Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Governor's Race is Tied, Help Elect Mary Burke

A newly released non-partisan poll conducted by Marquette University Law School found that the race for Wisconsin Governor between Democratic challenger Mary Burke and incumbent Gov. Scott Walker is neck-and-neck.  The poll, released July 23, found that among likely voters Mary Burke leads Scott Walker 47%-46% and Scott Walker leads among registered voters 46%-45%.  All results are within the margin of error and show that the race is dead even.

Make no mistake, Scott Walker is vulnerable this November and Mary Burke is the candidate that can beat him.

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO is kicking off its voter contact, education and mobilization efforts for the November 4 election this Saturday, August 2.  If we want to combat income inequality, restore worker rights and fair pay for all workers, we need to participate in our democracy and get to work now!

On Saturday, August 2, union members can stop in and volunteer at one of the locations listed below.  If you can't make it Saturday, contact the Service Area Organizer listed below to see how you can get involved.


Eau Claire
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Eau Claire Labor Temple
2233 Birch Street, Eau Claire, WI 54703  
Contact: Andy Thompson, athompson@wisaflcio.org or 715-831-3353

Fox Cities
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
USW District 2 Office
1244A Midway Road, Menasha, WI, 54952  
Contact: Greg Hinds, ghinds@wisaflcio.org or 920-540-2309

Green Bay
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Green Bay Labor Temple
1570 Elizabeth Street, Green Bay, WI 54302
Contact: Greg Hinds, ghinds@wisaflcio.org or 920-540-2309

Kenosha
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
UAW Local 72
3615 Washington Road, Kenosha, WI, 53144
Contact: Justin Geiger, jgeiger@wisaflcio.org or 414-745-4177

Madison
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Madison Labor Temple
1602 S. Park Street #212, Madison, WI 53715
Contact: Greg Neil, gneil@wisaflcio.org or 608-556-9521

Milwaukee
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
WI AFL-CIO
6333 W. Bluemound Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53213
Contact: Emily Kitchin, ekitchin@wisaflcio.org or 414-745-8343

Racine
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Racine Labor Temple
1840 Sycamore Avenue, Racine, WI 53406
Contact: Justin Geiger, jgeiger@wisaflcio.org or 414-745-4177

Superior
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
ILA Hall
424 Tower Avenue, Superior, WI 54880
Contact: Judy Hack, judithahack@yahoo.com or 218-391-6116

Stop Privatization at UW-Superior

Wisconsin is ready to stop the privatization of custodial and grounds crew workers at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.  University of Wisconsin-Superior has announced plans to lay off  custodial and grounds crew workers in order to privatize their jobs at a lower pay rate with fewer benefits.  Wisconsin is ready to stand in solidarity with UW-Superior workers this Saturday, July 26, by taking action for good jobs and first-rate higher education. 

What: March & Rally to stop privatization at UW-Superior

When: 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 26

Where:  Meet at the Superior Public Library (Tower Ave & Belknap)

Note:  Parking will be available on Ogden Ave in the library overflow lot or across the street at the bank parking lot.

UW-Superior custodial staff and grounds crew workers provide essential services that help to make the university a clean, safe and healthy community.  These are long-time members of the community and we must stand together for quality jobs in public education.   

Northwestern Mutual HQ To Be Built Union!

The Milwaukee Building & Construction Trades Council, AFL- CIO (MBCTC) has entered into a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with Gilbane Building Co. for the construction of the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons project.

Project Labor Agreements ensure that workers on a construction site make a living wage. Project Labor Agreements are a win-win.  They are good for workers, good for contractors, good for the local community and help to create a safe and efficient building process.  

The PLA was signed by Milwaukee Building Trades President Dan Bukiewicz and all 18 of the Building Trades Council’s affiliated unions. Bukiewicz became the MBCTC President this past February, and the PLA is a milestone for his first-term in office.

“I’m really proud of the partnership we share with Gilbane, C.G. Schmidt and Northwestern Mutual,” stated Bukiewicz. “Finalizing the PLA is a testament to our collective commitment to Milwaukee, the community and the project.

“Our affiliates understood the importance of working together towards a mutually beneficial agreement from the very beginning,” he added. “I’m pleased by the unanimous support from our locals, and share in their excitement in seeing this project through to its completion.”

The project will cost approximately $450 million and will start construction in the fall with an anticipated completion slated for 2017. Due to the length, size and complexities of constructing the 32-story tower, both Gilbane and C.G. Schmidt (the general contractor team) and Northwestern Mutual entered into conversations with the Milwaukee Building Trades Council about the PLA.

“Once we were awarded the job, we immediately began discussions with Northwestern Mutual about a PLA,” said Adam Jelen, senior vice president, Gilbane Building Co. “We were pleased they understood its benefits, and were very interested in using one for the project.

“We’ve had great success in partnering with the MBCTC on a PLA at the Potawatomi Hotel site,” he added. “Because of that, our team felt strongly about using the same model to forge a stronger relationship with the trades, and ensure the project exceeds Northwestern Mutual’s expectations all while positively impacting the community at large.”

