Over one year ago, labor union members appeared in front of the X01 apartment complex to protest the building’s use of non-union labor to install drywall. Since then, these protesters have stood in front of X01, day in and day out holding their iconic, “SHAME ON X01 – LABOR DISPUTE,” sign. Now, the union members believe they are on the brink of receiving compensation from the apartment building.

“They’re about to crack,” said one protester. “We’ve been out here for over 400 days, so we have strong reason to believe that we will receive compensation soon.” Citing his ‘intuition’ and ‘gut-feeling’ as justification.

Although the labor dispute has not yet been settled, the protesters have received other rewards for all of their hard work. “Well, I mean, I’ve gotten a nice tan from standing around outside all day. Also, one time we got into an X01 party, which was pretty cool.”

Despite the daily protests taking place outside of the apartment complex, X01 apartments have had no problem filling their apartments with well-paying tenants. When asked about this, the protesters responded by sticking their fingers into their ears and yelling “Lalala, I can't hear you!”

Reception of the X01 protesters among UW students has been mixed. Some students have been quick to criticize the protesters, calling them lazy and selfish for doing nothing but standing outside of an apartment building holding a sign for over a year. The X01 protesters were quick to fire back at their critics. “You’ll never know hard work until you’ve stood in one place all day long. Watching the hard-working UW students walk up University Avenue to their classes all day is exhausting.” One protester also commented on the level of dedication they have shown to their cause. “It hasn’t been easy, but we stand out here to fight for our cause 365 days a year. Well, unless it's the weekend... or a holiday... or if the weather is bad.”

Some students have praised the “little child throwing a temper tantrum because they didn’t get their way” business model being utilized by the protesters. “I fully support the X01 protesters,” said Jake, a junior at UW-Madison. “This country was founded on the belief that if you don’t get your way, you should drop everything and whine and complain until you do. It’s what the founding fathers envisioned.”

Among all of this controversy, one thing remains clear: a deal between the X01 apartment complex and the protesters is on the horizon. “Good things come to those who wait,” said one protester, "except a steady source of income or a real job; we haven’t gotten those, yet.”