Firefighters & Cops Join Teachers in Budget Protest

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Firefighters, police, and school administrators stood in solidarity with DC public school teachers yesterday as the Washington Teachers Union (WTU) rallied against budget cuts in front of the Wilson Building. “We want a fully-funded DC public school system” Metro Council President Jos Williams told the crowd. According to the WTU, the draft 2013 city budget proposes significant cuts to education funding that will increase class sizes, cut special education staff and diminish funding for school libraries, which the union says would lead to closures of some libraries. “The changes being proposed right now are definitely going to hurt students” said Harriett Cune, a DC school psychologist. Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D, At-Large) stopped by the rally to offer encouragement, agreeing that good public education in the District should be a priority. “If the teachers have a problem, the firefighters have a problem” said IAFF Local 36 President Ed Smith, emphasizing the importance of the city’s public sector workers supporting one another. “We are the infrastructure for this city” agreed DC police union head Kristopher Baumann. “Long after they’re gone,” he said, gesturing toward the Wilson building, “we’re still going to be here. This is our city." - report/photo by Julia Kann