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U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, along with other state and city politicians, spoke at the Teaching Assistant Association social Friday in support of efforts to aid Democratic candidates and work toward domestic partner benefits for University of Wisconsin employees.
Baldwin addressed the crowd of graduate students at the Memorial Union, applauding the TAA’s efforts to inform the community and take action during the upcoming election.
“The TAA combines two elements that are important to me — love of the university and work with organized labor,” Baldwin said. “I saw the journey to form the TAA and played a powerful role in leading some of the debates in the state. I am proud of the university for their tough and progressive policies.”
Other leaders who maing an appearance included Madison Democratic state representatives Spencer Black, Joe Parisi, Terese Berceau and Rep. Mark Pocan.
State Rep. Fred Risser, D-Madison, also addressed the crowd that night, thanking the students for all their hard work, adding that he introduced and helped pass the bill that allowed for the TAA to organize in 1969.
One of the main issues brought up at the event was the fight for domestic partner benefits for the university. The TAA is fighting for the benefits by bargaining their contract with the state legislation.
“Domestic partner benefits are long overdue,” said Tim Frandy, co-president of the TAA, blaming the lack of benefits on “the climate of the state Legislature.”
The TAA has formed a coalition with Fair Wisconsin and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender organization and is also looking for support from Chancellor Biddy Martin and the university to help in their fight.
“There are so many striking examples of why this is necessary at the University,” Baldwin said. “We had a faculty member leave two years ago and when he left, he took his million dollar grant and research with him to another university, just because they offered domestic partner benefits. We lost intellect and research scholars because of this.”
However, according to Mike Mikalsen, spokesperson for state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, the TAA’s efforts will go unanswered unless the university is willing to break state law, which currently prohibits domestic partner benefits.
“It’s unfortunate that leadership of TAA would rather play politics than represent their members in working conditions and wages, which is what labor unions are usually for,” Mikalsen said.
Nass, along with some other state legislators, think changing state law to allow domestic partner benefits is fiscally irresponsible and goes against the desires of the majority of voters living in Wisconsin.
“Sixty percent (of voters) have defined marriage between one man and one woman,” Mikalsen said, referring to Wisconsin’s 2006 amendment banning state recognition of gay marriage. “Benefits should be offered only to married individuals, and the state has an obligation to follow the voters.”
According to co-president Mark Supanich, the TAA is not only using its contract to try to obtain these benefits but is also trying to elect a “pro-labor, pro-education majority in the state Legislature.”
“What’s at stake is education, labor, education, foreign policy; this is why this is the most important presidential election,” Baldwin said to the crowd, promoting domestic partner benefits. “You are doing what you can to remind people of their rights as US citizens. Make us proud!”
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DP benefits, according to Rep. Nass’s spokesperson, are not part of grad employee’s “working conditions”? What planet is he living on? Health insurance benefits are something every union negotiates over.
And Nass’s idea that the marriage ban now enacted in the WI state constitution automatically prevents DP benefits isn’t true, either. The constitutional amendment might be used to make that argument, certainly. But its supporters at the time said it wouldn’t be used that way. Unless they were, you know, lying about that. In any case, that would have to be the subject of a court case interpreting the amendment.
Why, oh why, have the Republicans put this man in charge of higher education for the state??? He hates the UW.
Representative Nass’ spokesperson is unfortunately resorting to putting out misleading and incorrect quotes. The Attorney General’s opinion written after the passage of the amendment banning civil unions and same sex marriages staked out a clear position on this. The opinion indicated that the passage of the amendment would not preclude the state from offering Domestic Partnership Benefits to state employees.
Mike Mikalson lecturing anyone on what unions are for?
In fact, benefits are part of the bargaining picture for all unions. And domestic partner benefits are a matter of fundamental fairness here. Equal families deserve equal benefits. It’s also a matter of the competitiveness and strength of the university. We need grad student workers, faculty, and academic staff that are the best. Domestic partner benefits are one way for the university and the state to make that investment in its people.
Domestic partner benefits are a critical part of the contract for TAs and PAs. And just like with all the TAA contracts, a better contract for graduate student workers does right by the students and this university both.