Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Steelworkers for Burke!

Hundreds of steelworkers and union members rallied in Green Bay to kickoff Get Out the Vote weekend on Wednesday.  USW International President Leo Gerard, USW District 2 Director Michael Bolton and Wisconsin AFL-CIO officers joined hundreds of workers who gathered to get energized and fired up to hit neighborhoods to talk with voters.

Gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke met with workers and addressed the crowd.  The enthusiasm was electric as we head into the final election stretch before Election Day.  Working people are working overtime to remind voters to get to the polls and participate in our democracy on Nov. 4.

“This election is about whether we have a Governor who cares about the things working people care about or if we get a Governor that doesn’t care about people at all,” said USW President Leo Gerard.  “This is a Governor who couldn’t even say he supports a minimum wage. This is a Governor who wants to dictate and take rights away.  He wants to take away the right to collective bargaining, the right to health care, the right to vote, the right to a decent wage, to a decent job – all these things he doesn’t care about.”  

Following the rally workers grabbed walk packets to knock on doors.  Volunteer locations across the state are buzzing with voter contact.  Stop in and join the movement to reclaim Wisconsin today!

 

Scott Walker Earns ‘F’s On Issues Important to Wisconsin’s Working Families

The Wisconsin AFL-CIO today released the Working Family Values Report Card, which gives grades to the gubernatorial candidates on a handful of issues critical to Wisconsin’s working families. Governor Scott Walker earned all ‘F’s on issues ranging from increasing the minimum wage to protecting Social Security and Medicare, whereas Mary Burke earned ‘A’s due to her strong support for pro-working family policies.

“Whether it is backing the rights of employees to bargain collectively, believing that the minimum wage ‘serves a purpose’ in the lives of hard working people, or supporting equal pay for equal work so that women aren’t forced to continue earning 78 cents for every dollar earned by men, Scott Walker earned an F on every subject,” said Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt. “On issues important to the working families of Wisconsin, Scott Walker needs to go back to school and study harder on the challenges facing hard-working women and men in our state.”

The AFL-CIO Working Family Values report card was created by grading each candidate for governor on a handful of key issues important to working families in Wisconsin.  Those issues include:

§  Increasing the minimum wage

§  Pay equity

§  Protecting Social Security and Medicare

§  Supporting job creation in Wisconsin 

§  Tax fairness and closing corporate tax loopholes

“It’s hard enough for working families in Wisconsin to make ends meet these days. The last thing they need is to send Scott Walker back to Madison so he can continue to push an agenda that puts corporate interests ahead of their needs,” added Neuenfeldt. “That’s why we support Mary Burke, because she will look out for working families.”

 

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidates On Issues Important to Working Families

  Scott Walker:

X         Terrible Record On Creating Jobs In Wisconsin

o    Failed to create 250,000 jobs by the end of his term as promised and the state has been at the bottom of Midwest job growth. (Source: Politifact).

o    Has hurt the middle class and eroded living standards for Wisconsinites by pushing Act 10, which hampered the rights of public employees to collectively bargain (Source: Mother Jones).

 X         Opposes Increasing The Minimum Wage

 o    Said he doesn’t believe the minimum wage “serves a purpose” (Source: Journal Sentinel).

 o    Opposes raising the minimum wage in Wisconsin (Source: WMTV).

 X         Against Pay Equity

 o    Repealed the Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which protected women from wage discrimination. Instead, Walked has made it harder for Wisconsin women to be on an equal playing field (Source: Huffington Post).

 X         Stands In The Way Of Affordable Health Care

 o    Refused to expand Medicaid to cover Wisconsin families who lack affordable health coverage (Source: Associated Presshttp://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/scott-walker-rejects-medicaid-expansion-proposes-alternate-plan/article_f9b15e52-7667-11e2-9d9f-0019bb2963f4.html).

 X         Has Slashed Education Funding

o    Made the biggest cuts in education funding in Wisconsin’s history, hurting Wisconsin’s grade schools and universities and robbing Wisconsin teachers of the resources they need to succeed (Source: Associated Press, The Capital Times, Wisconsin Democratic Party).

