Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Don't Deny Justice to Asbestos Victims: Stop SB 13.

There is troubling legislation being moved through the Wisconsin Senate that would greatly harm workers throughout the state. Senate Bill 13 seeks to add unnecessary delays, force disclosure of filings with federal personal-injury trusts and take choice away from workers, veterans and others whose lives have been destroyed by the deadly material, asbestos.

Click here to email your state senator and tell them to vote NO on SB 13.

For decades, asbestos has harmed and killed Wisconsin workers, and we are therefore adamantly opposed to the bill. It would be wrong to delay the judicial process for victims of asbestos and deny them their access to justice.

Workers' organizations and unions, such as the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, SMART- Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation and the Wisconsin Building Trades have officially opposed this bill because it would irrevocably harm workers and their families.

Workers, veterans and other asbestos victims that have developed asbestosis, mesothelioma or other respiratory diseases suffer great pain and disability, genuine mental anguish and extreme fear as a result of developing cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The employees also unknowingly brought these asbestos fibers home on their clothing, exposing their families to this dangerous, cancer causing material. Imagine the torment they feel with that fact.

Wisconsinites have been exposed to asbestos while on the job or actively serving our country in the armed forces. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wisconsin is ranked 14th in the nation in asbestos deaths from malignant mesothelioma. Mills, foundries, factories, rail yards, construction sites, manufacturing plants, naval ships and military barracks are a few of the many examples where Wisconsin workers and veterans were exposed to asbestos.

Because of its well-known use as a fire-retardant and heat insulator, asbestos was used to insulate factories, schools, homes, and ships, and to make automobile brake and clutch parts, roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, cement, textiles and hundreds of other products. Because of this, it is easy to see how workers in the manufacturing, mining, railroad, sheet metal or construction industries are particularly at risk of overexposure to asbestos.

A study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine showed the harmful effects asbestos has had on sheet metal workers and uncovered some disturbing statistics. The study showed that 21 percent of sheet metal workers tested positive for pleural scarring - a prime indicator for an asbestos-related disease. Workers who were on the job for at least 40 years saw the number jump to 33 percent.

In Wisconsin, almost 400 sheet metal workers have had positive results on an asbestos test. This group of workers is just one example of how asbestos has detrimentally affected the lives of many in Wisconsin. Sadly, many other workplaces have been affected just as badly, if not worse.

Senate Bill 13 recently passed its final committee stop in the Wisconsin Senate and can be scheduled for vote any time now. We must fight for the workers that have been exposed to asbestos. For years to come workers will, unfortunately, be dealing with the deadly effects of asbestos. Stand with Wisconsin workers and veterans and oppose Senate Bill 13, email your state senator today.

New Poll Shows Walker Beatable in 2014

The latest poll of 800 registered voters in the state of Wisconsin shows incumbent Gov. Walker is neck-and-neck with democratic challengers heading into Wisconsin’s 2014 gubernatorial election.  With a record of dismal job growth, attacks on workers’ rights and devastating cuts to public schools and health care for the poor, it is no wonder Gov. Walker is sinking fast in the eyes of the public.

The Marquette University poll shows that Wisconsin is ready for a new direction and new leadership. 

Released on Oct. 29, the poll found that 47 percent of respondents backed Walker, while 45 percent supported Mary Burke. Burke, a former Trek executive and state Commerce Secretary, is the only candidate currenlty declared for the race.

Polling also matched Gov. Walker with state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) and Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha). It found Walker just edging Vinehout 47-44 and leading Barca 48-42.

The poll also showed that Republican climate change denier Sen. Ron Johnson is in big trouble in the eyes of Wisconsin voters for shutting the government down and holding the economy hostage for his Tea-Party political agenda.   Johnson's job approval rating fell to just 28 percent favorable and 33 percent unfavorable. 

Looking to 2016, Hillary Clinton led all four Republicans in hypothetical 2016 presidential match-ups.

Clinton led Walker 53-41, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan 51-43, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie 50-40 and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas 55-33.

 

Manufacturing Job Openings in Milwaukee & Waukesha

The Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership WRTP/BIG STEP in coordination with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the United Steelworkers, the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO and Triada are actively recruiting for open manufacturing positions in the Milwaukee and Waukesha area. 

If you know of someone looking for a job, please share the following information on two upcoming recruitment sessions.

All candidates must pre-register for recruitment sessions by calling 414-342-9787.

• WHEN:  October 30, 2013.  Doors open 8:30 a.m. and lock at 9:00 a.m.
• WHERE:  WRTP/BIG STEP, 3841 W. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53208

• WHEN:  Friday, November 1, 2013.  Doors open at 8:30 a.m. No admittance after 9:00 a.m.
• WHERE:  Waukesha IAMAW Labor Temple, 1726 S West Ave, Waukesha, WI 53188

 

YOU MUST BRING: Proof of graduation, driver’s license, social security card and resume.

