Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

President Obama to Celebrate Labor Day with Wisconsin Working Families

News from the Milwaukee Area Labor Council

President Barack Obama will visit Milwaukee to deliver remarks at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council’s Laborfest celebration.  The event begins with an 11:00 a.m. parade from Zeidler Union Square Park to the Summerfest Grounds via Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee St. and Chicago St.  Laborfest celebrates the achievements of Wisconsin’s working men and women and our unions.

“Working people are excited to have President Obama at Laborfest this year to talk jobs, the economy and workers’ rights,” said Sheila Cochran, Secretary-Treasurer of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council.  “President Obama stands with workers fighting to raise the minimum wage, has enacted policies to combat income inequality and supports collective bargaining rights for public and private sector workers.  We proudly welcome President Obama to Milwaukee and look forward to celebrating working people together this Labor Day.”

Who:               President Barack Obama

                       Wisconsin working families 

What:              Laborfest Parade and Celebration  

When:              11:00 a.m. Parade Kick-Off

                       ###

2014 Candidate Endorsements

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO announces endorsements of candidates running for office in Wisconsin in November 2014. 

Phil Neuenfeldt President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, said, “Working people in Wisconsin want an economy that works for all of us, not just the wealthy.  Wisconsinites want legislators who will prioritize economic opportunity, and a more stable economy with the creation of good, long-term jobs.  It is time for tax fairness and to close corporate tax loopholes so that we can have strong investment in the vital public services that all Wisconsinites rely on.  Wisconsin can only get there if we elect the right candidates to office.  Union members from throughout the state are ready to work hard and work together to ensure that working family candidates, and in turn an agenda that puts jobs and workers first, are successful on election day.”

Members will be contacted on the job and at home through member mailings, worksite flyers, phone bank operations and a “labor-to-neighbor” canvass program, where union members visit other members in the area to discuss the economy, endorsed candidates and democracy. 

The following candidates were endorsed:

 

Office	Candidate
Governor	Mary Burke
Lt. Governor	John Lehman
Attorney General	Susan Happ
CD 01	Rob Zerban
CD 02	Mark Pocan
CD 04	Gwen Moore
CD 05	Chris Rockwood
CD 06	Mark Harris
WI 07	Kelly Westlund
CD 08	Ron Gruett
SD 01	Dean DeBroux
SD 03	Tim Carpenter
SD 07	Chris Larson
SD 09	Martha Laning
SD 11	Dan Kilkenny
SD 13	Michelle Zahn
SD 15	Janis Ringhand
SD 17	Pat Bomhack
SD 19	Penny Bernard Schaber
SD 21	Randy Bryce
SD 23	Phil Swanhorst
SD 25	Janet Bewley
SD 27	Jon Erpenbach
SD 31	Kathleen Vinehout
AD 01	Joe Majeski
AD 04	Christopher Plaunt
AD 05	Jeff McCabe
AD 07	Daniel Riemer
AD 08	JoCasta Zamarripa
AD 09	Josh Zepnick
AD 10	David Bowen
AD 11	Mandela Barnes
AD 12	Fred Kessler
AD 15	John Weishan
AD 16	Leon Young
AD 17	LaTonya Johnson
AD 18	Evan Goyke
AD 19	Jonathan Brostoff
AD 20	Christine Sinicki
AD 22	Jessie Read
AD 23	Beth Lueck
AD 26	Terry Van Akkeren
AD 28	Travis Schachtner
AD 30	Darrel Laumann
AD 32	Allan Kupsik
AD 37	Mary Arnold
AD 38	Tom Chojnacki
AD 41	Joe Kallas
AD 42	George Ferriter
AD 43	Andy Jorgensen
AD 44	Deb Kolste
AD 45	Mark Sprietzer
AD 46	Gary Hebl
AD 47	Robb Kahl
AD 48	Melissa Sargent
AD 49	Chad Henneman
AD 50	Chris Miller
AD 51	Dick Cates
AD 54	Gordon Hintz
AD 55	Mark Westphal
AD 57	Amanda Stuck
AD 63	Andy Mitchell
AD 64	Peter Barca
AD 65	Tod Ohnstad
AD 66	Cory Mason
AD 67	Gary Stene
AD 68	Jeff Peck
AD 70	Amy Sue Vruwink
AD 71	Katrina Shankland
AD 72	Dana Duncan
AD 73	Nick Milroy
AD 74	Beth Meyers
AD 75	Stephen Smith
AD 76	Chris Taylor
AD 77	Terese Berceau
AD 78	Lisa Subeck
AD 79	Diane Hesselbein
AD 80	Sondy Pope
AD 81	Dave Considine
AD 83	Jim Brownlow
AD 85	Mandy Wright
AD 86	Nancy Stencil
AD 87	Richard Pulcher
AD 88	Dan Robinson
AD 90	Eric Genrich
AD 91	Dana Wachs
AD 92	Chris Danou
AD 93	Jeff Smith
AD 94	Steve Doyle
AD 95	Jill Billings
AD 96	Peter Flesch

