Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Special Delivery! Wisconsin Recall Mail Headed your Way

If you have been following our blog you know that union members are knocking on doors and making phone calls to talk with fellow union members about why recalling Scott Walker is essential to preserving a strong middle class in Wisconsin.   

What you may not know is that as part of our member-to-member political program, union members are also taking the time to hand-write notes to fellow union members about the upcoming June 5 election.  

This grassroots form of communication is letting union members know how other workers have been personally impacted by Scott Walker’s union-busting attacks on the middle class.

Kari Held, a blind occupational therapist at Milwaukee County Mental Health and member of Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, volunteered her time Saturday to hand-stamp postcards at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council.  

Held works with schizophrenic, bipolar and people with serious and persistent mental illness (S.P.M.I.) at the day treatment center at Milwaukee Mental Health.  

Despite her 22 years of experience working with S.P.M.I. patients, then Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker proposed to eliminate Held's position in 2009.  You can read the full-story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here.

“As Milwaukee County Executive, Scott Walker did not have the peoples’ interests in mind,” explained Held.  “He certainly did not have our patients’ interests in mind when year after year he excessively cut mental health services.  Now, as Governor, Scott Walker again does not have the people's interest in mind and is overturning important laws.  He is taking away union rights, he is taking away equal pay rights for women and he is costing Wisconsin jobs.”

Held continued, “I know Tom Barrett will have the peoples’ interest in mind.  He will do more for the people of Wisconsin and more for our mentally ill.  We need to vote Scott Walker out of office on June 5 and elect a true champion for working people, Tom Barrett.”  

Held, alongside her service dog Trista, hand stamped over 1,000 postcards on Saturday.

If you are a union member in Wisconsin, check your mailbox for this special delivery and head to the polls on June 5 to vote for Tom Barrett and Mahlon Mitchell.

If you want to volunteer, click here for list of locations. 

 

Recall in the Rain

Although it was a rainy start to Saturday in much of Wisconsin, there was no stopping recall volunteers from taking to the streets or picking up a phone to talk with fellow union members about recalling Scott Walker, Rebecca Kleefisch and four anti-worker state Senators on June 5.  

In Duluth, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Horicon, La Crosse, Madison, Menasha, Milwaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, and Wausau union members were out in full force having one-on-one conversations with fellow Wisconsinites.

Bonnie Pedraza explained that a little rain did not bother her as she grabbed a walk packet from the Milwaukee Area Labor Council.  

A retired nurse from the VA hospital, Pedraza was volunteering with her union Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (WFNHP).  

“I’m here because we need to recall Scott Walker.  If he stays in office, tens of thousands of poor people will lose their health care," said Pedraza.  "Besides for being amoral, in terms Scott Walker should understand, this is not cost effective for our state.”   

Sherry Pearce, an RN, was volunteering to call fellow union members before her p.m. shift, encouraging all she spoke with to vote for Tom Barrett on June 5.   

“I support Tom Barrett because he will stand up for Wisconsin.  He will stand up for our nurses and for health care rights. Tom Barrett will be an advocate for working people,” said Pearce.    

Maryan Torres explained that “as a Milwaukee County nurse Scott Walker has taken away my right to collectively bargain with my employer and that is why I am working to recall.  We have lost our contract, we have lost our voice at work and we have lost our ability to speak out on behalf of our patients to improve their care.”  

John Behote, a painter with International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) D.C. 7 from Oak Creek, hit the streets to talk with fellow union members with John Jorgensen, also a painter. 

“I want to recall Scott Walker because we need jobs," said Behote.  "Under Scott Walker, Wisconsin is dead last in job creation.  We need Tom Barrett because we need more jobs.”  

To join in our efforts, click here and find your nearest volunteer location.  

Offices will be open Memorial Day and everyday through June 5! Hours are 9:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Saturday and noon to 7:00 p.m on Sunday.

Vote to reclaim Wisconsin.  Vote Barrett & Mitchell on June 5.  For more photos of recall action click here.  

Volunteer to Reclaim Wisconsin this Weekend

The time is now!  We need all hands on deck in the final days of our historic grassroots campaign to recall Scott Walker and reclaim Wisconsin.  Can you volunteer this weekend to get-out-the-vote for working families? If so, stop into one of our recall locations listed by county below. 

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m and Sunday, noon to 7:00 p.m.

