Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Creative Budget Scrabble

We just finished putting together a comprehensive list of damaging items in Gov. Walker’s 2013-2015 Budget.  Somehow, we managed to squeeze all the drastic cuts, shameful corporate givebacks and baffling non-fiscal policy items on only eight pages. 

Click here to download our 2013-2015 Budget Overview and Its Impact on Wisconsin’s Working Families.

Both the state Assembly and state Senate passed the budget last week.  Gov. Walker has stated he will sign the budget this Sunday, June 30, at the establishment of a generous campaign donor. 

Due to one of the most powerful veto pens in the country, Gov. Walker has complete power over the final wording of the budget.  Walker has the ability to line-item veto individual letters, words, full sentences or complete chunks of the budget.   Wisconsin is one of the only states in the nation in which the Governor has so much control over the final budget.  With this kind of leverage, Gov. Walker can play creative scrabble and doctor the budget to his liking.  However, his veto pen can also be used for good.  There is still time to raise your voice and urge Gov. Walker to make a bad budget somewhat better. 

Contact Gov. Walker’s office at (608) 266-1212 or govgeneral@wisconsin.gov and urge him to use his veto power to make the budget better.  Here is a list of some of the items we think should come out of the budget:  the refusal to expand Medicaid, the creation of a bail bondsmen system, changes to unemployment insurance, and the expansion of school vouchers.  Check out our 2013-2015 Budget Overview and contact Gov. Walker with the changes you’d like to see. 

Celebrating Summer in Solidarity

Union families kicked off summer in Horicon on June 22 with the Dodge County All Union Picnic. 

 

The picnic featured union-made fun, food and games. Hot dogs, brats and chips were available as well as major raffles.   Swimming, balloons, piñatas and games kept children laughing while adults got down to serious business with a hot dog eating contest.

Congratulations to Kurt Devries, IAM Local 873, who took home first place in the hot dog eating contest and Tony Tesch, IAM Local 873, who came in second.  Well done brothers!

Hostess Snacks, but not its workers, makes a comeback

 

 

This blog is a crosspost from Laura Clawson at the Daily Kos.

Twinkies are coming back! The jobs of most of the workers who used to make Twinkies and other Hostess cakes, and their union, are not coming back. Which the Associated Press presents as just another way for a company to compete for profits. (Shoot, the race to the bottom on wages and benefits is pretty much the way companies compete for profits these days.)

Media Matters highlights how the AP presents the story of the Hostess bankruptcy largely from the viewpoint of the company's executives. You know, workers say this, management says that, the workers lost their jobs and/or their union, but hey, look over here at the creamy filling and the dark cocoa being added to the cupcakes.

So since, with the brand's reappearance on convenience store shelves, we're going to be hearing a lot of these management-view thumbnail sketches of how Hostess went under, let's recap some of what you won't hear as much:

• Unionized Hostess workers made major concessions, taking pay and benefits cuts. That money was supposed to be reinvested into the company. It wasn't.

• As the company was struggling, its CEO pay skyrocketed, and as it was going into bankruptcy, Hostess pushed to give $1.75 million in bonuses to top executives.

• Hostess claimed it had to close plants because workers went on strike, but in fact, the company was already planning to close nine bakeries and wasn't telling which ones.

• Hostess stole its workers' pension money to fund itself and still went bankrupt.

• And, as Media Matters points out, "while the AP story claims that "workers" are blaming the company's woes on mismanagement and a failure to adapt to evolving consumer tastes, this has actually been the opinion of informed and objective third parties."

This is the real story of Hostess: high pay and mismanagement at the top, concessions at the bottom, blame to the workers despite those concessions. Don't forget that as you're sinking your teeth into a creamy retro treat.

Stop Chained CPI

Chained CPI. You’ve heard about it. It’s a flawed way to calculate yearly cost-of-living increases for Social Security. And it has real consequences for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. It means our country’s budget would be balanced on the backs of the most vulnerable Americans because it would cut Social Security.

You’ve been fighting with us to stop this from happening. In April, you—and more than 1 million others—signed a petition that we and other groups fighting to stop these cuts delivered directly to the White House. We asked President Obama to drop chained CPI and oppose any other cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

But we need to keep the pressure on. Right now, there are resolutions in both the House and the Senate to oppose these cuts—and your lawmakers already have signed on.

Click here to thank your lawmakers for pledging opposition to chained CPI and any cuts to programs that would put an unfair burden on vulnerable Americans.

Your legislators need to know their constituents, including you, are standing with them.

