Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Gov. Walker Compares Himself to FDR? "Laughably Delusional" says Phil Neuenfeldt

In case you missed it, Gov. Walker recently compared himself to Franklin Delano Roosevelt (?!) and left the door open to expanding Act 10 for police and fire fighters.  While Gov. Walker gears up for his spotlight at the National Governors Association, Wisconsin workers are still feeling the lasting impacts of a struggling economy. 

Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO had this to say about Gov. Walker’s latest parade of bad ideas. 

It’s time for Gov. Walker to stop showboating for the National Governors Association and get real about bringing good times to Wisconsin.  Any expansion of Act 10 is an expansion of a reckless policy that divides workers and cripples workers’ rights on the job.  The right to collective bargaining is essential and gives workers in both the public and private sector a shot at the middle class.  Collective bargaining allows workers to speak up about unsafe work conditions, inadequate or faulty work equipment and the most efficient way to serve our communities.

Gov. Walker is no Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Wisconsin knows it.  FDR brought us out of the Great Depression with strong investment in workers and jobs programs that worked.  Scott Walker is drowning in a jobs deficit and to compare himself to FDR is laughably delusional. 

Milwaukee is Going on Strike. Follow #raiseupMKE

Guest post by Devonte Yates, a striking McDonald's worker from Milwaukee.

Next Thursday, August 1, will go down in history. Milwaukee fast food and retail workers are striking for $15 and the right to form a union without retaliation. Due to growing momentum, outreach, and worker engagement, 7 cities nationwide are going on strike together over 5 days of direct worker action. In Milwaukee, this means more fast food and retail outlets will be affected, more people will take to the streets, and they'll need more community support than ever before.

Pledge to Join the Strikers August 1.  Join workers at a rally at 4:30 p.m. at Miller Park Way & Greenfield Ave.

On May 15, Milwaukee workers took their first collective action by walking out for higher pay. Since then, the Center on Wisconsin Strategy released a report showing over one-third of Milwaukee workers earn poverty wages - with fast food and retail making up the biggest chunk. Emboldened, Raise Up MKE members hit the ground and reached out to their coworkers and allies to organize an even bigger strike.

Fight for Workers Organizing for a Better Future and a Better MKE.

The only reason these low-wages persist is that corporations like McDonald's deny the needs and suppress the rights of their workers. We've overcome these odds before, and we can do it again - but we need your help.

Keep It Made in America. WI Workers to Call on NGA to Strengthen Buy-American State Laws

WHAT:  Rally to Protect American Jobs

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 3

WHERE:  Zeidler Union Square Park, 301 W Michigan Street, Milwaukee 

RSVP here.

When the National Governors Association holds its annual meeting in downtown Milwaukee this weekend, Wisconsin workers will be just blocks away at Zeidler Union Square Park to remind elected leaders to support good jobs in all 50 states by strengthening made in America requirements. 
We will rally to call on the NGA to support legislation that encourages states to purchase American made or state made products whenever possible.

Workers from Oshkosh Truck, John Deere, Joy Global Mining Equipment, Wisconsin’s Paper Valley and other manufacturing and service jobs will gather for a rally at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 3, to remind Governors that their actions have direct consequences over the availability of family-supporting jobs in local communities across the nation. 

Made in Wisconsin brats will be on hand and booths will feature made in Wisconsin products.  Let's put our taxpayer dollars back into our communities and support local jobs by encouraging states and local governments to buy American and buy Wisconsin.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing reports that Wisconsin lost 54,500 jobs or 1.9% of its workforce in trade with China between 2001 and 2011. Just last month, New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority awarded China a $235 million project to work on Staten Island’s Verrazano Bridge at a time when there are American workers ready, willing and able to perform the work. In 2010, Gov. Walker rejected $810 million in federal funds for high-speed rail which would have upgraded Wisconsin’s infrastructure and created hundreds of good-paying jobs. Workers are feeling the impact of these short-sided decisions and are calling on the NGA to support good jobs now.

Click here to RSVP.

Day of Action to Support Milwaukee’s Fast Food & Low-Wage Workers

Make your calendars:  Thursday, August 1, at 4:30 p.m. Miller Park Way & Greenfield Ave.

Remember the May 15 strike when Milwaukee fast food workers walked off the job calling for $15 an hour and the right for form a union free from employer retaliation?  On that day, hundreds of Milwaukee’s low-wage workers took to the streets to call attention to poverty wages and poor working conditions. 

Since then, the movement has been spreading across the country.  Most recently, workers at a McDonald's in NYC and a Dunkin Donuts in Chicago refused to work in over 100 degree heat when air conditioning broke during the dangerous July heat wave. 

Milwaukee workers organizing for change are holding a day of action on Thursday, August 1, to keep the pressure on area businesses to support their rights as workers.  Show your support for low-wage workers demanding higher pay and the right to form a union without retailing by stopping by the rally at 4:30 p.m. at Miller Park & Greenfield.

This is a national day of action in the “Fight for $15.”  Across the country, thousands of workers are coming together to call for better pay and workplace respect.  Join the fight for higher wages in Milwaukee so workers can provide food, shelter, clothing and a decent living for themselves and their families.  Higher wages will raise up Milwaukee’s economy and improve everyone’s standard of living.

