Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

The passing of Detlef Pavlovich

It is with great sadness that I share the passing of Detlef Pavlovich, longtime friend of the Wisconsin labor movement.

A Celebration of Detlef’s Life will be held on Friday, November 22 at Weissgerber’s Golden Mast, W349 N5293 Lacys Lane, Okauchee, Wisconsin from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 23 at 1:00pm at Kettle Moraine United Presbyterian Church, N66 W32690 County Road K, Hartland, Wisconsin. Visitation will be held at the church prior to the funeral from 11:30am-1:00pm. Burial will follow the funeral service at The Gardens of Stone Bank.

Detlef, or Det as he was known to many, was a proud, self-employed Certified Public Accountant who practiced in Milwaukee for 46 years. In this capacity, he helped many local unions and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, providing essential guidance to protect the fiscal resources of our members and unions. Det is survived by his wife of 53 years, Kay Ellen Pavlovich (Davidson) and their two children, Chad Matthew Pavlovich and Sarah Jean Ruck, as well as many extended family members and friends.

Detlef Pavlovich’s obituary can be read here.

Det was known for his outgoing personality and his kind, generous spirit. He always had a joke, bottle of Slivovitz or tray of baklava to share. He will be dearly missed. 

In Solidarity,

Stephanie Bloomingdale, President Wisconsin AFL-CIO

Wisconsin AFL-CIO on the Results of the 2024 Election

Statement from Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale:

As the dust settles on an unprecedented election, Wisconsin’s union members are proud of our accomplishments and are looking to the future.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been a stalwart champion of workers and organized labor, and we are disappointed she did not succeed in her historic campaign for President. We know she will continue to be a strong voice for working people.

We are bursting with pride to warmly congratulate U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, our union-endorsed champion, who will return to Washington, DC to fight for working families.

Union-endorsed candidates also made significant gains in the Wisconsin State Legislature, setting workers up for future success. In the state Senate, we ran the table on targeted races, erasing the two-thirds supermajority that extremist right-wing, anti-labor politicians used to try and override commonsense vetoes by Governor Tony Evers. Pro-union senators will hold 15 of 33 seats in that chamber. In the state Assembly, our union-endorsed candidates won several important races across the state, resulting in a net pickup of ten seats for pro-labor state representatives. Congratulations to all the winning candidates, as well as the two chambers’ Minority Leaders, Representative Greta Neubauer and Senator Dianne Hesselbein, for your excellent work.

We also congratulate Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Congressman Mark Pocan on their landslide re-election victories, and thank them for their continued support of organized labor in the U.S. House. Although Rebecca Cooke, Peter Barca, and Kristin Lyerly didn’t win, we thank them for their strong commitment to working families.

The tireless work union men and women put in throughout this election, through our Wisconsin AFL-CIO Labor Votes program, led to a victory equally important as any individual race – a win for democracy. About 73% of our state’s voting-age population cast ballots for president, setting a state record. Our work to organize and mobilize working people to participate in the democratic process is a service we faithfully provide in support of our American way of life. 

Now, as the last votes are counted and a new political cycle begins, we in the labor movement will do what we always do. We will work to grow and strengthen our unions and join with our allies to continue building a future in which working families thrive. In so doing, we strengthen the foundations of a prosperous and secure America.

Our work continues. We will win in April with pro-labor candidates for Wisconsin Supreme Court and State Superintendent for Public Instruction.

And in January, newly-elected officials will begin the work voters have entrusted them with. They will do well to remember the critical role working people play in our society and join with our unions to build a better future for all.      

Election Day is Today!

Election Day is here and we are encouraging every union member to get out and VOTE for Kamala Harris for President, Tammy Baldwin for Senate, and pro-worker candidates in Congress and the Wisconsin Legislature.

Wisconsin is a critical battleground state. This election will be determined by 1-2 votes per ward. Your vote will make a difference for working families and our union contracts.  