You most likely know someone who would be hurt by chained CPI and other cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

In our country we take care of our seniors, we honor our veterans and we support the most vulnerable. And the decisions our legislators make should reflect that.

Thank your lawmakers for protecting working Americans:

go.aflcio.org/thank-them

Budget Heads to Governor's Desk

On Wednesday, in an unusually fast move, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed Gov. Walker’s 2013-2015 Budget on a 55-42 vote.  All Democrats and three members of the GOP voted against the budget. View the roll call to see how your representative voted. 

In the early morning hours of Friday, June 21, after 12 hours of debate, the Wisconsin State Senate passed Gov. Walker's Budget on a 17-16 vote, with Rep. Dale Schultz joining Democrats in opposition. 

Make no mistake; this budget will have a lasting and damaging impact on Wisconsin families.  The GOP budget puts in place a tax shift which overwhelming favors the rich while starving neighborhood schools of necessary resources and expanding for-profit voucher schools.  In an extremely partisan and shortsighted move, Gov. Walker is refusing billions of dollars in federal aid to expand BadgerCare.  BadgerCare provides health care coverage for low-income families and adults.  Without the expansion it is estimated that 84,770 people will be cut from BadgerCare. 

Shamelessly, the 2013-2015 Budget is jam-packed with givebacks to special interest lobbying groups as well as non-fiscal policy items.  Republicans have been cutting deals with backroom lobbyists and have put aside the best interest of Wisconsin’s middle class in order to reward their campaign contributors.  The creation of a bail bondsmen system, crane game deregulation and a host of baffling givebacks to corporate interests still line the budget. 

Gov. Walker is expected to sign the budget before July 1, 2013.

Don't Miss the Historic 1941 Almanac Singers Tour

In the summer of 1941, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger in a group called the Almanac Singers made a cross-country tour to put together music that inspired thousands on picket lines, in union halls and theaters.

That historic tour – which included a stop at the UAW Local 248 strike of Allis-Chalmers – is being re-created this summer by two folksingers in 25-city nationwide tour that will include a stop in Milwaukee on Thursday, July 18.

The Wisconsin Labor History Society is sponsoring an evening concert by the two singers, Rik Palieri and George Mann, at 7:00 p.m. at Milwaukee Turners Hall, 1034 N. 4th St. 

Tickets may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance or online by clicking here.

The program each night will include songs from that tour 72 years ago, including “Union Maid,” “Talking Union,” and “Which Side Are You on?”  In addition, Palieri and Mann will be relating stories from the tour, based on interviews they’ve had with Pete Seeger, now 93 and living in upstate New York.  The Almanacs’ now almost-mythical journey has become an inspiration for legions of musicians, free thinkers, and gasoline gypsies, and has paved the road for many of today’s singer/songwriters.

The July 18 program will also involve some songs of the two folksingers that will reflect upon current day events.  Local musicians will be asked to join in, as they were by the Almanac Singers in 1941.

Admission will be $10, with any proceeds going to the “Labor History in the Schools” program of the Wisconsin Labor History Society.

The Almanac Trail tour will be in Madison for a similar concert on Friday, Aug. 9; 7:30 p.m. at the Madison Labor Temple.

For information about the tour, go to http://almanactrail.com.

For further information on the Milwaukee program, please contact Ken Germanson, Wisconsin Labor History Society, at 414-687-6954 or keng@wisconsinlaborhistory.org.

JOIN US: July 2, Rally to Save Social Security

Join the National Day of Action and be part of the Human Chain against Chained CPI. The Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans is hosting a rally to protect Social Security and to strengthen retirement security for all Americans.  

WHEN:  10:00 a.m., July 2, 2013

WHERE:  Rep. Reid Ribble’s Green Bay Office, 550 N. Military Avenue (Corner of Bond and Military Ave)

Congressman Reid Ribble supports cutting the Social Security annual cost of living adjustment by switching to the Chained CPI.  Disguised as a technical change the Chained CPI could make very real cuts to Social Security benefits for seniors. 

We’re fighting back by linking arms and raising our voices across the country on July 2.  Concerned citizens will be forming a human chain in front of Rep. Ribble’s office and at demonstrations across the country to oppose Chained CPI and any cuts to earned benefits for current and future retirees. 

 

**Please R.S.V.P. by emailing wiara@att.net or call 414-771-9511 by June 28**

Wisconsinites Protest Gov. Walker's Budget, Urge Lawmakers to Vote NO

WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

Wisconsinites braved the rain to protest the Wisconsin Budget Bill currently up for debate in the Legislature.  The budget has been approved by the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee and the Assembly is set to begin debate on the bill today, Tuesday, June 18. Working families are opposing the budget and on Monday residents raised their voices in Chippewa Falls to urge Sen. Terry Moulton to VOTE NO on the upcoming budget vote. 

