Organizers of Friday’s labor union march and rally held on campus to protest Iowa State administrative actions said the event was a success.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) sponsored the rally to protest alleged violations of the university’s collective bargaining agreement.

“We had an opportunity to demonstrate our strength and send a united message to ISU,” said Dona Harris, president of AFSCME/Iowa Local 96. “All things considered, I’d say [it was] a major success.”

About 100 AFSCME members, ISU students and state officials gathered throughout the day to take part in the campuswide protest.

ASFCME alleges that the collective bargaining agreement between ISU and the labor union was violated when university administrators changed the established employee grievance process without consulting union representatives.

“A deal is a deal,” Harris, a typist with ISU’s Center for Agriculture Research and Development, said during a Friday news conference. “We’re not going to sit back and watch [ISU] walk all over our contract and the law.”

The group, waving signs with message such as “Slavery was outlawed back in 1869, not 1999” and “Play by the rules,” marched though campus and Beardshear Hall wearing chains to “symbolize what the university wants to do to us,” Harris said.

“ISU is not going to defeat us, they are just going to make us stronger,” said Rick Terrones, president of AFSCME/Local 870.

Tracy Vance, Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District, said union supporters “need to organize and get politically active. It is vital that we get involved” to protect union rights.

Other speakers echoed his sentiments, including Democratic senator Randy Gianetto, who said he planned to take AFSCME’s grievance to the state legislature.

“It’s time to go back to the legislature and have more senate hearings,” Gianetto said. “Every time we have them, we embarrass [union opponents] enough that they back off. I will bring it up when I return to Congress.”

However, ISU administrators said Friday’s proceedings probably will not affect relations between the two groups.

Warren Madden, vice president for business and finance, said the march and rally would have “no particular impact on the issues at hand.”

Madden acknowledged ASFCME’s right to demonstrate but said, “The rally didn’t further any communication between us. If there is a place [in the contract] where they believe the university is not complying, then we are willing to move through that. But so far they haven’t specifically shown us what we are doing wrong.”

At present, AFSCME is taking legal action against ISU for a breach of contract.