Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Eliminating Work Permits for Kids

A bill would continue to roll back child labor law in Wisconsin. Yesterday, the Assembly Committee on Labor held a public hearing on a bill to eliminate all Child Labor Work Permits for kids (AB 442) and roll back Wisconsin’s child labor laws. This bill was passed in the Senate in October. It can now be voted on by the Assembly.

Click here to tell your Representative to stop the rollback of child labor law in Wisconsin and vote NO on Assembly Bill 442 the elimination of work permits for 14- and 15- year olds.

Work provides value to young people: in the wages they make, the work ethic they develop, and in the lessons they learn on-the-job. Our current child labor work permit process keeps kids safer at work by involving parents, providing critical information about where kids are working to Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and provides necessary funding for child labor law enforcement in our state.    

Assembly Bill 442 will completely end work permits for all children, and in doing so will eliminate parents’ ability to sign off on employment for their child and receive critical information about their child’s job. Eliminating child labor permits also eliminates the current funding mechanism, a small $10 fee per permit paid by the employer, for the enforcement of child labor regulations in Wisconsin.

Assembly Bill 442 follows past efforts to roll back child labor laws. In 2017, the Legislature and former Governor Walker took away the right of parents to approve work for 16- and 17-year olds. Just last session, similar politicians attempted to pass a law that would expand the hours of work for some teenagers. Fortunately, Governor Evers used his veto to strike down last session’s attempt to further weaken child labor laws.  

Through the 2017 child labor rollback and a few other states’ similar rollbacks, we have unfortunately seen a rise in teens harmed at work and working in hazardous and/or illegal jobs for their age over the last seven years. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of minors employed in violation of child-labor laws was up 283% from 2015, and just last year was up 37% from the previous year.

Over and over, backers of this bill have complained and made wrong claims about cumbersome paperwork and red tape, yet Wisconsin’s child work permit process has changed. Parents and guardians now go online to approve employment digitally.

Child work permits play and have played an essential role in protecting Wisconsin kids for over 100 years. The permit process provides the DWD enforcement office with critical information, such as how many 14- and 15 year-olds are working, where they are working and what job tasks they are performing.

Eliminating child work permits in Wisconsin ends key parental oversight and weakens child labor enforcement mechanisms. Contact your Representative today in opposition of AB442.

Union-Made Thanksgiving 🦃

 

Set your table with solidarity. Union members make a variety of products for your Thanksgiving celebration. From Ocean Spray products, some of which are made in Wisconsin by members of the Machinists Union (IAMAW), to Birds Eye Vegetables made in Darien by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1473 to crescent rolls made by Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and Grain Millers (BCTGM) members and more -- there’s a bounty of union-made food items to help you celebrate Thanksgiving. You can even serve your meal on union-made plates with union-made cutlery.

When you buy union, you're supporting good jobs in our local communities -- jobs that provide living wages and benefits, safe working conditions, and dignity and respect for work. Look for these quality products, produced by union members, when preparing for your Thanksgiving feast.

Shop at a union-represented grocery store in Wisconsin. For a list of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1473 union grocery stores in Wisconsin, click here.

 

 

 

Union-Made Thanksgiving

Turkey

• Boar’s Head
• Butterball
• Foster Farms
• Thumann’s

Ham

• Cook’s Hickory Smoked Spiral Sliced Ham with Honey
• Tyson

Dinner Rolls

• Arnold
• Bimbo Mini Croissants 
• Bimbo Dinner Rolls
• Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
• Pillsbury Ready-to-Bake Dinner Rolls
• Sara Lee
• Schmidt
• Wegmans Dinner Rolls

Vegetables

• Birds Eye
• Del Monte
• Dole
• Hanover Foods
• Ore-Ida

Cranberries / Cranberry Sauce

• Dole
• Ocean Spray

Stuffing

• Arnold
• Kraft Stove Top
• Oroweat
• Stroehmann
• Schwebel’s

Sides 

• Betty Crocker
• Kraft Mac & Cheese

Dessert

• Cool Whip
• Dianda’s Bakery (San Francisco)
• Entenmann's Cookies and Cakes
• Marie Callender’s
• Reddi-Wip
• Sara Lee Pies and Cheesecakes

IBEW Local 159 Members Light Up Holiday Season

Thousands of lights, 50 plus light displays, dozens of IBEW Local 159 apprentices, members and retirees, truckloads of equipment and months of preparation all lead up to a flip of the switch this Saturday, November 11, for the Grand Opening of the 2023 Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Madison’s Olin Park.