Gov. Walker’s 2013-2015 Budget is packed with givebacks to corporate special interest at the expense of Wisconsin’s middle class.  The budget will cut 84,770 people from BadgerCare by rejecting federal funds to expand the program through the Affordable Care Act.  This malicious attack on Wisconsin’s most vulnerable is pure politics. Gov. Walker is foolishly letting partisan games get in the way of saving Wisconsin lives.

The budget will also expand unaccountable voucher schools to the entire state and allow for the sale of state-owned property to the highest bidder. 

Here are some of the most alarming provisions of Gov. Walker’s budget

•    Public education is being scaled back and teachers disrespected.  Republicans are siphoning tax dollars out of neighborhood schools and into for-profit private education enterprises.

•    The budget calls for an irresponsible and unfair tax shift scheme that overwhelming favors the rich and the top 1% of earners. 

•    The JFC sidestepped the time-tested recommendations of the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council, an advising council made up of both labor and management groups that work together to create a balanced approach to unemployment compensation.  The budget will decrease benefits  unemployed workers rely on.

•    Gov. Walker and the JFC let politics cloud their common sense and refused to accept federal funds to expand BadgerCare coverage in Wisconsin.  This move will cost the state money and jobs and as a new study recently outlined will result in more needless deaths. 

•    The budget calls for a private bail bond system to be legalized. Commercial bail bonds have been banned in Wisconsin since 1979 and face near universal opposition from judges, lawyers and law enforcement.  Bail bonds are ineffective and a threat to public safety.

Contact your representative and urge them to VOTE NO on the upcoming budget vote: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/Pages/waml.aspx

WI Unions Help Kids Get Hooked on Fishing

Thanks to the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, the Western Wisconsin AFL-CIO, local labor councils in La Crosse and Eau Claire, the Western Wisconsin Building and Construction Trades and local Park Departments hundreds of La Crosse and Eau Claire area children enjoyed a free day of fishing on the lake.

The second annual “Take Kids Fishing Day" was held at Pettibone Park in La Crosse and at the Braun's Bay Pavilion, Carson Park in Eau Claire with the duo-goal of showing the next generation the benefits of fishing as well as raising awareness of local fishing holes.  Equipment and lessons were provided. 

“The Kids Fishing event is an opportunity to get today’s youth involved in the outdoors. Like our apprentices, we need to have them start at a young age to carry on the traditions. With the help of our union partners, the Western WI AFL CIO, the Greater Eau Claire Area Labor Council and the Western WI Building trades and all the affiliates, we were able to teach over 150 kids about fishing and the techniques that go along with it,” explained Tim Bindl of the Union Sportsmen's Alliance. 

“It’s one of the opportunities we in labor take to give back to the community.  It is something else when you see a child’s face light up when he or she catches their first fish.  Many of these children wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to fish, either because they don’t have fishing poles or can’t afford bait. We provide all the equipment as well as a door prize for each child -- fishing lures, rods & reels, tackle boxes and other items to help children continue to fish," said Bill Brockmiller of the Western Wisconsin CLC.

Local Media Coverage

WXOW (ABC)

WKBT (CBS)

View more photos of the Fishing Event Here.

Wisconsin worker advocates head to DC to lobby for immigration reform

As debate over immigration reform begins on the Senate floor Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Stephanie Bloomingdale and other working family advocates headed to Washington DC today to lobby Sen. Baldwin, Rep. Duffy and Rep. Kind on comprehensive immigration reform. Labor leaders and allies will call for a bill that includes a roadmap to citizenship for the more than 11 million aspiring Americans and strong protections for all workers.

The lobby visit is part of a national lobby day involving working family advocates from across the country.  The lobby visits will also coincide with a massive mobilization the week of June 10-14 encouraging millions of working families across the country to contact their members of Congress to demand fair and compassionate immigration reform. 

“The time is now for a fair and comprehensive immigration process that includes strong protections for all workers,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. “Which is why the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO and the members we represent, along with a diverse coalition of immigrant community, faith groups and other organizations across the country are mobilizing our communities to call on Congress this week to pass an immigration bill that protects all working families. The unstoppable momentum around grassroots actions across the country, along with broad support for comprehensive immigration reform, ensures that we WILL have a pathway to citizenship in 2013 for the more than 11 million aspiring Americans who live and contribute to our communities.”