Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Unemployed Voters Won't Forget and Unlikely to Forgive

The following is a statement from national AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka:

We are profoundly disappointed and angry with representatives in Congress – Democrats as well as Republicans – who refused to support health care for the unemployed and job-saving critical aid to cash-strapped states in the original version of H.R. 4213, the Promoting American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes and Preventing Outsourcing Act of2010.

Earlier this week I described a vote on this bill as a chance to back up rhetoric for jobs with action.  We are in a jobs emergency—a national crisis.  Millions of lives are in ruins and children are being condemned to poverty.  Excuses from their elected representatives are of no help to them.  As I said to members of Congress, if you’re not for this bill, you’re not for jobs.  Working family voters will not forget who sided with them and who did not.

We recognize how hard Speaker Pelosi worked to pass the bill with its original elements.  The Senate should approve the extension of unemployment insurance passed today by the House as soon as it returns from the Memorial Day recess, and the House should now move quickly to restore health care benefits for the unemployed and aid to states to maintain jobs and vital services.

UW Faculty at Superior and Eau Claire vote “Union YES”

Today faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire voted 233-87 in a unit of 368 in favor of union representation through AFT-Wisconsin.

UW-Eau Claire faculty join their colleagues at UW-Superior, who voted overwhelmingly in favor of collective bargaining last week. The two campuses are the first to form collective bargaining unions since their right to do so was established under the 2009-2011 state budget.

According to Bryan Kennedy, president of AFT-Wisconsin, faculty unions in the UW System have been decades in the making. “The UW-Eau Claire and UW-Superior elections are the culmination of a forty-year campaign to extend collective bargaining rights to UW academic staff and faculty,” stated Kennedy. “Academic professionals throughout the UW System who have led this campaign are no doubt reflecting on these elections with a great sense of pride.”

UW-Eau Claire English professor Stephanie Turner believes that the implications of today’s election are far reaching. “Today my faculty colleagues sent a strong message not just on collective bargaining, but on our place in the university,” stated Turner. “There is no question that, along with academic staff, faculty are the stewards of the campus community. Now, for the first time, we will be able to advocate for the betterment of that community through collective bargaining.”

Turner states that issues faculty may address in their first set of negotiations directly affect the students of UW-Eau Claire. “One major issue that affects all UWEC faculty is our ever-increasing workload. When we are able to address this issue through collective bargaining, we can ensure that each of our students gets the individual attention that they need not just to graduate, but to thrive.”

According to Marshall Johnson, a UW-Superior sociology professor, the faculty union will give his school a long-term advantage in recruitment and retention. “At UW-Superior, faculty pride ourselves on our tradition of academic excellence. Having a meaningful voice in our workplace will augment that tradition by attracting and retaining top-notch faculty.”

Contract negotiations at both campuses are expected to begin soon. UW-Eau Claire academic staff continue to explore the possibility of forming a collective bargaining union.

Kennedy indicates that organizing drives continue on campuses throughout the UW System. “AFT-Wisconsin’s academic staff and faculty activists have been organizing around the issue of collective bargaining rights for the past forty years. We look forward to continuing to work with UW faculty and academic staff in helping them to establish a meaningful voice on campus.”

This article was provided courtesy of AFT-Wisconsin.

(Photo: UW Eau Claire campus.  Photo Credit: Andy Thompson.)

AirTran Pilots Grant Union Authority to Call a Strike

The union leadership of AirTran Airways pilots announced today that its members have overwhelmingly approved a measure granting them the authority to call a strike if contract talks fail. 

A resounding 97.5 percent of pilots voted in favor of the strike ballot. More than 96 percent of eligible pilots participated in the polling.

“This vote serves as notice to AirTran management that we are united and resolved to get an industry-standard contract now,” said Linden Hillman, Chairman of the AirTran chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l. “We do not want a strike, we want a contract. The time has passed to get this done.”

AirTran and its pilots have been in contract talks for more than five years.

AirTran pilots are paid significantly less than industry-standard, and are seeking a contract that rewards them for their contribution to the success of the airline.

(Photos: ALPA members picketed in Milwaukee this morning to gain the attention of AirTran stockholders and board members.  Credit for All Photos: Jenissee Volpintesta.  For more pictures from the picket, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157623963296367/.)

 

Eau Claire Area Political Activists Are Ready. Are You?

“We have to be proactive about the laws and issues that affect working people.  Building a political foundation is a year round process,” according to Kathy Brenden of CWA Local 4640.  “That’s why we train in May even though the election is in November.  The education process must never stop.” 

Over the weekend UA Local 434 hosted a political training for union volunteers at their offices in Eau Claire.  Participants acquired and brushed up on the skills necessary to elect working family candidates in the upcoming election cycle.   

“I am relatively new to political action, and I gained a lot by listening to the more experienced activists and volunteers from our region,” reports Michael Thompson of IBEW Local 14.  “I look forward to putting what I learned Saturday into practice.”

