Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Wisconsin AFL-CIO Endorses JoAnne Kloppenburg for Supreme Court

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, which represents working families in both the public and private sector across the state of Wisconsin, has endorsed JoAnne Kloppenburg for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.  The Wisconsin AFL-CIO will activate its member-to-member political program to help get out the vote and engage union members in the April 5, 2016 election by hosting door-to-door canvasses, phone banks, worksite leaflets and mail to union households.

“JoAnne Kloppenburg is the best candidate to bring balance and fairness to Wisconsin’s Supreme Court,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.  “Kloppenburg will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience and apply the law fairly to all citizens. Unlike her opponent, Kloppenburg is not handpicked by Gov. Scott Walker and corporate special interests to advance their destructive and partisan agenda on the state of Wisconsin.  Unlike Rebecca Bradley, JoAnne Kloppenburg will not be a rubberstamp for Scott Walker’s agenda.  JoAnne Kloppenburg is ready to protect the rights of citizens and workers and stand up for the people of Wisconsin.”

461 pieces of legislation?!

This month saw a torrent of legislative activity in Madison, most of which did nothing to help create jobs or boost the economy for working families. In total, the Assembly considered 326 bills, resolutions, and motions over the course of just four floor sessions. The Senate considered 135 bills, resolutions, and motions in just two floor sessions.

The Capitol has essentially turned into an all-you-can-eat buffet for special interests and lobbyists under Gov. Scott Walker, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Leader Robin Vos. Many of the bills were rushed through with little to no debate, and came with pre-arranged times for discussion.

Below are a few legislative highlights from the past three weeks. Although the vast majority of the bills passed will not help working families move forward, there was some good news from the legislature that you should know about.

Good news:

Worker’s Compensation: Passage of the Agreed-Upon Bill (AB 724)

At the request of the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council, the Worker’s Compensation Agreed-Upon Bill was introduced into the Senate and Assembly and passed unanimously by both houses. The Agreed-Upon Bill is the product of the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council which advises the Legislature on policy matters concerning the development and administration of the worker’s compensation law and is composed of representatives from both labor and management. This bill, which was supported by the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, will help preserve Wisconsin’s well-respected Worker’s Compensation System supporting workers who are injured on the job.

This session was a potentially dangerous time for Wisconsin’s workers. You may remember the Worker’s Comp Destruction bill (AB 501), which would have caused irreparable harm to our worker’s compensation system. Fortunately, this bill was never given a hearing or moved out of committee in either the Assembly or Senate.

Defeat of the Fast Path to Water Privatization Act (AB 554)

Because of your quick action, sending thousands of emails and messages to Wisconsin’s legislators urging them to stop the privatization of our water, the Fast Path to Water Privatization Act (AB 554) was stopped. The labor movement joined environmentalists, local cities, municipal water and sewer operators, and concerned citizens in sending a strong message that we value clean, safe, quality water and will not stand silently while our water is easily sold to the highest bidder.

In a rare move, when the bill was called for a vote the Senate Majority Leader pulled it off the floor. While the Fast Path to Water Privatization Act could be rescheduled for a Senate vote, Senator Fitzgerald has stated that he no longer has the votes for the bill.

Bills of Note:

Among the 461 pieces of legislation considered in February, there are a few other notable bills:

• Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council’s bill (AB 819) passed the Assembly on Thursday, February 18 via a voice vote. It awaits a vote in the Senate.
• A bill that will attach Criminal Penalties to Unemployment Errors/Fraud(AB 533) passed the Assembly on Tuesday, February 16. It awaits a vote in the Senate.
• Workers' Memorial Day Resolution sponsored by Rep. Kahl (AJR-108) passed the Assembly on Tuesday, February 16. It awaits a vote in the Senate.
• A bill that will allow local government employees to ask those chargedwith any crime about their immigration status (AB 450), one of the bills that prompted the “Day Without Latinos” protest, passed the Assembly on Tuesday, February 16. It awaits a vote in the Senate. However, news reports have stated that passage in the Senate is not certain.
• A bill that will allow libraries to use collection agencies to collect overdue fines and notify law enforcement of overdue fines (SB 466) passed the Senate on Tuesday, February 9 and passed the Assembly on Tuesday, February 16. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk for signing.
• On Tuesday, February 16, Assembly and Senate Democrats each attempted to move out of committee the Workers’ Rights Restoration Act (AB 900 & SB 666), a bill to repeal Act 10. Both votes failed on party lines.
• A bill that will prohibit local governments from issuing photo identification cards that could be used for the purposes of voting or receiving state benefits (SB 533). On Tuesday, February 16 both the Senate and Assembly passed this bill. It is now headed to the Governor’s desk for signing.
• A dangerous bill that would repeal the restriction of pedestrians on railroad tracks (AB 876). It passed the Assembly on Thursday, February 18. It awaits a vote in the Senate.