 

Labor Day 2014

Come celebrate Labor Day, Monday, September 1, with your brothers and sisters in the Wisconsin labor movement! 

Eau Claire: 10:30 a.m. Solidarity Walk. 11:00 a.m. Rally.  Noon – 3:00 p.m. Picnic and Prizes at Phoenix Park, 330 Riverfront Terrace, Eau Claire, WI, 54703.  Open to all. Brats, hot dogs, potato salad, beans, coleslaw, ice cream, plates, utensils, coffee, and pop provided by the Greater West Central Area Labor Council. We ask each family to bring a packaged item (due to City/County Health Department regulations) and/or a deli-made item, and/or baked goods. Bring a nonperishable food item for a local food pantry and lawn chairs. Please, no pets.

Fond du Lac:  Labor Day Parade and Picnic at Lakeside Park on Oven Island.  Parade begins at 11:00 a.m.  Route follows Rees and Main Streets to Lakeside Park.  Picnic runs 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  

Fox Valley/ Neenah-Menasha:  10:00 a.m. parade, Milwaukee St., Menasha. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. celebration at Neenah Labor Temple, 157 S. Green Bay Rd, Neenah.  Parade route starts on Milwaukee Street continues to Main Street down Tayco St. to Neenah Commercial Street and turns on Wisconsin Ave, ends at intersection of Church and Main Street.

Green Bay:  Labor Day Family Picnic 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Bay Beach Shelter #2.  

Janesville:  Laborfest at 1795 Lafayette St.  Music, rides, bike show, craft show, mud volley ball, car display, parade and more! http://www.laborfest.org/

Kenosha:  Laborfest at 91st St. & 22nd Ave.  The annual Kenosha Laborfest features booths from all labor organizations in the Kenosha area.  Raffle prizes, beer tent and activities for the whole family. Rain or Shine!   

La Crosse:  LaborFest Parade at 10:00 a.m. Food and games to follow at Copeland Park, 1130 Copeland Park Drive, La Crosse, WI 54603.  La Crosse Labor Day celebration starts at 10:00 a.m. with a ten-block family-friendly parade beginning at the intersection of Gillette Street and Kane Street. After the parade, festivities will move to Copeland Park with free kids games and other activities. Soda, beer, brats, and snacks will be offered for sale.

Madison:  Annual Laborfest celebration at South Central Federation of Labor, 1602 S. Park St, Madison, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  

Marinette/Menominee:  Noon to 5:00 p.m. picnic at Marinette City Park. Free entertainment provided by Mike Letts and the Marquettes with Travis Swanson accompanying on guitar. All profits from the event go to Tri-City Area United Way. A bouncy house will be provided for the kids. Other activities are in the planning stages.

Milwaukee:  Laborfest Parade and Picnic at Summerfest Grounds. 11:00 a.m. parade kicks off from Zeidler Union Square Park.  

Oshkosh:  Labor Day Picnic and Car Show at South Park in Oshkosh.  Event runs 11:00 am. to 5:00 p.m.

Racine: Laborfest, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Franksville Park, 9700 Northwestern Ave.  

Wausau:  Labor Day Parade, 4:00 p.m. Parade starts at the corner of W. Wausau Ave and 3rd Ave, continues down 3rd Ave and ends at the Wausau Labor Temple, 318 s 3rd Ave.  Line up along W. Wausau Ave starts at 3:00 p.m parade starts at 4:00 p.m.