“Even though I have participated in labor walks before, this training provided valuable information that will help me feel more comfortable when approaching people in the future,” said Dean Scanlon of LIUNA Local 268.  “It is up to us to share the facts that our fellow union members need to cast an informed vote.  It won’t happen unless we get out there and make it happen.”

AFSCME Local 560, AFSCME Local 1914, AFT Local 4018, ATU Local 519, ATU Local 1310, CWA Local 4640, IBEW Local 14, LIUNA Local 268, OPEIU Local 277, and UA Local 434 all sent representatives to Saturday’s training.

The 16 training participants learned how local union mail, member to member phone banking, worksite leafleting and labor walks all fit together to create a successful political campaign.

“Our program is effective because we don’t just rely on one method of member education and voter turnout,” explains Sara Rogers, Executive Vice President and Political Director for the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.  “It means so much more when a coworker or fellow union member reaches out personally with a political message.  That is the core of our success.”

If your affiliated union is interested in hosting a political action training session, contact your local service area organizer.  Click here for contact information.

(Top Photo:  All of the graduates from the Eau Claire Area Political Activist Training on May 15.  Middle Right Photo:  Robin Leary of AFSCME Local 1914.  Middle Left Photo: Jerry Jackson of UA Local 434 speaking during the training.  Bottom Photo: Michael Turner of  AFSCME Local 560 taking notes.  Credit for All Photos: Andy Thompson.  For more pictures from this training session, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157623943591243/.)

Political Action: Labor Walks Begin in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC) is serious about electing candidates to political office who will fight for and serve the needs of working families.  Over the weekend MALC volunteers reached out to fellow union members in an effort to educate and turnout voters for endorsed Milwaukee County Supervisor candidate Nikiya Harris.

The MALC’s Labor Walk on Saturday was the first of many expected over the course of the spring, summer and fall as union members show their support for working family candidates on the local, state and federal levels.  This type of outreach can be the deciding factor in an election and is an essential part of making sure that politicians are accountable to their constituents.

“I would strongly encourage people to get involved in member to member walks as a way to connect with our community,” says Renita Hoover, a retiree from AFSCME Local 1654.  “We drive so many places without ever slowing down to talk to each other.  When we actually take the time to have a conversation about county government, it turns out that we have a lot more in common with our neighbors that we realized.  Together we have the power to make a difference.”

42 volunteers from AFSCME Subchapter 36, AFSCME Council 48, AFSCME Local 82, AFSCME Local 170, AFSCME Local 426, AFSCME Local 567, AFSCME Local 882, AFSCME Local 1448, AFSCME Local 1486, AFSCME Local 1654, AFSCME Local 1954, DALU Local 24111, LIUNA Local 113, OPEIU Local 9, SEIU Local 1, SEIU Local 150, SEIU State Council, SEIU Health Care Wisconsin, UA Local 75, UAW Local 9, and UAW Local 438 went door to door on Saturday morning to talk to fellow union members about the Milwaukee County Supervisor race.

“As a bilingual person, I think it is especially important to get out and encourage others to exercise their rights.  We want to elect the best candidates for all working people, not just union members,” says Maria Sada of SEIU Local 1.  “In this particular race for Milwaukee County Supervisor, busing is an issue that really matters to me.  I am hoping that Nikiya Harris will be able to improve public transportation.”

Harris is running in a special election for the District 2 Milwaukee County Supervisor’s seat.  For more information about that race and the endorsement, click here.

(Top Photo: MALC endorsed candidate for Milwaukee County Supervisor District 2, Nikiya Harris.  Also pictured are Rich and Debbra Abelson of AFSCME Council 48 and Annie Wacker of AFSCME Local 1954.  Bottom Photos: Group shots of the volunteers at Saturday's Labor Walk.  Credit for All Photos: Jenissee Volpintesta.)

The Cost of “Free” Trade: Don’t Let Delphi Happen Again

Yesterday working and unemployed families rallied at the former Delphi Automotive factory in Oak Creek to protest so-called “free trade” agreements which continue to shutdown Wisconsin manufacturers and send jobs overseas.  The rally, sponsored by UAW Region 4, raised awareness and support for H.R. 3012: Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) Act of 2010.

About 100 union members participated in the rally in spite of unseasonably cold, damp weather.   Speakers at the event included Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Phil Neuenfeldt, Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC) Secretary Treasurer and former Delphi worker Sheila Cochran, UAW Local 469 President Tony Rainey, and Democratic Party of Milwaukee Chairman Sachin Chheda.

Between 1993 and 2007, the state of Wisconsin lost 141,100 manufacturing jobs, largely due to policies associated with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).  The TRADE Act would require that existing trade pacts be reviewed and revised with product safety, environmental and labor standards in mind.

 Click here for more information about the TRADE Act, provided by Public Citizen.

Sen. Russ Feingold, Rep. Gwen Moore, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, and Rep. Steve Kagen are all strong supporters of H.R. 3012, and Thursday’s rally called on the rest of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation to become cosponsors.