 

Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington & Waukesha – 633 S. Hawley Rd, Milwaukee 53213

• Contact – Jenissee Volpintesta – 262-364-6751

 

Racine, Kenosha, Walworth, Rock – 1840 Sycamore Ave, Racine 53406

• Contact – Justin Geiger – 414-745-4177

 

Dane, Jefferson, Dodge, Columbia, Sauk, Iowa – 1602 S. Park St, Madison 53715

• Contact – Greg Neil – 608-556-9521

 

La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford, Richland, Monroe, Jackson, Trempealeau – 1307 Market St, La Crosse 54601

• Contact – Andy Thompson – 715-456-4113

 

Eau Claire, Clark, Chippewa, Dunn, St. Croix, Pierce  – 2233 Birch St, Eau Claire 54703

• Contact – Andy Thompson – 715-456-4113

 

Marathon, Rusk, Taylor, Price, Oneida, Lincoln – 318 S 3^rd Ave, Wausau 54401

• Contact  – Scott Wright – 920-450-2121

 

Brown, Kewaunee, Door, Oconto, Marinette – 1570 Elizabeth St, Green Bay 54302

• Contact – Greg Hinds – 920-540-2309

 

Calumet, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Winnebago, Waupaca, Outagamie – 1244A Midway Rd, Menasha 54915

• Contact – Greg Hinds – 920-540-2309

 

Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland – 2002 London Rd Suite 99, Duluth, MN 55812

• Contact – Judy Hack – 715-392-3598

 

Sheboygan, Manitowoc  –

• Contact – Greg Hinds – 920-540-2309

Wood, Portage –

• Contact – Scott Wright – 920-450-2121

Member Voices: Why I Support Barrett & Mitchell

The following is a guest blog post from International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers member Jerome Schiek, who is supporting Tom Barrett and Mahlon Mitchell on June 5.  

 

Brothers and Sisters,

I am not going to mince any words nor beat around the bush. Here it is. We got caught sleeping. In 2010 we were asleep. No guilt. No shame. We all had a lot on our plates. We were asleep and maybe just a bit complacent. Not anymore. 

Are you awake now? I am.Thanks to the brave 14 Democrats who found it impossible to go along with injustice. I am awake. Thanks to the thousands who showed up at the Capitol steps. I am awake. Thanks to the fervor of the volunteers collecting recall signatures. I am awake. Are you?  

Because of the thousands of heroes across this beautiful state of ours we are awake and we have been given a second chance. That wonderful gift called a second chance.  And when we go to the voting booth in June what are we going to be thinking? I know what will be in my mind. 

I will be voting for the countless people that have benefited from our right to bargain collectively. Yes, I said right. Something that cannot be legislated away. You can not buy it because it is not for sale. It can’t be traded. It can’t be taken. It has already been bought and paid for with the blood of organizers that fought before we were born. 

On June 5, I will be thinking of all the minorities given equal representation by organized labor. I will be thinking about the weak and disabled whose jobs have been protected by organized labor. I will be thinking of all the retirees living comfortably in the final phase of their life. I will be thinking of the men and women at work who can look forward to the weekend off and to a bit of security.

I will be thinking of all the kids who dream of Disneyworld and SixFlags because their Moms and Dads can have time off and the money to afford a trip and a car to drive.   Yes, I will be thinking of the right to bargain collectively. I will be thinking of all the labor leaders from the past 75 to 100 years who fight and died for our rights. 

Brothers and Sisters throughout America’s Dairyland think. We are all awake now. Think. Let’s take advantage of our precious gift - a second chance. Make a difference and vote on June 5. Search your soul and Vote.                 

               

Jerome Schiek                 38 yr Member in good standing-I.A.M. 

Ringing to Reclaim Wisconsin

A new phone bank has opened up on the second floor of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO at 6333 W. Bluemound Road, Milwaukee. You can stop in to volunteer anytime between 9:00 am and 8:00 p.m. to do your part to reclaim Wisconsin on June 5.

Don’t live in Milwaukee? You can find a statewide list of volunteer locations by clicking here. Most locations are open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Saturday and noon to 7:00 pm on Sunday.

The Milwaukee phone bank is abuzz with talk of Gov. Walker’s union-busting, worst-in-the-nation jobs record, John Doe corruption probe and plot to “divide and conquer” Wisconsin workers. Volunteers are calling union homes in support of Tom Barrett for Governor and Mahlon Mitchell for Lieutenant Governor.