Walker's BadgerCare Blunder Costs Taxpayers $206M

Gov. Walker is letting partisan politics get in the way of good policy.  Scott Walker's decision to reject federal funds to expand BadgerCare under the Affordable Care Act is short-sided and will cost Wisconsin lives and tax dollars.

According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau – a non-partisan service agency that provides fiscal and program information to the Legislature – Walker’s decision to reject BadgerCare funds will cost Wisconsin taxpayers $206 million over two years.  That is a whopping 73% more than previously estimated.  

The good news is it is not too late for Gov. Walker to change course and accept BadgerCare funds. Estimates show Wisconsin taxpayers would save another $261 million to $315 million through June, 2017, if federal funds are accepted in the next state budget.

Not only would the state save money, but accepting federal funds would allow an estimated 87,000 individuals to receive health care coverage through Wisconsin's BadgerCare program. When Gov. Scott Walker decided to turn down the federal funds, 63,000 Wisconsinites were kicked off the program as a result.

Expanding BadgerCare is a win-win and it's not too late to change course.  Your vote in November will have a direct impact on the health of tens of thousands of Wisconsinites.  Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke has stated that if elected she would accept funds and expand BadgerCare to cover more Wisconsinites and save taxpayers money.  Wisconsin is ready to care for the sick and save money.  Wisconsin is ready to expand BadgerCare.  Wisconsin is ready for Mary Burke!

Rally August 21 to Stop Privatization at UW System

The University of Wisconsin-Superior is moving forward with plans to privatize the jobs of long-term custodial and grounds crew workers.  These workers are members of the local community and have worked for years to create a safe and clean learning environment for students and teachers at UW-Superior.  Privatization will jumpstart a race-to-the-bottom among bidders and force lower wages and fewer benefits for all workers at UW schools.

Join the community to stand up and fight back to protect custodians and grounds crew workers!

What:  Fight Back Against UW Superior Outsourcing Rally

When:  4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Thursday, August 21

Where: Carl Steiger Park, Oshkosh.  At the foot of the Wisconsin Ave. Bridge, across from Mahoney's, next to 625 Pearl Ave, UW Oshkosh Alumni Welcome Center

The UW System Board of Regents is meeting in Oshkosh on August 21.  The rally will be a visible presence so that the Regents hear our voice and know that the community supports an end to privatization.

Aug. 12 Partisan Primary Elections

Polls are open in Wisconsin from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 12, for the Fall Partisan Primary Elections.  Across the state important local, state and federal races are underway.  Partisan primaries on the ballot include candidates for Governor, Attorney General, Congress, state assembly, Sheriff and more!

Click here to look up for your polling location.  No photo ID is needed today and you can register to vote at your polling location.  Learn more about registering to vote at: http://gab.wi.gov/voters/first-time.

Here are 5 more things to know about today's election from the Associated Press.

Union Members Volunteer Time to Clean Up Nation's Parks

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), an organization representing affiliates and members of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), will sign a Memorandum of Understanding later today stating their collective commitment to rebuild, renew and restore our country’s national parks, national wildlife refuges and other public lands alongside youth and veteran conservation corps.

The agreement, which will be signed at the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s Annual Conservation Gala in the nation’s capital, will pair the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance all-volunteer “Work Boots on the Ground” program with shovel-ready projects on public lands.

“This agreement with the AFL-CIO and the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance is really a win-win,” said Secretary Jewell. “Not only will our nation’s parks and public lands benefit from the expert labor, but many young people will have an opportunity to work alongside the union volunteers, learning about the great outdoors and gaining important trade skills. I applaud the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance for their work to continue to strengthen the nation through volunteer efforts that will make a big difference in conservation projects across the country.”

The MOU outlines a mutual commitment to the cooperative “Work Boots on the Ground” program among the Department of the Interior and its three land-managing bureaus – the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management— and the AFL-CIO, acting through the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance.

“America’s workers are committed to doing our part to save our nation’s parks and restore our public lands,” said Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO and Chairman of the USA. “The USA was established to unite the union community for conservation under a single banner, to protect our most precious and beautiful lands, waters and wild spaces.”

There are already “Work Boots on the Ground” projects identified as `shovel-ready’ in Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, Minnesota, Maryland, Nevada, Texas and Wisconsin.