 

Plan your visit to the Union-Made 2023 Holiday Fantasy in Lights:

Holiday Fantasy in Lights

November 11- December 31

Olin Park, 1156 Olin Court, Madison WI

Lights on dusk until dawn

Free Admission

Candy canes distributed 4:30pm to 10:00pm

 

The skills, expertise, and time of IBEW Local 159 union members make this annual holiday tradition possible. The work begins months in advance when IBEW Local 159 retirees weld, bend, and assembly the light displays and then install the lights. IBEW Local 159 apprentices and retirees spend days pounding in stakes, tightening wires, and laboring to erect and secure over 50 holiday light displays around Olin Park. From Santa Claus to the Wisconsin State Capitol, Puff the Magic Dragon, Frosty the Snowman and more – the Holiday Fantasy in Lights is sure to include all your holiday-time favorites.

“The preparations for Holiday Fantasy in Lights begin in June every year,” stated IBEW Local 159 Business Manager Mike Killian. “This is a true team effort. Retirees stay active with their time working on this project and apprentices get to learn the ropes in a way that creates a deep sense of community and togetherness.”

 

Will Fulton, IBEW 159 pre-apprentice, learned about electrical work in a high school class and knew it was his calling.

Sam Haak, a first year IBEW Local 159 pre-apprentice, who has been working to secure and light the displays around Olin Park can’t wait to bring his girlfriend to see the finished display he has spent so much time on.

Kyle Cummings, a first year IBEW Local 159 pre-apprentice, has enjoyed getting to run the boom while on site.

Ariana Florin, IBEW Local 159 pre-apprentice, loves getting to work outside and has gained a deep sense of community working together with apprentices and retirees on the Holiday Light project.

 

And Mark Hoffman, IBEW Local 159 retiree, who will be moonlighting as Santa this holiday season (pictured right) has been working on his Santa Claus beard since June.

 

 

IBEW Local 159 members Tom Lemens and Rich Nelson are the co-directors of the Holiday Fantasy in Lights.

“Holiday Fantasy in Lights brings the spirit of Christmas to Madison, IBEW-style,” says Co-Director Rich Nelson. 

“Seeing the joy on everyone’s face as they travel through, bringing the kids and hearing all the stories of the different generations who came as kids and now they are bringing their own kids to the lights, that makes all the long hours more than worth it,” explains Co-Director Tom Lemens. “IBEW members are honored to be able to do our part to continue a deeply-loved holiday tradition.”

A thirty-five year tradition

How did the Holiday in Lights begin? In 1989, contractors and the local union worked through a joint committee and brainstormed ways to use their skills to give back to the community. They came together around the idea of building coloring book character-like light displays for the holiday season and the Holiday Fantasy in Lights was born. What started as 10 light displays at Warner Park in 1989, has now grown into over 50 light displays at Olin Park.

 

 

Enjoy this free union-made 35-year tradition as you celebrate the holiday season. Holiday Fantasy in Lights runs nightly at Madison’s Olin Park, November 11-December 31, lights on dusk until dawn.

 

Veterans are heroes; they don’t deserve a shutdown

Veterans are the embodiment of dedication to our nation, but many don’t realize that their commitment doesn’t end with their military service.   Almost 1 in 3 federal workers are veterans, and the U.S. government is the largest employer of disabled veterans. Many continue to serve by taking on pivotal roles in the federal government—from the Transportation Security Administration to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.   If the extreme Republicans who control the U.S. House don’t pass a budget deal by next Friday—a deal that doesn’t make devastating cuts to the programs that working families depend on—then the government could shut down, posing risks to those veterans’ paychecks and their ability to pay their bills. Will you take a moment to support our veterans? Sign now to tell your member of Congress: No cuts to veteran-supporting programs and no shutdown. A shutdown would also affect the essential services, benefits and economic stability of all veterans, creating long delays and challenges enrolling in government services and programs. That financial stress and uncertainty during a shutdown could exacerbate mental health issues that are common in the veteran community. And a government shutdown could result in the temporary closure of national memorial sites, crucial spaces for reflection and remembrance for veterans and their families. That’s why we need your help to urge Congress to say no to extreme budget cuts that could hurt veterans and their families across the country.