Chris Czubakowski, a postal worker from Wauwatosa and member of A.P.W.U. Milwaukee Local 3, sees this election as a fight to protect middle class workers.

“I could go on for hours with people I call about why we need to recall Scott Walker,” said Czubakowski. “But since everyone has busy lives I usually stick to talking about Scott Walker’s attacks on workers, his attacks on the next generation with his cuts to education and how recalling Gov. Walker is about preserving a strong middle class for Wisconsin.”

 

 

You can view more photos of the phone bank at the Wisconsin AFL-CIO here.

Help Recall Walker without Leaving Home

ALEACTION ALERT: Click here to be one of the first to use our brand new "Friends and Neighbors" tool.

Recently, we shared with you a video of Gov. Scott Walker revealing his plan to divide and conquer Wisconsin’s working families.

Fortunately, Gov. Walker underestimated the historic opposition from you and hundreds of thousands of other Wisconsinites who worked together in unprecedented ways to stand up to his policies that have hurt working families and our communities.

And, it is going to be those same grassroots efforts of people like you talking to their friends and neighbors until Election Day that will show Walker he cannot divide and conquer us. That’s why we are excited to give you the first opportunity to help us test and provide feedback about a great new online tool we are piloting, called the Friends and Neighbors (FAN) program, to connect with people you know about the recall elections.

Click here now to sign up for free and start using the new FAN tool to make calls, send personalized mail and other messages to help us recall Walker on June 5 all from your computer.

Walker and other extreme politicians who are facing recalls may have millions of dollars and the backing of extreme, out-of-state special interests groups. But they don’t have our ability to reach out to people and talk to them about what is at stake on June 5.

And, with the free FAN tool, it makes it even easier for you to connect with the people you know and other Wisconsinites about why we must recall Walker, Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and Senators Scott Fitzgerald, Van Wanggaard, and Terry Moulton.

Click here now to be one of the first to test out this great new tool and tell us what you think.

Walker was wrong last year when he thought he could divide and conquer us. Let’s show him in these final weeks leading up to the recall elections on June 5 that Wisconsin is more united than ever and ready to take our state back.

We also have phone banks and canvasses locations running around the clock all across the state. Click here for a list of locations where you can volunteer.

20 Day Count Down!

There is no time to waste!  In just 20 days Wisconsinites will head to the polls on June 5 and make history.  We will stand up to reclaim Wisconsin.  We will vote to put an end to Scott Walker’s worst-in-the-nation jobs record.  We will join together to preserve a Wisconsin that honors and respects its working people. 

We are fighting for a Wisconsin where the right to vote is encouraged, not taken away.   A Wisconsin where our Governor does not have a criminal defense fund.  A Wisconsin where our schools and communities are given the proper support to thrive. 

Vote Tom Barrett and Mahlon Mitchell on June 5.  They will fight for working families and a strong middle class.

Together, united, we will defeat Scott Walker on June 5.  With less than three weeks to go until recall election day, there is no time to lose.  Here are simple ways that you can help:

1.    Volunteer - Click here for statewide locations where you can volunteer. 

2.    Donate – Click here to the Wisconsin Worker Defense Fund.  Checks can be sent to:

6333 W. Bluemound Road, Milwaukee WI, 53213

 

In the next 20 days, we must make sure that every person in Wisconsin understands that recalling Scott Walker is about preserving a strong middle class and stopping his job-killing policies which reward out-of-state corporate millionaires at the expense of Wisconsin families.

We have the opportunity to show the world that a people-powered movement can overcome corporate money, but we need each and every one of you to get involved and to vote on June 5. 

Wisconsin Union Members: Working to Recall

Wisconsin union and community members took to the streets last weekend going door-to-door to talk with fellow Wisconsinites about the importance of the June 5 recall elections. 

In Duluth, Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Menasha, Milwaukee, Racine and Wausau phone banks and canvass staging locations were buzzing with talk about reclaiming Wisconsin and recalling Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Sen. Moulton, Sen. Fitzgerald, Sen. Van Wanggaard and Sen. Petrowski. 

