LA CROSSE, Wis. – Working people deserve leaders committed to making life more affordable, not politicians making it harder to get by.
That was the message AFSCME members and community allies shared in Wisconsin last Wednesday. They gathered outside La Crosse Human Services to demand accountability from Rep. Derrick Van Orden as families across western Wisconsin feel the weight of rising costs for groceries, health care and child care.
Participants shared personal stories about how rising costs and proposed service cuts are affecting their families, co-workers and communities.
Their message was clear: Van Orden can keep standing with the wealthy and well-connected, or he can start standing with working people. AFSCME members are going to keep organizing, speaking out and holding him accountable until families get the relief they deserve.
“Derrick Van Orden needs to stop siding with the wealthy and powerful while working people in western Wisconsin struggle to afford the basics,” said Sue Conard, president of AFSCME Wisconsin Retirees Chapter 32. “Families are paying more for groceries, health care, and other everyday needs, and they deserve a representative who will fight to lower costs and protect the public services our communities count on, not make life harder for the people who keep this state running.”