Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Governor Evers Delivers Pivotal State of the State

2020 has been a challenging, unrelenting year for working families and union members on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tonight, Governor Tony Evers delivered a pivotal State of the State address dedicated to the over 5,000 Wisconsinites we have lost to COVID-19. In his address, Gov. Evers put forth a vision for real relief for Wisconsin’s working families. You can watch the address on the Governor’s social media channels.

During a turbulent time in our nation’s history, Governor Tony Evers has provided commonsense leadership we can count on. Since the very start of the pandemic, Governor Evers has used his authority to put forth pragmatic solutions to keep Wisconsin workers safe, control the pandemic, and support working families to stabilize our economy.

In his 2021 State of the State address, Governor Evers outlined numerous policy items that if enacted will create a better future for us all. The policies we put in place now will determine the extent to which we get our health and economy back, and how quickly.

As we begin a new year and a new legislative session amidst growing partisanship and division that has brought our country to an inflection point, we must come together to repair the massive damage that has been inflicted on the health and economic well-being of the people of Wisconsin.

It’s time for Speaker Vos and Senate Majority Leader LeMahieu and the entire Republican leadership in the Legislature to put partisanship aside and work in tandem with Governor Tony Evers to enact the priorities outlined in tonight’s State of the State. If so, we can help working families weather the interwoven crises of COVID-19, its economic fallout, and long-standing systemic racism to create a better Wisconsin for all. 

President-elect Biden Taps Long-Time Union Member to Lead Department of Labor

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will put America’s workers first as our Secretary of Labor

MILWAUKEE, WI, Jan. 7, 2021 -- Stephanie Bloomingdale, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, released the following statement on President-elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Marty Walsh to serve as U.S. Labor Secretary:

At a time when America’s working people are facing increased dangers and stresses on the job due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic which has infected and killed thousands as a result of workplace exposure, President-elect Joe Biden has selected a true champion of labor who can get the job done as Secretary of Labor.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has carried a union card for over three decades and knows that strong unions and the freedom to collectively bargain is the engine that drives a successful and equitable American economy. Mayor Walsh knows what it takes to keep workers safe on the job, which includes passing a workplace infectious disease standard. He will prioritize fair wages and a better workplace for all.

President-elect Joe Biden has promised to be the “strongest labor president” in American history. He has begun by selecting an exceptional Labor Secretary in Marty Walsh. Wisconsin’s working people look forward to building back better with investments in manufacturing and infrastructure and to an America where every worker has the freedom to come together in union free of intimidation and fear with the passage of the PRO Act.

Time to End Hyper-Partisan Arson and Restore Democracy and Decency in America

Stephanie Bloomingdale, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, released the following statement regarding the attacks on the Capitol in Washington D.C. today:

Time to End Hyper-Partisan Arson and Restore Democracy and Decency in America

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”

That’s the oath of office Senator Ron Johnson took. And that’s the oath he has repeatedly violated. His efforts to spread universally debunked conspiracy theories about the election being stolen and his willingness to join with other Republican members of Congress in obstructing today’s formal, constitutionally mandated tally of the Electoral College vote represent a shocking breach of trust.

Whether Senator Johnson and the others who participated in this political malpractice are motivated by a delusional belief in Donald Trump’s claims of electoral fraud or simply cynical political calculation, they share responsibility for the shocking events in the U.S. Capitol today. Their complicity in this direct assault on our democratic system is as clear as if they joined the rioters smashing windows, ransacking the Capitol, and violating our nation’s most sacred civic space.   

These actions are part of a troubling and toxic loyalty to a political party rather than to the people they were elected to serve. Sadly, at both the state and federal level, too many of Wisconsin’s elected Republicans have consistently placed their personal interests and preservation of partisan power ahead of the needs of the people of our state. 

The threat to our democracy that this brand of hyper-partisanship represents was foreseen by our first president. In his farewell address in 1796, George Washington warned attachment to party over the common good, “agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, and foments occasionally riot and insurrection.”

It’s time for Senator Johnson and other Wisconsin Republicans to free themselves from the grip of the legitimately defeated 45^th president and reflect on the wisdom of our first.

Time to End Hyper-Partisan Arson and Restore Democracy and Decency in America

Stephanie Bloomingdale, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, released the following statement regarding the attacks on the Capitol in Washington D.C. today:

Time to End Hyper-Partisan Arson and Restore Democracy and Decency in America

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”

That’s the oath of office Senator Ron Johnson took. And that’s the oath he has repeatedly violated. His efforts to spread universally debunked conspiracy theories about the election being stolen and his willingness to join with other Republican members of Congress in obstructing today’s formal, constitutionally mandated tally of the Electoral College vote represent a shocking breach of trust.

Whether Senator Johnson and the others who participated in this political malpractice are motivated by a delusional belief in Donald Trump’s claims of electoral fraud or simply cynical political calculation, they share responsibility for the shocking events in the U.S. Capitol today. Their complicity in this direct assault on our democratic system is as clear as if they joined the rioters smashing windows, ransacking the Capitol, and violating our nation’s most sacred civic space.   

These actions are part of a troubling and toxic loyalty to a political party rather than to the people they were elected to serve. Sadly, at both the state and federal level, too many of Wisconsin’s elected Republicans have consistently placed their personal interests and preservation of partisan power ahead of the needs of the people of our state. 

The threat to our democracy that this brand of hyper-partisanship represents was foreseen by our first president. In his farewell address in 1796, George Washington warned attachment to party over the common good, “agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, and foments occasionally riot and insurrection.”

It’s time for Senator Johnson and other Wisconsin Republicans to free themselves from the grip of the legitimately defeated 45^th president and reflect on the wisdom of our first.