Assembly is Finished; Senate will convene for one more floor session

The conclusion of the Assembly’s floor session on Thursday, February 18 marked the likely end of the Assembly’s legislative session. Speaker Vos issued a statement concluding the Assembly’s legislative session, even though the legislative session technically concludes on January 2, 2017. The Senate is scheduled to return to the floor on Tuesday, March 15 for its last floor session of the legislative session.

Senate Scraps Vote On Fast Path to Water Privatization Bill

Strong opposition leads Senate to pull vote on handing municipal water services to corporate interests without citizen input.  Union members, supporters send over 3,200 messages to legislators in opposition to AB 554.

Union members, environmentalists, municipal water and sewer operators, local cities and citizens from around the state raised their voices in opposition to AB 554, a bill paving the way for corporate interests to buy public water services without proper democratic process.  Despite a strong push from Aqua America, a billion-dollar water conglomerate plagued with complaints of water mismanagement, Republicans were unable to reach consensus on the bill and pulled a planned vote on the legislation. 

“Legislators should use what’s left of the legislative session to focus on creating good jobs and economic opportunities for Wisconsin, not on making it easier for out-of-state corporate interests to gobble up Wisconsin’s municipal water systems,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.  “This appalling power grab by corporate interests was stopped by the voice of the people.  Union members sent thousands of messages to lawmakers around the state to express dismay and disappointment with privatizing our water utilities without citizen say. Democracy worked as it should, the people spoke out and their representatives listened.”

 “Water is a source of life, not profit,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.  “With the legislative session winding down, this bad bill should stay buried.  Together, union members, environmentalists, municipal sewer and water operators and local cities we were able to sound the alarm, raise a red flag and protect Wisconsin’s water services as a public good and human right.”

URGENT: Water Privatization Bill Up for Vote Feb. 16

We’ve just learned that the Senate has made a last minute, late in the day addition to the Senate calendar for Tuesday, February 16, adding in a vote on the Fast Path to Water Privatization Bill (AB 554) – a bill that will impact each and every Wisconsinite, young and old.

Don’t delay, take action now.

Right now, we need to sound the alarm so that private companies don’t mess with our municipal water systems without democratic input from local citizens. Contact your Senator ASAP and let them know you oppose the Fast Path to Water Privatization Bill.

In Flint, Michigan we’ve seen the toxic consequences of trying to cut costs in providing safe drinking water. The Fast Path to Water Privatization Bill paves the way for corporate control of Wisconsin’s municipal water services by eliminating the required referendum for local citizen input.

Make no mistake, this bill is the first step in selling off our water to the highest bidder. 

The bill was quietly introduced at the request of Aqua America, a private water company that has been charged with hundreds of complaints of mismanaging the delivery of clean water across America.

Don’t delay. Contact your Senator immediately and tell them to keep our public water systems out of the hands of private companies.

Wisconsin AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Joins Coalition of Working Families on Capitol Hill to Stop the TPP

Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, joined a national coalition of labor leaders in Washington D.C. today to educate Congress on the harmful impact that the Trans-Pacific Partnership will have on workers and communities across the globe. 

“The TPP is a job-killer,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.  “By increasing the U.S. trade deficit and exasperating the offshoring and outsourcing of good, family-supporting American jobs – the TPP will negatively impact the lives of American workers. By shuttering factories, undermining American manufacturing and lowering wages, the TPP will further shrink the American middle class and extend growing disparities in wealth and income levels.”   

“The labor movement stands united to oppose bad trade agreements,” continued Bloomingdale.  “The TPP is an outsourcing deal—not a trade deal. Our trade agreements should advance an economy that creates good jobs in America and that enables regular working people to succeed by working hard to get ahead. The TPP fails this goal and today I am proud to stand united with labor leaders from around the U.S. to call for a halt to the Trans-Pacific Partnership.” 

Pick up the Phone to Stop the TPP

Working people are determined to end the era of corporate trade deals that lower our wages and kill our jobs. Millions of workers across the globe are united in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a massive, NAFTA-style trade deal.