 X         Opposes Tax Fairness

 o    He championed tax cuts that would disproportionally benefit the wealthy and wrote budgets that raised costs on middle class families by reducing the Earned Income Tax Credit (Source: Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin State Journal).

 

 Mary Burke:

 X         Will Jumpstart Wisconsin’s economy

 o    A former executive, she has a plan to create jobs and invest in Wisconsin’s economy, improve wages, and put people back to work (Source: Campaign Website).

 o    Will restore collective bargaining rights for public employees, which will help improve living standards for Wisconsinites who have been harmed by Act 10 (Source: Journal Sentinel).

 X         Supports Increasing the Minimum Wage

 o    Supports increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 (Source: Associated Press).

 X         Supports Pay Equity

 o    Pledged to restore the Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which Scott Walker repealed in 2012. The law would make it harder for employers to get away with gender based wage discrimination (Source: Wisconsin State Journal)

 o    Called on the Senate to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to ensure women receive equal pay for equal work (Source: Daily Kos).

 X         Supports tax fairness and the closing of corporate tax loopholes

o    Will lower the tax burden on the middle class through tools like college tuition and student loan deductions and expand the Earned Income Tax Credit to help the working poor (Sources: Associated Press, Bloomberg Businessweek).

X         Health Care

 o    Will expand Medicaid to cover Wisconsin families who lack affordable health coverage (Source: Journal Sentinelhttp://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/scott-walker-rejects-medicaid-expansion-proposes-alternate-plan/article_f9b15e52-7667-11e2-9d9f-0019bb2963f4.html).

 X         Education

 o    Will review Wisconsin’s education funding formula to make sure school districts and teachers have the resources they need to succeed (Source: Associated Press).

 o    Supports measures to make higher education more affordable (Source: Journal Sentinel).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rally with Mary Burke in Green Bay

(Photo from a 2012 Green Bay rally with Senator Tammy Baldwin)

Join gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke for a special rally with United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard and Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt.  

WHEN:  3:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 29
WHERE:  Green Bay Labor Council, 1570 Elizabeth Street

Click here for a rally flyer!

Wisconsin is ready for good jobs and a strong middle class. Wisconsin is ready to move forward with Mary Burke.  

Let’s get fired up and ready to go as we head into the final days before the November 4 election. 

Union workers are working around the state to get out the vote for Mary Burke by making phone calls, going door to door and having important conversations at worksites about our vote on November 4.

IAMAW Dialing for Democracy

International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW or Machinists) from the Greater Milwaukee area flooded the phone bank at the Wisconsin AFL-CIO this week.  Machinists took over the phones as part of the affiliate ‘Adopt the Dialer Night’ program.  Machinists from Local Lodge 66 made calls for hours to talk with voters about Mary Burke, Martha Lanning and Penny Bernard Schaber and how they are candidates who will put working families first.  

Doug Staniszwski, a machinist at the Veolia Water Plant on Jones Island was a first-time volunteer and inspired to get active because of Scott Walker’s attacks on union rights.   

“I’m ready to hit the phones to talk with fellow machinist members, encouraging them to vote on Nov. 4,” said Staniszwski.  “I’ve got to do my part because I can’t sit on the sidelines and wait for other people to do it anymore.  Scott Walker is ready to make Wisconsin a right to work state and I’m tired of him doing things to hurt working people.  A Right to Work law would hurt every single person in Wisconsin, not just union members.  Walker wants to drive down all our wages until we’re a third world country. This is America, workers deserve a living wage.”

Bunny Browning, who works at the Labor Education and Training Center, spends her days helping workers achieve a successful transition to new employment through involvement in Dislocated Worker Programs.  She sees people impacted by Walker’s poor economic policies every day.  She volunteered her time because she is ready to see jobs and employment opportunities for more Wisconsin workers.  