“When our union members show up with their tool belts on, they have the skills and training to get the job done,” said Fred Myers, Union Sportsmen’s Alliance Executive Director and CEO.  “To every conservation project they take on, they bring an unmatched work-ethic, superior trade skills and a desire to give back to their community.”

The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance created the all-volunteer “Work Boots on the Ground” program in 2010 to provide a framework to recruit and coordinate members of the labor union community to volunteer their expert trade skills for conservation projects. In 2013, the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance announced the launch of its park program.  Since then, park projects have been completed in several states, saving agencies thousands of dollars.  The park projects are in addition to many other “Work Boots on the Ground” projects around the country, including Get Youth Outdoors Day and Take Kids Fishing Day events in three cities.

The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance reports there are more than 7 million union members who recreate regularly in the outdoors, making them one of the nation’s largest single constituencies of outdoor users.

Today’s agreement complements the Interior Department’s youth initiative to inspire millions of veterans and young people to play, learn, serve and work outdoors.  The Memorandum of Understanding emphasizes that, when possible, the AFL-CIO and Union Sportsmen’s Alliance will work collaboratively with youth and veteran corps in order to share experience and expertise.

Join us Saturday!

Help elect Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke and all WI AFL-CIO endorsed candidates by joining our volunteer efforts on Saturdays! 

Union members and activists will gather across the state to knock doors and make phone calls to educate voters on Wisconsin State AFL-CIO endorsed candidates.   

Bring a friend, get trained up and hit the neighborhood to talk with fellow Wisconsinites.  Mary Burke is committed to putting Wisconsinites back to work and closing Wisconsin’s jobs gap with neighboring states.  Burke believes in raising the minimum wage to combat income inequality and spur job growth. Burke believes we can grow our economy by investing in infrastructure and fully-funding public schools across Wisconsin.  

Find your nearest volunteer location below.  If you can’t make it Saturday, contact the Service Area Organizer listed for 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

Oshkosh
UAW 291 Hall
1118 High Ave, Oshkosh
Contact: Greg Hinds at ghinds@wisaflcio.org or 920-540-2309

 

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

Wisconsin Rapids
Laborers Hall, 220 Johnson St, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Contact: Sabrina Johnson at sjohnson@wisaflcio.org or 715-572-5660 

Rally with Homecare Workers in Wauwatosa

Homecare workers at Supportive Homecare Options are fighting for a fair contract. Homecare workers and low wage workers all across the country are fighting for their rights and fair wages. Stand with them!

WHAT: Rally for a fair contract

WHEN:  11:00 a.m. THURSDAY AUGUST 14

WHERE:   On the corner of Harmonee and Wauwatosa Ave. Wauwatosa, WI


Join the fight for a fair contract! Homecare workers take care of our community's elderly and disabled. They provide a high-level of quality care in difficult conditions. Now they need our solidarity!

Supportive Homecare Options (SHO) is a homecare agency that has a contract with Milwaukee county. SHO's current contract proposal will insure the workers' union doesn't have the needed resources to survive and fight for workers' rights. SHO's demands threaten to take away the union's ability to represent new workers and now SHO is pushing to take away workers' hard earned living wage! Join us as we rally for a fair contract!

Local Union to Help Displaced Cargill Workers

John Eiden, President of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1473, announced today that the Union will help workers displaced by Cargill’s decision to shut its Milwaukee beef processing operation.  

On Wednesday, Cargill announced it would displace 600 workers by closing its Milwaukee beef slaughterhouse.  Cargill’s sudden announcement came as a shock to the 600 workers. Cargill’s closing will devastate workers and their families. Eiden said that Local 1473 will contact the meat packing and processing plants in Southeastern Wiscosnin and Green Bay and encourage them to attend the job fair scheduled for the Cargill workers next week.   
 
The Union also offered to assist Cargill workers who have questions regarding filing claims for unemployment compensation or other matters related to their employment. The Union will have attorneys and interpreters available at the UFCW Union hall in Milwaukee, 2001 North Mayfair Road, on Tuesday, August 5, from 1:00 until 4:00 to meet with workers to discuss legal rights related to their employment.  
 
Eiden added, “In these difficult economic times, all workers should stand together in solidarity to help each other. Local 1473 will continue to do whatever it takes to make the lives of workers in our industry better.”
 
Local 1473 represents approximately 4,000 Southern Wisconsin area workers in meat and other food processing jobs.