Today and tomorrow, Monday, February 8 and Tuesday, February 9, are national call-in days of action. Join the movement to stop the TPP. Make a call to Congress to voice your opposition to the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership.

CALL CONGRESS to stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership: 1-855-856-7545

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a massive 12-nation trade deal that was negotiated in secret with corporate lobbyists calling the shots. The deal rigs the deck against the world’s workers and heavily favors corporate interests over the safety and well-being of working people.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership will put Americans out of work, destroy environmental protections and increase prescription drug prices.

CALL CONGRESS TODAY to stop the TPP: 1-855-856-7545

Congress must reject – and not put to a vote – trade deals that lower our wages and kill our jobs.

Unfair trade deals like NAFTA have shuttered factories and displaced millions of U.S. workers in the past.

It’s time to put American workers first by rejecting the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

GOP Push Fast Path to Water Privatization

 

Wisconsin Republicans are fast-tracking toxic legislation that jeopardizes our democracy, silences public employees who are the safeguards of our publicly owned utilities, and all but gives away our water and sewerage systems to out-of-state and perhaps even foreign corporations. Our communities are safer when unionized public employees – not CEOs – are the stewards and guards of our most precious resources.

The Fast Path to Water Privatization Bill, Assembly Bill 554 & Senate Bill 432, was introduced at the behest of a single out-of-state water utility corporation, Aqua America, just two months ago. Aqua America is a $5 billion company, guided by its commitment to extract profit out of water utilities.

Click here to contact your legislators about this legislation. 

“One need not look any further than Flint, Michigan to see the poisonous results that mismanaged water systems can have on our families and communities,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.   “The safety and affordability of our water system is of huge importance to each and every Wisconsin resident, young, old and in-between.  The Fast Track to Water Privatization Act paves the way for politicians to sell our municipal water systems, without any public input, to the highest bidder and takes away local control from Wisconsin residents.”

“Private water companies buy water systems in the hopes of profiting big from what should be a public good and basic human right,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.  “We’ve seen the appalling consequences of cutting costs and eroding public accountability in public water systems in Flint, Michigan.  Wisconsin residents deserve the right to have a say in the sale of our vital public water services. Silencing the voices of Wisconsin voters with this toxic legislation is undemocratic and not the Wisconsin way.”

Take Action:  Click here to email your legislators. Urge your opposition to the Fast Path to Water Privatization Bill.

 

Could Wisconsin be the next Flint, Michigan?

Could Wisconsin be the next Flint, Michigan?

A terrible new bill that threatens the safety and affordability of our drinking water is making its way through the Wisconsin legislature.

The Fast Path to Water Privatization Bill, Assembly Bill 554/Senate Bill 432, would allow for out-of-state, for-profit, private conglomerates to gobble up Wisconsin’s municipal public water systems without citizen input. Currently, by law, local citizens must vote to okay the sale of public water system. The Republican-backed bill making its way through the Wisconsin legislature would thwart the democratic process and allow for sales of water services without a vote of public support.

The safety of our water system is of huge importance to each and every Wisconsin resident, young, old and in-between. We don’t want another Flint, Michigan water crisis in Wisconsin. Private water companies buy water systems in the hopes of profiting big from what should be a public good and basic human right.

Don’t let Wisconsin politicians sell our drinking water to the highest bidder. Click here to urge your legislator to oppose the Fast Path to Water Privatization Bill SB 554/AB 432.

With little time left in the legislative session, this bill is rocketing through the legislature with distressing speed. AB 554 was introduced on December 1, 2015, and referred to Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities. It was voted out of committee on December 15, 2015. It was voted out of the full Assembly on a voice vote on January 12, 2016. SB 432 was introduced on December 3, 2015 and referred to the Senate Committee on Workforce Development, Public Works, and Military Affairs. It had a public hearing on January 5, 2016 and was voted out of Senate Committee on January 28, 2016.

The Senate and Governor still have to take action on this bill that paves the way to privatize our water without citizen support. The Senate is currently scheduled to meet for a floor session on February 9, 2016 and could take up the Fast Path to Water Privatization Bill then.

We know how important it is to have public employees, many of who are AFSCME members, working on the front-lines to ensure safe drinking water.

Contact your legislators today. Tell them to keep our public water systems out of the hands of private companies.

 

(Photo Credit:  Overpass Light Brigade)