Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

It’s Time for Equal Pay for Equal Work

On this day in 2009, President Obama signed landmark legislation to address the gender wage gap between working men and women. It has been 7 years since President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law and there is much work left to do to end gender pay disparities.

In 2009, Wisconsin passed its own Equal Pay Enforcement Act. Shockingly, it was repealed by Governor Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature in 2012. 

Of course, the best way for women to be paid equally on the job is to join a union. Collective bargaining contracts bring wages up and ensure fairness in pay and benefits regardless of gender.

At the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, we think it’s past time to pay women equally.

The stats are startling:

In 2016, women only make 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. For women of color, the gap is much greater, with African-American women making 60 cents and Latinas only 55 cents per dollar made by white men.

Paying people fairly shouldn’t depend on their gender. It’s time to make 79 cents on the dollar pay for women ancient history.

When working women are paid what they deserve, everyone wins. Paying women fairly for the work they do will help millions of families make ends meet and strengthen the economy for everyone. With so many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, equal pay for equal work could mean saving for a home, retiring with dignity or sending your kids to college.

It’s 2016. It’s past time to close the gender pay gap.

Tell Gov. Walker: VETO the Destruction of Our Civil Service

Last fall, Gov. Walker and GOP lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 285, a bill that will destroy key components of Wisconsin's civil service system.  Wednesday night, the Senate signed off on the Assembly version of the bill AB 373. 

The bill would remove impartial exams that test an applicant’s knowledge and skill level and give complete hiring control to the Department of Administration which is a direct extension of Gov. Walker’s office.  The destruction of our great civil service system is now on Governor Walker’s desk, awaiting his approval. 

Click here to tell Gov. Walker to VETO changes to our civil service system. 

Removing the objective testing makes it easier to hire candidates with political pull and connections.  The test ensures that public services are delivered with professionalism, efficiency and integrity by highly qualified workers. Our state works best when state workers are hired on what they know, not who they know.

Tell Gov. Walker to keep the politics out of civil service by vetoing pending legislation that would open up civil service to patronage.

Instead of working to create jobs, Gov. Walker and the GOP are focusing on expanding their parties influence and control by inserting politics into civil service and opening it up for cronyism. 

Citizens are the big losers if civil service objectivity disappears.  The work of Wisconsin state employees' touches the lives of every single Wisconsin resident by delivering a wide range of vital services like keeping streets safe and clear in winter, monitoring safe drinking water and educating future generations.

If the civil service changes adopted by the legislature are approved by Gov. Walker, public agencies would open the door to political patronage. Corruption and cronyism would flourish. Wisconsin deserves better.  Take action today.

Our Fight Continues: 2016

As a New Year begins, it’s time for all of us to look ahead and prepare to advance worker rights, good jobs and social and economic justice in Wisconsin.

Since Gov. Walker and Republicans gained control in 2010, Wisconsin has seen major attacks on worker rights and wages, public services, schools and education, and a rollback of transparency and accountability that has weakened our democracy. Throughout this flurry of anti-worker legislation, it has been and will be critical for us in the labor movement to continue to be engaged, to continue to speak up and make our state better for future generations.

We, the people, are our democracy. You, as an individual, are a critical part of making our movement strong. We, at the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, will continue to update you on key pieces of legislation and issues. Together our voice and our collective action are strong and powerful.

The Wisconsin legislature kicks off 2016 with floor sessions on January 12 and 19. Below are some key bills to watch.

Destroying Civil Service Protections, AB373 & SB285. In October 2015, the Assembly introduced and then quickly passed AB 373 a bill that makes dangerous sweeping changes to our civil service system and opens up state employment to partisan politics, patronage and corruption. The Senate is expected to take up the changes this month. These changes will hurt all taxpayers by making it easier to hire and promote individuals with political connections.

Worker’s Compensation. An Agreed-Upon Worker’s Compensation Bill crafted by the Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council and strongly supported by the Wisconsin AFL-CIO has been forwarded to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. The Agreed-Upon Bill is the product of lengthy deliberation and intense study by the State of Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council, which is comprised of representatives from management and labor in collaboration with healthcare providers and the insurance community. The Agreed-Upon Bill will help workers who are injured on the job and will also keep costs stable. We support this Agreed-Upon bill and will keep you up to date as it moves forward.

There is a competing bill dealing with Worker’s Compensation which we strongly oppose. The Spiros Worker’s Compensation Destruction Bill, AB501 & SB456, was introduced last year and if implemented would cause serious harm to both workers, business and our respected Wisconsin Workers’ Compensation System. Additionally, there is also a bill, the Real Estate Changes Law SB375 and AB456, that contains a harmful provision related to worker’s compensation for real estate agents. We are urging the legislature to amend this bill in order to protect all injured workers including those who work for real estate agencies.

As union members and citizens of Wisconsin it is our duty to fight for good wages, safe workplaces, family-supporting jobs and a strong, fair and vibrant economy.

We can and we must continue to work together to create family-supporting jobs and advance the lives of workers through collective action, collective bargaining and strong union rights.