“We have to do everything we can to get Mary Burke elected so we can move Wisconsin forward,” said Browning.  “I know Mary Burke will do a much better job at creating good jobs for workers all over Wisconsin.  Gov. Walker’s been no good for Wisconsin.  He has been a jobs failure.”  

Wisconsin is ready to move forward with Mary Burke.  Wisconsin is ready for good jobs and worker rights.  Wisconsin is ready to get rid of Scott Walker.    

Join us on the phones and doors in the final days before the Election to help us get out the vote.  For volunteer locations, click here.

RGA Doubles Ad, Let's Double Down on Doors

Gov. Walker’s back is to the wall. The Republican Governors Association just announced that it is doubling its ad buy and spending an additional $1 million to prop up Gov. Walker’s flailing campaign.

As the people of Wisconsin reject Gov. Walker’s failed record on job creation, attacks on workers’ rights and his massive cuts to education, Walker’s camp is desperately trying to counter Mary Burke’s momentum by calling on his out-of-state buddies to flood the airwaves with political spin and lies.

Let’s counter the RGA ad buy by doubling down on our grassroots voter contact efforts.  Join us for a massive mobilization of workers talking with workers by going door to door or making phone calls. 

Out-of-state funders are trying to drown the airwaves with pro-Walker propaganda, but Wisconsin voters won’t be fooled.  We’ve had enough of Walker’s gutless attacks on our schools, rights and wages. 

Can you help us get out the vote this weekend?  Click here for a list of volunteer locations

Get in the Game!

The time is now.  With just 12 days to go until Election Day we need all hands on deck to reclaim Wisconsin. 

URGENT:  We need volunteers to knock doors and make phone calls in the run up to November 4.  Volunteer locations are open across the state 7 days a week. Click here to find a spot near you.

No Governor has been worse for Wisconsin than Scott Walker.  Wisconsin is lagging the nation in job growth.  Scott Walker cut school funding more than any Governor in history.  And we all know how Gov. Walker started his term, by taking away collective bargaining rights from hard-working Wisconsinites. 

We can’t afford four more years of Gov. Walker. We need each and every one of you to join in our efforts.  Don’t sit on the sidelines, get involved today! 

You can even make calls from home using our Friends and Neighbor tool.  Pledge to make 10 calls between now and November 4.

Let's Get Real about November 4

A new ad is airing beginning this week to remind voters about Scott Walker's attempts to implement voter suppression tactics in Wisconsin and to remind all Wisconsinites to vote. 

"It’s time to get real about the upcoming election.  Governor Scott Walker’s trying to make it harder for us to vote," the voiceover on the ad says.  "Walker and the Republicans are trying to pass laws to silence our voice, because if we come out to the polls in force, they’re gonna lose," The voiceover says. 

 The ad also features President Obama discussing voter suppression efforts at a speech he gave earlier this year. “The right to vote is threatened today in a way that it has not been since the Voting Rights Act was passed into law nearly five decades ago," the President says.  "The real voter fraud is people trying to deny our rights by making voting harder in the first place," he said. 

"We have to hold Governor Walker accountable," The voiceover continues.  "For refusing to raise the minimum wage, for killing paid sick leave in Milwaukee, and for making Wisconsin last in jobs in the Midwest," says the voiceover.  "If Scott Walker wins, we lose. So on Tuesday, November 4th, get yourself to the polls. Make your voice heard. And send a clear message that no one messes with our vote," the voiceover concludes. 

 

Listen to the ad here:  https://soundcloud.com/wi-afl-cio/if-scott-walker-wins-we-lose

 

Making History in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin AFL-CIO Labor 2014/Workers’ Voice campaign is in full swing across the state and volunteers are working the phones, leafleting worksites and knocking on doors in every corner of Wisconsin.  The race for Governor is a dead heat and voter turnout will undoubtedly be the deciding factor.  Last Saturday dozens of volunteers were active in Madison doing the needed work to elect Mary Burke as the next governor.  

Beverly Woldt spent several hours calling voters at the Labor Temple in Madison on Saturday.  Scott Walker’s $800 million cut in education funding prompted her to get involved with the campaign. 