Rally to Stop Outsourcing at UW-Superior

The University of Wisconsin Superior is trying to outsource the custodians and grounds crew jobs to a low-wage private corporation.

Help us save family sustaining jobs.  Join the rally -- Saturday, July 26 at 11:00 a.m. at the Superior Public library. 

Public Speak Out: Milwaukee Workers Alert Residents of Looming Cuts

Sanitation workers, equipment maintenance specialists, water department workers, traffic engineers, municipal court clerks and other city of Milwaukee workers who provide essential services to residents gathered at Red Arrow Park Monday evening to alert the public about upcoming healthcare changes that would impact city workers and their families. 

Workers detailed how they have tightened their belt for years, doing their part to improve city finances, but can no longer survive on austerity policies.  Workers with families and chronic illnesses would be severely impacted by looming changes in city healthcare plans that are proposed for 2015. 

Many workers detailed physically demanding jobs and called for city officials to come together in a collaborative process with workers so that all voices are heard and respected. 

Undertaking a new form of collective action – the public speak out -- city workers emphasized the need to talk with coworkers to explain that the union is still strong and working in new and innovative ways to lift up the voices of city workers. 

“We make the city run,” explained Ken Wischer, a truck driver and equipment operator for the city.  “This rally is bringing people together to raise our voices as one and hopefully impact the workplace in a positive way.  These changes will hit the lowest paid workers and the workers who use their healthcare the most -- young families with kids or elderly workers will see big changes.” 

To support city workers call the Mayor’s office or your local Alderman and tell them to incorporate workers into the healthcare change process.  Any changes need to be fair, equitable and sustainable for families. 

Support MKE Workers

Monday, July 21, at 5:00 p.m. at Red Arrow Park.  Rally to support Milwaukee's hard-working public workers in their fight for affordable health care.

 

Walker's WEDC Ships Jobs Overseas

WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

You may remember Gov. Walker’s embattled economic agency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation or WEDC, for a blistering May 2013 audit by the Legislative Audit Bureau.  The audit found an unaccountable, mismanaged jobs agency which repeatedly broke state law and lost track of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Walker’s WEDC is in the news again, this time for using taxpayer-funded loans to help ship Wisconsin jobs overseas.  A 27 News investigation found that at least two multi-national companies who received millions of dollars in taxpayer loans from the WEDC later laid off Wisconsin workers and moved their job overseas.  One company even received a second WEDC loan after outsourcing jobs.  
 
Click here for the full investigative report on how WEDC helped ship jobs overseas.

Highlights of the Report:

• “In April of 2013, Eaton laid off 163 employees at its Cooper Power Systems plant in Pewaukee and announced it was moving those jobs to Mexico.  Less than a year later, WEDC awarded Eaton Corp. with up to $1.36 million in additional tax credits for a proposed $54 million expansion at that same Pewaukee plant.”

• Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke calls the WEDC practice "appalling."

"As Governor, I will insist that every WEDC award protects against the outsourcing of Wisconsin jobs and companies that don't live up to their end of the deal give back every tax dollar they received," said Burke in a statement released to 27 News.

• Wisconsin Business Group Leader Lori Compas says this practice places an unfair burden on companies who don’t outsource jobs stating, “This is a bait and switch.  It just doesn’t seem fair.”

Citizen Action of Wisconsin discusses the latest WEDC scandal in their weekly podcast.  Listen here.

Wisconsin is ready for a transparent jobs agency that lets taxpayers know how their loans are being used to create jobs.  Wisconsin is ready for accountability.  Wisconsin is ready for job creation.  Wisconsin is ready for a new direction. 

Scott Walker Friend Gets Top Job

This is a crosspost BY DAVID PATTERSON, AFSCME.

It’s not what you know, but whom you know in Wisconsin state government, apparently. That would explain why a longtime crony and aide to Gov. Scott Walker landed a new state job that pays her 31 percent more than what her predecessor made last year.

Cindy Archer was selected as chief information officer for the State Public Defender’s Office at a salary of $113,459, which last year would have made her the sixth-highest paid Information Technology manager in state government. Her predecessor earned $86,278 salary last year.

“What does Cindy Archer know about IT other than the email system she set up for Walker at the (Milwaukee County) courthouse?” asked Marty Beil, executive director of AFSCME Council 24, Wisconsin State Employees Union. “This is a clear case of cronyism that allows Walker devotees a payoff for their loyalty.”

Most Wisconsin state employees earned a 1 percent raise in 2014 and continue to pay a larger percentage of their health care and retirement benefits since the passage of Act 10 in 2011.

Archer is best known for having her home raided in September 2011 as part a John Doe investigation that led to six convictions of former Walker aides and associates. She was Walker’s administrative services director in Milwaukee County, and after he became governor she held a series of jobs in various state agencies.

Archer did not apply for the position but was selected over other candidates who did, said Randy Kraft, a spokesman for the public defender’s office. However, Archer’s new job is considered a civil service position, which means that under state law it is supposed to be awarded based on merit without any political considerations.