RSVP for the Rally: bit.ly/WJNaug1

JOIN US: ALEC Exposed Rally in Chicago

Here in Wisconsin, we’ve seen what happens when shady corporate interest groups have too much influence over state legislators. Dangerous and unfair bills that attack collective bargaining rights, dismantle voting rights, deregulate consumer protections and undermine public schools are written by ALEC (The American Legislative Exchange Council) and then pushed by politicians here in Madison. Enough is enough.  This attack on our democracy must be exposed.

Join workers, students, retirees, community activists and faith leaders  in Chicago on Thursday, August 8, to protest ALEC’s 40th anniversary meeting.  The rally will start at noon outside the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E Monroe Street, in downtown Chicago. 

Send a message that Wisconsinites oppose ALEC’s radical and dangerous agenda. Click here to let the Chicago Federation of Labor know that you’ll be there in solidarity. 

For more information on ALEC and the role they are playing in statehouses across the country visit www.ALECexposed.org.

Walker Named to List of Nation’s Worst Governors

The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has named Scott Walker to its list of worst governors in the nation.  Using corruption, cronyism, scandal, mismanagement, partisan politics, self-enrichment and transparency as guides, Gov. Walker ranked 6th among the nation's worst governors.

The report, Worst Governors in America, explains that Walker's inclusion stems from:

“(1) using his office to promote donors’ interests; (2) illegally using state troopers to track down his political opponents; (3) an investigation into illegal activity by his aides; (4) diverting money from a nationwide mortgage settlement; (5) an investigation into the state economic development corporation he chairs; (6) dismissing a political appointee for signing the recall petition against him; and (7) advocating for new voter identification restrictions.”

Outranking Walker on the list are Nathan Deal of Georgia, Paul LePage of Maine, Robert McDonnell of Virginia, Rick Perry of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida, all Republicans.

Click here to read the full report.

Brown County Diaper Drive Underway!

The second annual Brown County Diaper Drive will kick-off July 10 and run through July 31. 

All donations will benefit the Community Partnership for Children, an initiative focused on keeping children from birth to five safe, healthy and learning. The project is co-sponsored by the Brown County United Way and Greater Green Bay Labor Council Community Services Committee.

Last year’s inaugural drive collected over 28,000 diapers and other baby products which were distributed to 18 programs serving at-risk children in Brown County.

The Brown County Diaper Drive will have collection sites throughout Brown County including:

• Brown County Library Branches
• Festival Stores
• Green Bay Fire Stations
• Shopko
• Brown County United Way
• Green Bay Labor Temple, 1570 Elizabeth St.

Financial donations enabling the drive to purchase diapers for the programs may be made at:

http://www.browncountyunitedway.org/diaperdrive.html

Union-sponsored 'King Run' to Benefit Local Veterans

Join the brothers and sisters of UAW Local 578, Oshkosh Truck, this Saturday, July 6, for the King Run, a poker run, with all proceeds going to the King Veterans’ Home.

The run starts at 10:00 a.m. at Headliner’s Bar & Grill, 2788 Towne Ct,  Neenah and costs $20-$30.  Come out and support our veterans this holiday weekend! 

Last year, the run had over 300 participants.  Let’s help our brothers and sisters reach over 400 this year!  Spread the word and share this post with anyone you think may be interested!

Wisconsinites Say "No" to Chained CPI

Wisconsinites formed a human chain around Rep. Reid Ribble’s office in Green Bay and at Rep. Ron Kind’s office in Eau Claire on Tuesday as part of a national day of action to protest proposed changes to Social Security that would weaken benefits for current and future retirees. 

Protesters focused specifically on opposing the chained CPI, which would cut Social Security benefits by changing the cost of living adjustment formula.

Dozens of members of labor unions and community groups worked together to create a human chain in front of Rep. Ribble’s office and Rep. Kind’s office to protest the chained CPI.  Dozens more human chains were formed in front of key Congressional offices and Federal buildings, as well as other strategic locations, in states around the country. 

“Politicians continue to press for the Chained CPI benefit cut as a way to reduce the deficit.  But the truth is Social Security has not contributed one dime to the deficit,” said Mike Pyne, President of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans. “The chained CPI is a cold, calculated benefit cut to our Social Security - and some cuts never heal!”

Chained CPI is an immediate Social Security benefit cut, which would result in an annual benefit that is roughly  $1,000 (2012 dollars) lower by the time a beneficiary reaches age 85.

“On July 2nd, retirees and their supporters came together and joined hands to send a firm message to Washington,” added Pyne. “We refuse to be chained by the chained CPI, and we will not stand for any cuts to our modest Social Security benefits.”

Fran Hofer from Eau Claire stated that "a lot of our seniors don't have much of an income in their late years and if they use their little cash reserves, it goes down in a hurry by paying rent and bills, and all the food products and all those things seem to be going up. So they really come out on the short end."

The Alliance for Retired Americans is a nationwide grassroots advocacy organization representing more than 4 million nationally and over  89,000 members in Wisconsin. 

Check out local media coverage

• WEAU, Eau Claire: Seniors Protest Potential Social Security Cuts

• Green Bay Press Gazette:   Retirees Form Human Chain to Protest Chained CPI

More photos available at flickr.com/wisaflcio