“We are going to fall farther behind if we continue Scott Walker’s education cuts.  I have two nephews who are teachers, so that motivates me to volunteer to help elect Mary Burke,” said Woldt.  “Voters that I have talked to are very enthusiastic about the election,” she said.   “Scott Walker is so out of touch with real people and voters are reacting to that.” Woldt said when asked about Scott Walker’s recent comment saying that minimum wage laws don’t serve a purpose.  

Simon Rosenblum-Larson is 17 years old and is a senior at West High School in Madison.  He can’t vote in this election but his advanced citizenship is making a difference.  Rosenblum-Larson participated in the 2011 protests over Act 10 and marched on the state capitol with 150 of his schoolmates.  He lists a number of issues as motivators for him to get involved in the campaign. 

“We have a very economically segregated society under Scott Walker,” Rosenblum-Larson said.  “I think this election is a turning point for Wisconsin.  We need a movement forward on equal pay for equal work and so many other issues,” he said.  “Electing Mary Burke is our chance to fix Wisconsin.”  

Bill Connors is a retiree that has stepped up in a big way with the program. “This is my fourth election cycle volunteering with this program,” said Connors.  “This is important work because Wisconsin has gone downhill under Scott Walker.  This is an effective program and a lot of smart and energetic people are involved.  And they are hustling,” he said.  

The side that turns out its voters in the biggest way will be the winner on November 4th.  This fact is not lost on Beverly, Simon and Bill or the hundreds of other volunteers that are working to make history and end Scott Walker’s tenure as governor.  Wisconsin is ready.  

New Digital Ad Critical of Scott Walker’s Position on Minimum Wage

Today the Wisconsin AFL-CIO released a new online ad that is critical of Scott Walker’s comment on the minimum wage saying “I don’t think it serves a purpose.”  The internet ad will be distributed on high-trafficked websites in Wisconsin.  

“Scott Walker does not see the purpose in minimum wage laws and apparently hasn’t seen the purpose in making our economy work for all of Wisconsin,” said Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt.  “Scott Walker’s purpose has been to cut public education funding, give tax breaks to the wealthy and ignore those struggling most.  Sadly, Walker has succeeded in his objective and we all suffer for it.”

“Scott Walker is working cross-purpose to the interests of a majority of Wisconsinites and workers all around the state are having conversations on how we move forward in a way that works for everyone,” said Wisconsin AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Stephanie Bloomingdale.  “As a result, they are deciding to rid themselves of Scott Walker, on purpose." 

Wisconsin AFL-CIO Releases New Ad Campaign in State Senate Races

Today the Wisconsin AFL-CIO released a new series of online digital ads that will be targeted in the state’s most competitive state Senate races including the 9th, 17th and 19th Senate districts.  

The ads call out Republican candidates for being too extreme for Wisconsin.  Devin LaMahieu, Howard Marklein and Roger Roth are the GOP candidates running in the 9th, 17th and 19th Senate districts respectively, and are pictured in the ads.  The targeted online ads will run in the Senate districts beginning this week.  

“Devin LeMahieu does not represent Wisconsin values and would be a dangerous addition to the Wisconsin Senate,” said Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt.  “LaMahieu actually supported the Tea Party effort to shut down the federal government that took us to the brink of economic default,” he said.  Neuenfeldt also warned of Howard Marklein’s extreme position in support of the recent $800 million public education cuts in Wisconsin.  “This was the biggest public education funding cut in the nation and it put our kids’ futures in jeopardy,” said Neuenfeldt.  “It was an irresponsible budget decision and Howard Marklein was 100% behind it.”  

“Roger Roth’s opposition to the Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which protects women from wage discrimination by their employers, is just one of his extreme positions that makes him unqualified to represent Wisconsin women,” said Wisconsin AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Stephanie Bloomingdale.  “Roger Roth appears to be ok with the fact that Wisconsin women are not on an equal playing field on this issue and this makes Roger Roth too extreme for Wisconsin,” she said.