Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Oshkosh Union Member Ready for Honor Flight

Bernie Faust of Oshkosh, a 55-year member of the United Auto Workers Local 291, is heading to Washington D.C. with the Badger Honor Flight on June 7. The Honor Flight organization is a non-profit dedicated to transporting as many United States military veterans as possible to see the memorials of the respective war they fought in Washington, D.C. at no cost to the veterans.

Faust will travel with other veterans for a day of honoring and remembering those who have served. Brother Faust served in the United States Navy from 1949 to 1957 as a “Tin Can Sailor.” Tin can sailor is a term used to refer to sailors in destroyers.

Along with serving our country in the Armed Forces, Faust continued to strengthen democracy in the workplace, expand worker rights and build up the middle class as a proud 55-year union member of the United Auto Workers Local 291. As a UAW retiree chair and future President of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans, Bernie continues to carry the torch to advance the lives of working people in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO was proud to commemorate the 2017 Badger Honor Flight with a letter to Brother Faust.  

Child Labor Rollback on Assembly Floor Tuesday

Alert! The attack on parental rights and child labor law in Wisconsin is getting a vote tomorrow, Tuesday, May 2, in the Wisconsin Assembly.

TAKE ACTION NOW: Send a note to your representatives standing up for strong child labor laws in Wisconsin. We must stop chipping away at protections for child workers.

Introduced by Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R- Clinton) and Sen. Kapenga (R-Delafield), Assembly Bill 25 and Senate Bill 11 will completely eliminate the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) permit process currently required for children aged 16 and 17 entering the workforce.

This bill removes needed oversight and seriously weakens Wisconsin’s strong child labor laws which are in place to protect the life, health, safety and welfare of children. The child labor rollback undermines parental rights by eliminating the requirement for moms and dads to approve their kid's work schedule and other workplace conditions.

EMAIL your representative today. Urge them to oppose Assembly Bill 25 and Senate Bill 11, a rollback on child labor law by eliminating the requirement for work permits for child workers aged 16 and 17.

The bill eliminates parental sign off for children 16 and 17 years old, giving employers direct access to child labor. Supporters of the bill claim that the signature requirement is a hurdle that keeps some kids out of the workforce. In reality, if no parent or guardian is available, a DWD officer can sign off for a child worker. These officers are funded by a $10 permit fee paid by the employer. A portion of the fee also goes to the state’s General Treasury. By eliminating this fee, Republicans are cutting funding for the enforcement of child labor laws and at a time when every penny counts needlessly reducing state revenue.

The permit process is an essential safeguard that lets child workers and their parent or guardian know their rights under the law and how the workplace is regulated for those under 18. It is an important protection against exploitation by unscrupulous employers.