State Rep. Joe Aresimowicz, who works for AFSCME in Connecticut, is just back from a quick trip to Wisconsin.
The Democrat from Berlin says he went in a show of solidarity and to offer moral support to government workers from Wisconsin who say the state's governor is trying to silence them by taking away their right to unionize.
He spent three days, from Sunday through Tuesday, phone-banking, door-knocking and attending rallies. His travel expenses were partially paid by the union and the rest came from his own pocket, he said.
Aresimowicz said his message was well-received. "I think everyone gets the need for some of the financial concessions,'' he said. "But an all-out attack on basic collective bargaining was something the majority of folks whose doors I knocked on were opposed to.''
On Monday, Aresimowicz attended a massive rally at the Capitol in Madison. Among the tens of thousands of people, he said he was most moved by the sight of a firefighter in full gear with two pieces of tape across his mouth.
Being part of the protest, he said, was "awe-inspiring."