“Solidarity for the working class.” “Teachers are our future.” “Public workers vote.” “Save the American Dream.”

Those were some of the messages on picket signs Tuesday when more than 100 people gathered at Riverfront Park in downtown Niles for a pro-union rally against proposed cuts to the federal and state budgets.

The event, sponsored by the local United Steelworkers Union, attracted city employees, teachers and other local union workers.

Dan VandenHeede, city council member and school teacher, spoke at the top of the hill at the Veterans’ Memorial to a large crowd holding picket signs.

He argued that under Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed budget, the public sector is paying for the “economic ditch” that Wall Street dug.

“We’re just out there providing protection for the public, putting out fires, saving lives, keeping the lights on, fixing the roads, providing safe drinking water and educating our children,” he said, describing public workers.

VandenHeede argued that public workers have done enough to help with the budget.

“We have negotiated our pensions, taken less pay, paid more for health care. It’s time for the people at the top to pay their share,” he said.

VandenHeede further argued that Gov. Snyder’s budget will more than double the state’s deficit by eliminating the Michigan Business Tax. He also spoke about the local impact of the proposed budget.

“This budget, as proposed, would mean the loss of hundreds of thousand of dollars for the City of Niles. It would cut school funding,” he said.

VandenHeede encouraged the crowd to contact local elected officials to send the message that “we can’t afford these cuts.”

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton’s “listening tour” comes through Niles next week, and VandenHeede urged people to “give him something to listen to.”

Also speaking at the rally was Brent Curry, the president of the local United Steelworkers Union.

“We are American workers. We are part of America,” he said. “Sometimes they talk about union people like we’re foreigners or something. We’ve been out here a long time fighting this fight to keep decent wages for not just union workers but all workers.”

Pat Furner, the Uniserv director for the Michigan Education Association union, spoke about the importance of strong unions and middle class.

“When unions are weak, the middle class is weak. That’s what we’re fighting today,” he said. “Without a strong middle class, we see a decrease in buying power. And that buying power drives our economy.”

Furner also spoke against a proposed bill that would allow emergency financial managers, who take over cities on the verge of bankruptcy, to change collaborative bargaining agreements with public unions without their go-ahead.

After the rally, many of the picketers took to Main Street, displaying their signs to cars passing by.

The Niles rally was just one of several pro-union rallies, protesting the proposed state and national budgets, taking place throughout the state this week.