“Unfair trade policies line the pockets of the wealthy and leave working people across the globe devastated,” according to Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Phil Neuenfeldt.  “This rally is proof that the hard working families of Wisconsin won’t sit back silently and watch their standard of living deteriorate.”

“At Delphi alone we’ve lost 2,000 family-wage jobs,” said Christine Cavallaro, former Delphi employee and member of UAW Local 438.  “Our plant was always profitable, right up through the final days.  But bad trade policy and bankruptcy laws made it possible for the company to ship jobs overseas where workers are more easily exploited.  Congress must take action.” 

WISN –ABC, WDJT –CBS, WITI –FOX, and WTMJ 4 –NBC all covered the rally as part of their evening news broadcasts, and Wisconsin Public Radio ran an interview with Secretary Treasurer Neuenfeldt about the TRADE Act throughout the day.
 
Click here to watch a news clip from WDJT –CBS.

An interview with MALC Secretary Treasurer Cochran about the rally and fair trade policy is expected to run in the business section of this Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

(All photos taken at The Cost of “Free” Trade Rally.  Photo Credit: Jenissee Volpintesta.  For additional pictures, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157623935208721/.)

The Recovery Act Uses Stimulus Money to Cut Taxes

Between this year and last year, Wisconsin will receive approximately $13 billion in federal stimulus investment ― over $5 billion is in the form of tax cuts for every individual, family and most businesses.  Who in Wisconsin is getting these tax cuts? Everybody.
 
Through the Making Work Pay Credit Program, each of Wisconsin’s 2.2 million families is receiving an average tax cut of $506 in 2009-2010 which would pay for a month’s worth of groceries.
 
Through the Child Tax Credit, the families of 279,000 children will save $230.7 million, receiving a higher tax break for each child living in the home. 
 
Through the American Opportunity Tax Credit, over 160,000 families of college students will save $217.4 million with a larger tax cut for tuition and other college and technical school expenses lasting up to four years. 

Through the Earned Income Tax Credit, there are 228,000 low income families with children who will receive an average of an additional $676 in tax returns. This $141.4 million would pay for over half of the families’ clothing costs for the year.

Through the Refundable First-Time Home Buyer Credit, 30,111 first time home buyers received a $500 tax credit and do not have to pay back the credit for 15 years. This will save young families $74.6 million.

Through the suspension of taxation of unemployment benefits, there are 441,000 unemployed persons who will get a $250 federal refundable tax cut as well as a state tax cut – a $73.4 million boost to people who lost their jobs because of the banks’ meltdown. This could pay for heating bills in February and March.

Through the deduction for sales tax on automobile purchases, households purchasing a new car can deduct the sales tax for the purchase price (up to a vehicle cost of $49,500) from their federal income tax. This is a total tax cut of $25.5 million.

Families can also claim tax cuts for energy conservation investments in their home or for household transportation, up to $1,500 per household.

Through economic recovery payments to retirees, $250 checks went to over one million people who are retired or disabled and whose sole source of income is Social Security, SSI, Railroad pensions and Veterans benefits. For seniors, this would cover the cost of Medicare Drug Premiums for six months. This aid totaled $267 million for retired veterans, senior citizens and people with serious disabilities.

Through a number of business tax breaks, Wisconsin business owners are getting a $561 million federal tax cut through 2010.
 
The federal government is the ultimate safety net to keep the economy from collapsing, and these tax breaks are an important part of that protection.

April Jobs Numbers Not Good Enough

The following statement on the April Jobs Report comes from national AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka:

The addition of 290,000 jobs in April, the fourth consecutive monthly gain, is a hopeful sign, if it can be sustained, that real employment growth is finally underway.  Still, we face an enormous challenge to get out of the more than 11-million job hole that was opened by the Great Recession that began in 2007.

Even the rise in the unemployment rate to 9.9 percent reflects a positive trend, because it means that over 800,000 workers entered the labor force -- many of them formerly discouraged workers who had stopped looking for work. But, the share of the 15.3 million unemployed workers who have been unemployed for more than six months rose again to a new record of 45.9 percent.

It’s important to remember that the economic recovery supporting this job growth remains fragile, however.  Despite positive signs of continued growth in manufacturing and construction jobs, some of the overall job gains still depend on factors - government stimulus, inventory re-stocking and census hiring - that are likely to fade through the year.

We urge Congress to act quickly and decisively to enact legislation that invests in our future, gets workers back on their feet now and protects against repeat financial crises.

Look at Labor in Action!

There are over eight hundred photos of union members on the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO flickr page, and new pictures are added almost every day.  To see what working family activists are up to near you, visit:

http://flickr.com/wisaflcio/sets

(Top photo: AFSCME members participate in the May Day March in Madison.  Photo Credit: Greg Neil.  Bottom Photo: Bill Beeler of IBEW Local 14 and Dan Hanson of BCTGM Local 22 set up a memorial for slain Western Wisconsin workers as part of Workers Memorial Day ceremonies in La Crosse.  Photo Credit: Dale Anderson, President of ATU Local 519.)