Help Send Elizabeth Coppola to the Wisconsin Assembly

Your help is needed with phone banks and canvassing for the upcoming election in Wisconsin's 21st Assembly District. Please see the schedule below.

Phone Banks at the WI State AFL-CIO, 6333 W. Bluemound Road, Milwaukee, WI 53213

• Wednesday, October 30 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm

• Wednesday, November 6 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm

• Wednesday, November 13 – 5:00pm – 8:00pm

Door-to-Door Canvassing – UAW Hall - 7435 S Howell Ave, Oak Creek, WI 53154

• Saturday, October 26 – 9:00am – 1:00pm

• Saturday, November 2 – 9:00am – 1:00pm

• Saturday, November 9 – 9:00am – 1:00pm

 

Contact Tracey Corder, Service Area Organizer, at 414-975-5409 or email tcorder@wisaflcio.org to sign up or with any questions.

IBEW Local 158 Gives Renewable Energy Back to the Community

Union members across the country know the importance of renewable energy and giving back to the community. Right here in Wisconsin, IBEW Local 158 members volunteered their time to install a solar array at the Boys and Girls Club in Green Bay.  While there, union members talked to area children about solar energy and what electricians do. 

Watch the video below as workers share their story!

Madison Teachers Inc. Negotiates 5 Contracts with Madison School District

In what may be the last remaining public sector Collective Bargaining Agreements in Wisconsin, MTI (Madison Teachers Incorporated) recently negotiated Contracts for its five (5) bargaining units -- Teachers, Substitute Teachers, Educational Assistants, Clerical-Technical Employees and School Security Assistants -- with the Madison Metropolitan School District for the  2014-15 school year. 

Contracts,  for the 2014-15 school year, were also negotiated with the District for two bargaining units represented by AFSCME Local 60 -- Custodians and Food Service -- as well as one for the Building Trades Council, for their bargaining unit of District employees. These contracts cover approximately 5000 District employees.

Acutely aware of the historical significance of the moment, two thousand MTI members, many clad in red MTI Solidarity shirts, packed the West Madison Marriott Convention Center on October 2 to ratify the Contracts.

EA-MTI President Erin Proctor captured the solidarity present at the meeting stating emphatically, “We were a union yesterday, we are a union today and we’ll be a union tomorrow.”

For these reasons, the primary gain made in the negotiations was to maintain the collective voice of the Union for District employees, as well as the continuation of previously negotiated terms and conditions of their Contracts.  Six (6) joint labor-management committees were created to discuss potential changes to various items in MTI’s Teacher Contract. These include teacher assignment, evaluation, parent-teacher conferences, professional collaboration time, elementary planning time and the distribution of days within the school calendar. It was also agreed that MTI, AFSCME Local 60, and the Building Trades Council will meet jointly with District representatives to develop the Act 10 mandated Employee Handbook.

The Unions and the District had the opportunity to negotiate these Contracts given Dane County Circuit Court Judge Juan Colas’ 2012 decision which determined that Act 10 was largely unconstitutional.  That case is currently on appeal before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear oral arguments November 11. Oral arguments will be streamed on-line by Wisconsin Eye, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Should the Supreme Court overturn the Colas decision and uphold the constitutionality of Act 10, these may be the last public employee union contracts in the State of Wisconsin, until or unless the Act 10 prohibitions on public sector collective bargaining are lifted by new legislation, and that is not likely so long as Scott Walker is Governor and the Republicans control the Legislature.

Act 10 Legal Update: Judge Colas Finds WERC in Contempt

Public sector bargaining, for all but state employees, was reinstated in the October 21 Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission ruling by Dane County Circuit Court Judge Juan Colas, when he found the WERC Commissioners James Scott and Rodney Pasch in contempt of his September 2012 order.  Given the ruling, any employer which refuses a demand to bargain will violate Wisconsin Statute 111.70. Colas told Commissioners Scott and Pasch that they were in contempt of court when they acted to implement provisions of the anti-union Act 10, after he found most of it to be unconstitutional.  Judge Colas said that the Commissioners considered his 2012 Order and then disregarded it.  He added that the law is clear that when a judge finds a law to be unconstitutional that it has no existence - not just for the party who filed the suit (MTI), but to all; that the judgment has state-wide effect and bars WERC from implementing it.

Colas’ latest ruling restored collective bargaining for city, county, town, school district and technical college unions. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the appeal of the Colas decision on November 11.

Attention High School Students: Labor History Essay Contest!

