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Politics & Government

Budget Bill Protest March, Rally Ring Out in Hudson for Second Straight Weekend

Hundreds of teachers, state workers and private-sector union members gathered in downtown Hudson to protest Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill.

For the second Saturday in a row, hundreds gathered in Hudson to protest Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill that limits most collective bargaining for state workers.

Today’s demonstration took the form of a march and rally. Protestors gathered at and at 10 a.m. began to march through Hudson’s historic downtown district on their way to the bandshell in .

Single-digit temperatures and light snow didn’t dampen the spirits of about 300 teachers, state workers and private-sector union members from standing together, holding signs and chanting in favor of keeping collective bargaining intact.

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"When I say 'union,' you say 'power.' Union. Power."

"Kill the bill. Kill the bill. Kill the bill."

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"Five, six, seven, eight; We don't want no Walker-gate."

"Take our calls. Take our calls. Take our calls."

"What's disgusting? Union busting. What's disgusting? Union busting."

Once at the bandshell, the group heard from keynote speaker Tom Dooher, the president of Education Minnesota, which boasts membership of more than 70,000 Minnesota educators.

"This is about teachers. This is about our children. This is about our future. We will stand together and do what we must do because this is the right thing for not only Wisconsin, but for all working families," Dooher said.

He expressed that his union stood behind Wisconsin workers in their fight against Walker’s bill.

"We will stand with our brothers and sisters in labor, that we will stand with men and women of working families, that we will stand with students across America to keep education quality high and to keep this bill from happening," Dooher said.

Ellsworth teacher Shelly Moore was the event’s emcee and she stoked the crowd’s sense of state pride.

"We bleed Packer green and Brewer blue and Badger red. We believe that the three major food groups are beer, cheese and bratwurst. And we breathe union," Moore said.

Local pastor Scott Ehlerhorn, River Falls Alderman Bob Hughes and Democratic Assemblyman Chris Danou, from one district over, also spoke to the crowd.

After the speakers were finished, the group marched past the , down Second Street and dispersed near City Hall. The group urged supporters to attend another demonstration tonight in nearby River Falls where state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, and other state republicans, perhaps even the governor himself, plan to meet for a party fund-raising event.

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