Students and community members with signs on Library Mall Wednesday demanded clear and consistent policies for all student workers across campus and to raise the student minimum wage.

The Million Student March may have been short a few thousand people, but the 30 supporters marching up Bascom Hill raised their voices to “show what democracy looks like.”

With chants of “$15, $15, make that minimum $15” and “get up, get down Madison is a union town,” protestors used bullhorns as they stood outside of Bascom Hall trying to get University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank’s attention.

The event, held in collaboration by the Student Labor Action Coalition and Socialist Alternative, was met with light police presence as several speakers shared personal stories. They demanded a student workers grievance process and an increase to the student minimum wage, from $9 to $15.

UW increases student wages, but campus workers say raise not enough

Nick Puetz, member of Socialist Alternative, said years of the same government economic policies have resulted in an accumulation of student loan debt.

Puetz said corporate Democrats and Republicans have shown where their priorities lie — not with the American people.

“I am not alone when I think tuition should be abolished at all higher education institutions and that every iota of student debt should be canceled,” Puetz said.

To “unshackle” students from loan debt, a lasting movement needs to be created within the 99 percent of Americans who are affected by it, not the top wealthy 1 percent, he said.

Danny Levandoski, SLAC member, gave a speech about the student worker grievance process. Levandoski said he could not continue working in an environment where the university demonstrates such little concern for student workers.

UW Student Coalition demands better working conditions, higher wages

In addition, Levandoski spoke about the university’s recent increase of the student minimum wage from $7.25 to $9. He said the increase is not enough, calling it not a “living wage,” even for students who work 40 hours a week.

“It’s not the wages of student workers on campuses that are skyrocketing tuition and student debt, it’s the push for more and more tax breaks for the wealthy and less and less public funding for public universities,” Levandoski said.

The protestors ended with chants of, “Hey, Becky step off it, pick people over profit,” and promises that they would return again to voice their concerns and demands. Prior to leaving, members of SLAC delivered a letter to Blank with a list of their demands.

SLAC has received a response from the university about these demands but is still awaiting a personal response from Blank.