The Wisconsin Labor History Society announces its High School Essay Contest for the 2013-2014 School Year! Wisconsin high school students (grades 9-12) are eligible to participate. Students are urged to interview family members, neighbors, friends or others for their stories about work and unions. Essays must be postmarked by February 14, 2014.

Win cash prizes up to $500 for essays of about 750 words on the topic:

"Unions have been important to my family and my community because . . ."

Second place, third place and up to five honorable mention cash prizes will also be awarded.  Read winning essay from 2012-13 contest!  Go to: http://wisconsinlaborhistory.org/contests/high-school-essays

Rules: Essays should be approximately 750 words in length. They will be judged on understanding, evidence of original research, writing style and significance. Essays must be typed, double-spaced, on white paper. Two copies must be submitted (One may be a photocopy.) Please be sure to provide the following information on the cover sheet: Your name, address, home telephone number, your grade in school, name and address of your school, and, if you were encouraged or assisted by a teacher, the teacher's name. (Also, list your family's union membership, if applicable.) If you have any questions, contact: Harvey J. Kaye (920-465-2355 or kayeh@uwgb.edu). Submissions must be postmarked Feb. 14, 2014 or before.

Send completed essays to:
Prof. Harvey J. Kaye
Center for History and Social Change
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay WI 54311

Congratulations to Chantel Givens of Chippewa Falls Senior High School for her First Place Winner in the 2012-2013 Essay Contest! Below is her top prize essay.

"Unions have been important to my family and my community because ... "

Freezing toes, fingers, and nose. My parents have donuts and coffee in hand and cappuccino for my sister and me. It's 5:30 am and we are boarding the bus. Madison here we come!

Justin Givens is my dad, who was a part of AFSCME since January 3, 1999. My dad started working as a Correctional Officer at Green Bay Correctional Institution. He worked there for 5 years; we then moved to Chippewa Falls, WI. When my family moved to Chippewa Falls, my dad started working at Stanley Correctional Institution where he worked for seven years as a Correctional Officer and became President of his local. My dad then transferred to Chippewa Valley Correctional Treatment Facility, where he was also president of his local. After being there two years, he stepped down from being the president of his local, from being a member of the union, and from state service. My dad never imagined after being a part of the union for 14 years that he would be searching for another job. He said being a member of the union gave the workers a collective voice and showed him that working conditions were best when everyone had a stake in it. On June 29, 2011 Governor Scott Walker proposed a bill and a lot of things changed for those who were a part of the union. When he passed Act 10, many state employees were in panic, fear, and depression.  He took away union members' collective bargaining rights. Collective bargaining rights are negotiations set between an employer and a group of employees that cover wages, working hours, training, health and safety, and overtime.

All families should care about the union because the union provided people their weekends, gave people their fair wages and helped end child labor laws. My family was really affected by this bill that was passed. Not only did my dad face struggles but so did my family. Safety issues were a concern for my dad every day when he went to work and even at home making sure our lives were safe as well. He had a stress related heart condition soon after the Bill was passed because it was so hard on him; knowing everything he and others worked for was gone. All of his effort that he put into being a member of the union no longer meant anything. My family was affected by it substantially because my dad had to miss out on mine and my sister's sporting events. He had to miss out on our family hobbies, holidays, and wasn't home much to spend quality time with us. He put his heart and soul and almost all spare time into being extremely active in the statewide union and political movement.

Being active in the union applied to more than just my dad, but also my step mom, sister, and I put a lot of time into supporting the union. Each and every one of us knew the importance of what he was fighting for. We attended many union functions together. My whole family took off of work and school and went to Madison to "voice our opinion." I wasn't quite sure what to expect and neither was my sister! A group of people who were also a part of the union took four buses to the capital. I know my dad helped organize and fill these buses daily. When we arrived there was no time for waiting. We all got right off that bus with pride and ambition, marching into the capitol to prove a point. By going on that bus trip to Madison, I learned so much about what was happening around me and how it was affecting members of the union. By the end of the day I felt proud of what I did and knew it was worth it. I also participated in my schools "walk out" shortly after the Bill was announced. After being in Madison, I had learned more about what I was "walking out" for. I wasn't doing it to skip class.  I was doing it to prove a point and stand up for what I believe in. I was supporting not only my dad but ALL union members.

Since I was born I've been affected by the union because my dad has been a part of one my whole life. After talking to my dad even while writing this essay, I've learned a lot about what he has been a part of and how it has affected him and his career.

From standing in the cold voicing my opinion at the capitol, to walking out of class with pride, I realized I was doing what I had been taught at the kitchen table. I was being a union activist.
 

 

Janesville Residents Hold Rep. Ryan Accountable for Federal Shutdown, Deliver 30,000 Petitions to End Shutdown

Working families, seniors and veterans rallied with local labor, faith and community leaders today in Janesville to protest the irresponsible decision of Rep. Paul Ryan and the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives to shut down the federal government and lock out federal workers. Protesters urged Rep. Ryan to vote for a Continuing Resolution to end the shutdown and put federal workers back on the job. 