✅Polls are open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5.

✅Check your polling location and preview your ballot at myvote.wi.gov.

✅View Wisconsin AFL-CIO endorsed candidates here.

✅Bring your ID. You can register to vote at your polling location today with proof of residence.

✅Return your absentee ballot. All absentee by mail ballots need to be received no later than 8:00 PM on Election Day. Your municipal clerk will have the best information about where to return your ballot on Election Day.

✅Help us get out the vote at wisaflcio.org/mobilize. You can make phone calls or join a local union canvass.

If you have any issues at the polls, contact the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

When it comes to working class priorities like the freedom to join a union, affordable quality health care, a secure retirement and good jobs, a Harris-Walz administration will move our nation forward, defend our freedoms, and build an economy that works for all of us. That’s why the Wisconsin labor movement is active in every corner of our state, having one-on-one, worker-to-worker conversations to elect Vice President Kamala Harris, re-elect Senator Tammy Baldwin, and support pro-worker candidates in the state legislature. The freedom to have a strong union is on the line.

Thank you for being a part of our movement to elect pro-worker, pro-democracy candidates in Wisconsin.

Labor Votes Kicks Into High Gear for GOTV in Wisconsin

GOTV week was rocking around Wisconsin as Wisconsin union members continued to get out every single union vote for Kamala Harris, Tammy Baldwin, and Democrats up and down the ballot at numerous events in the last full week before Election Day. 

In Madison, National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler joined Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale at the South Central Federation of Labor for a canvass launch. Presidents Shuler and Bloomingdale rallied Labor 2024 volunteer canvassers on Wednesday morning by reminding union members of our unique ability to persuade fellow union brothers and sisters. After the canvass, President Shuler and Bloomingdale visited an IBEW worksite at Olin Park to have one on one conversations with IBEW Local 159 members and apprentices about why labor is supporting pro-worker candidates like Kamala Harris and Tammy Baldwin.

On Halloween morning, Presidents Shuler and Bloomingdale began a day of getting the vote out in Milwaukee by leafleting Miller Brewery workers as they clocked in at 6:00 a.m. and at the shift change–while costumed as Laverne and Shirley, celebrating Halloween with an homage to working women everywhere. Later, after launching a canvass out of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO HQ in Milwaukee, they hit the doors and spoke with union voters about how Kamala Harris will protect their unions and Donald Trump seeks to destroy them.

In Janesville, on Friday, over 500 union members packed into the IBEW Local 890 to hear from VP Harris, Senator Baldwin, Governor Tony Evers, Congressional Candidate Peter Barca, and IBEW Secretary-Treasurer Paul Noble. Vice President Harris contrasted her pro-worker record and agenda with Donald Trump’s Project 2025 plans to decimate workers’ unions and contracts. She also spoke about how she encourages the American people to thank a union worker for rights and freedoms like sick leave and weekends off.

On Saturday, union workers rallied at the Steamfitters local 601 hall in Milwaukee ahead of double canvassing shifts, fueled by a lunch of brats grilled up by LIUNA members. In her remarks at the canvass launch, President Bloomingdale reminded the volunteers that “the work we do talking to union workers in Wisconsin is gold” and that labor has a true ally in VP Harris because “Kamala Harris is not afraid to say union out loud.” AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride also spoke about how union volunteers are the only ones who can break through the noise and reach our union brothers and sisters about why it’s so important for them to support VP Harris, Senator Baldwin, and pro-worker, pro-democracy candidates up and down the ballot.

In Green Bay, labor held a political day of action with canvass launch at IBEW Local 158 union hall and had a tailgate style cookout following the canvass.

The path to victory on Election Day is through America’s union halls—and we’re incredibly proud of everything our unions and union members have done to dig deep and make sure Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and their pro-worker agenda win big.

Let's get this over the finish line. Vote Tuesday November 5 and help us contact voters at wisaflcio.org/mobilize.