The St. Louis Sisters from Milwaukee and Racine were at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council to make phone calls.  The sisters collected thousands of signatures to recall Scott Walker and his fellow cronies last winter.  Doris, Jean, Mary and Doloris stood on street corners ranging from the corner of Hope and Capitol, 13th and Oklahoma, Brady St. and Wisconsin Ave.   One sister is a retired member of Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (W.F.N.H.P.). 

“We are working to recall because Gov. Walker is trying to destroy the middle class,” said Doris St. Louis.  “He is trying to divide us as working people and as middle class Wisconsinites.  Trying to bust unions is no way to move forward.” 

Michael Hauser, an 8th grade teacher at MPS and member of Milwaukee Teachers Education Association grabbed a walk packet from the Milwaukee Area Labor Council before knocking on doors in the Milwaukee area. 

“I like to keep it simple,” said Hauser.  “Scott Walker is for the rich and I am for everyone else.” 

Candice Owley, President of the W.F.N.H.P., and Michael Rosen, President of A.F.T Local 212 pumped up their members before hitting the streets.

Mahlon Mitchell, a Wisconsin Fire Fighter, who is running against Rebecca Kleefisch on June 5 for Lieutenant Governor also addressed the crowd in Milwaukee. 

“Our Governor is talking to a billionaire about how he wants to divide and conquer middle class citizens of our state,” said Mitchell.  “They have the money but we have the people and we are ready to do the hard-work of knocking on doors and talking with our friends and neighbors about the June 5 election.” 

$0 in taxes?!

 Have you seen the video?  Scott Walker’s divisive ‘divide and conquer’ strategy caught on tape!

A new video has surfaced in which Gov. Walker tells billionaire businesswomen Diane Hendricks, owner of ABC Supply Company, that attacking collective bargaining rights for public employees is just the “first step” in his “divide and conquer” plot. 

Diane Hendricks recently gave Gov. Walker $500,000 dollars and is Gov. Walker’s single largest campaign contributor.   What you may not know is that Hendricks’ company, ABC Supply, pays $0 in corporate state income taxes.
 
According to the report by Institute for Wisconsin’s Future, ABC Supply paid exactly $0.00 in state corporate income tax in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, according to the state Department of Revenue. Tax data for more recent years were not available when the information was requested from the department.

Visit http://www.wisconsinsfuture.org/  to view the report Who Does Not Pay Taxes.

Forbes magazine calls ABC Supply “the nation’s largest roofing, window and siding wholesale distributor.”  It is estimated that annual sales approach $5 billion.  While ABC Supply may be a huge money-maker for Hendricks, the Wisconsin corporate income tax returns she files claim the company makes not a penny in taxable profit.

Why is it that Gov. Walker publicly states that he does not want to destroy private sector unions, but the truth only comes out when he is kissing and hugging a billionaire campaign donor?

What Gov. Walker did not anticipate is that the people of Wisconsin would unite against his “divide and conquer” strategy and mount one of the largest grassroots efforts to reclaim their state in recent memory.  Recall Walker, June 5. 

 

“You use Divide & Conquer” - Gov. Scott Walker

We’ve always known that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.  That is why when Scott Walker unleashed his attacks on public employees last year, private sector union members, non-union members and community members alike rushed to the Capitol in solidarity to join in their fight to kill the bill.

Now, we have proof that destroying collective bargaining rights is just the “first step” in Gov. Walker’s plot to bust unions and cripple the middle class. 

A new video obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shows Gov. Walker telling his single largest donor, Diane Hendricks, that destroying collective bargaining for public workers is just the "first step" of his “divide and conquer” plan.

"Any chance we'll ever get to be a completely red state and work on these unions -" asked Hendricks. 

"Oh, yeah," Walker broke in.

"- and become a right-to-work?" Hendricks continued. "What can we do to help you?"

"The first step”, Walker replied.  “Is we're going to deal with collective bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer.”

 

It can’t be any clearer, Gov. Walker does the bidding of his campaign contributors and puts their needs before the needs of the people of Wisconsin.  His divide and conquer "leadership" has lead Wisconsin to be dead last in job creation.  On June 5, make history and recall Gov. Walker. 

 

Click here to view the video.

 

The video was filmed by Brad Lichtenstein as part of his documentary  "As Goes Janesville." A sneak preview of the film will be shown Wednesday, May 16, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Discovery World in Milwaukee.   For a ten minute clip visit http://asgoesjanesville.com/