Local people of faith, including Fr. Steve Umhoefer of Nativity of Mary Parish, delivered more than 30,000 petitions to the office of Rep. Paul Ryan calling on him to end the government shutdown.  
 
The statement sharply rebukes irresponsible elected officials like Rep. Ryan for pursuing an “extreme ideological agenda at the expense of the working poor and vulnerable families” by shutting down the federal government. It states that there is "nothing Christain about taking food from the poor."

“House Republicans and Rep. Ryan are essentially threatening to sabotage our economy unless Democrats agree to their demands,” said Allen Jeannette, a Janesville resident and member of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.  “This whole thing is ridiculous. We are here to urge Rep. Ryan to vote for a clean bill to reopen the government. The shutdown is costing our economy billions and slowing economic growth.”

"If the shutdown and debt crisis are merged in the coming weeks, and the debt ceiling is not raised, seniors also may not receive Social Security checks or Medicare reimbursements on time,” explained Billy Feitlinger, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans.  “The Wisconsin Alliance wants a clean Continuing Resolution for funding to re-open the federal government and are strongly opposed to any benefit cuts to Social Security because has not contributed one penny to the federal deficit."

“By recklessly shutting down our government, Rep. Paul Ryan and the Republican leadership are holding the American people hostage. Instead of solving problems and creating jobs for the people who elected them, Republicans have chosen to rob federal employees of their paychecks, deny the American taxpayers the services they paid for and throw our economy into chaos,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.  “The people of Wisconsin depend on government workers and the services they provide. This Republican hostage-taking is outrageous and we won’t stand for it.”

By not passing a responsible federal budget that repeals sequestration and invests in our communities, Republicans like Rep. Paul Ryan and John Boehner are displaying terrible leadership and irresponsible governing. As a result of their actions, more than 800,000 federal workers are being furloughed across the country.

Instead of providing America’s taxpayers with essential services, federal workers are being denied the opportunity to work, to collect a paycheck and to support their families. Dysfunction in Washington has reached a tipping point. Working families gathered today in Janesville to send a message to Congress: end this shutdown and focus on putting our country back to work.

Click here for more photos of the event.

Workers, Seniors, Faith Groups to Protest Rep. Ryan & Government Shutdown

On Tuesday, October 15, at 10:30 a.m. Janesville area workers, retirees, community members and people of faith will protest outside Rep. Paul Ryan’s Constituent Services Center at 20 South Main Street, Janesville.  Constituents will detail how they are personally impacted by the shutdown and call on Rep. Ryan and Republican leadership to end the federal government shutdown.

Local people of faith, including Fr. Steve Umhoefer of Nativity of Mary Parish, will deliver more than 30,000 petitions to the office of Rep. Paul Ryan calling on him to end the government shutdown and to tell Congress there is nothing Christian about taking food from the poor. The petition signers are members of Faithful America — a fast-growing online community dedicated to reclaiming Christianity from the religious right and putting faith into action for social justice.

The statement sharply rebukes irresponsible elected officials like Rep. Ryan for pursuing an “extreme ideological agenda at the expense of the working poor and vulnerable families” by shutting down the federal government.

Republicans in the House of Representatives, including Rep. Ryan, have manufactured a crisis – the government shutdown – to maximize their bargaining leverage in budget negotiations and Janesville residents have had enough.  First, House Republicans threatened to shut down the government and cause a U.S. government default unless Democrats agreed to defund or delay the Affordable Care Act. Now, House Republicans are talking about keeping the government closed and defaulting unless Democrats agree to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Along with costing the U.S. billions of dollars, the shutdown has placed undue hardship on veterans, seniors, children, federal workers, the poor and millions of Americans who depend on safe and reliable government services for survival. 

WI State AFL-CIO Endorses Elizabeth Coppola for Wisconsin Assembly

After a formal process including labor leaders and Wisconsin workers, the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO has endorsed Elizabeth Coppola for Wisconsin’s 21st Assembly district. 

“Elizabeth Coppola is running to make a difference in Wisconsin, get our economy back on track, stand up to corporate special interests and be an independent voice in Madison for Wisconsin workers,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.  “Coppola is the best choice to represent Wisconsin’s working people.  She is committed to creating family-supporting jobs for residents and making sure every child has access to quality public education.” 

"I feel honored to have the endorsement of the AFL-CIO,” said Elizabeth Coppola, candidate for the 21st Assembly District.  “My campaign has been focused on rebuilding the middle class, funding public education and creating family supporting jobs. With their support, I know we can win this election and get Wisconsin back to work."