the rotunda of the Madison Capitol last spring to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s attack on workers.

Reflecting on the pro-worker momentum that’s built since Walker first targeted public employees, Saunders said:

“I’ve been to Wisconsin a lot and if it wasn’t for the students who were there supporting collective bargaining and public service workers, if it wasn’t for the work you did, and your sisters and brothers did in Wisconsin, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Continued partnership means the difference between winning and losing, Saunders added. The corporate-backed politicians targeting working families are not going after workers alone. For every bill that tries to take away our collective bargaining, there is another that targets education, immigrant rights or voter rights.

Together, USSA and AFSCME will fight to protect both public higher education and public service workers. Together, USSA and AFSCME will preserve and enhance the voice of workers and students. Together, we will prevail.