Veterans don’t deserve to have their livelihoods used as a political football. Their sacrifice and dedication deserves recognition and stability, not uncertainty. They deserve a budget that creates good jobs and protects veterans and their families, not another shutdown. Tell your member of Congress: No cuts to family-supporting programs and no shutdown! Thank you and happy Veterans Day.

IBEW 2150 Members Bring Fight for Fair Contract to We Energies Cookie Book Events

At We Energies Cookie Book distribution events in Milwaukee and Appleton on November 4, hundreds of IBEW Local 2150 members stood together to let the public know union members are fighting for a fair contract with dignity and respect at We Energies. Our brothers and sisters of IBEW Local 2150 work hard to keep the lights and heat on so our homes and public buildings are safe and secure. Union members at We Energies have been working without a contract since August 15.

The informational pickets at Cookie Book events at American Family Field in Milwaukee and Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton helped raised awareness with the public about the need for a fair contract at We Energies. Over 36,000 cars came through at Milwaukee and Appleton events. Many Cookie Book attendees honked and waved to workers as they drove past to show support as they collected their recipe book.

 

 

Scott Reineck, President and Assistant Business Manager of IBEW 2150, held a giant recipe card for a  fair contract at We Energies. He helped organized the Saturday events which also included a garbage cleanup for the areas surrounding American Family Field and Fox Cities Stadium.

“The recipe for a fair contract at We Energies is simple,” stated Reineck. “Ingredients include dignity, respect, work-life balance, listening to and appreciation for workers. IBEW 2150 members work every day of the week to ensure safe and reliable service for the public. We deserve a fair contract now.”

“IBEW 2150 men and women have continued to work without a new contract since August 15 to provide gas and electric services without interruption and we will continue to work with the company to reach an agreement that will be acceptable to our members,” said James Meyer, IBEW 2150 Business Manager. "Our intention with the informational pickets in Milwaukee and Appleton is to bring the company back to the table, go over the feedback we received from our members and address those issues in order to get a fair deal for IBEW 2150 members at We Energies.”

“The Wisconsin AFL-CIO stands in resolute solidarity with IBEW 2150 members as they continue to bargain a fair contract for the union men and women who work at We Energies,” said Wisconsin AFL-IO President Stephanie Bloomingdale as she stood with workers at the informational picket at American Family Field in Milwaukee. “This holiday season, as you warm up inside your home, bake cookies with your family, or read a book by the lamp light, remember the union members who make this possible deserve a fair union contract with dignity and respect.”

Wisconsin Watch Workers Win Union Rights at Non-Profit News Organization

Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale released the following statement of congratulations as Wisconsin Watch workers win union rights in their workplace:

“Congratulations to the members of the Wisconsin Watch Union who on Friday became Wisconsin’s newest union members when Wisconsin Watch management voluntarily recognized the workers’ right to a union after 80% of workers signed union cards. Journalists and administration staff from both the editorial and business sides of the organization will now be members of The NewsGuild-CWA in a wall-to-wall union representing non-management employees.

Across Wisconsin and across the country, working people are coming together in unions to have a voice in their workplace and create better working conditions. Workers are organizing like never before for respect, democracy, and fundamental fairness on the job.”

 

More from the Wisconsin Watch Union Press Release:

Wisconsin Watch becomes state’s newest unionized news outlet

06 NOV, 2023

MADISON/MILWAUKEE — Employees of the investigative news outlet Wisconsin Watch were voluntarily recognized Friday (Nov. 3) by the nonprofit’s board of directors and chief executive officer as the newly formed Wisconsin Watch Union. 

That follows 80% of rank-and-file Wisconsin Watch journalists and administrative staffers signing union cards with The NewsGuild-CWA. The staff went public with the unionization effort on Oct. 23 after a monthslong organizing effort. 

“Newsrooms across the country are organizing to embrace a more democratic workplace in culture, spirit and deed,” the union said in an internal memo circulated with staff. “We look forward to doing our part in helping make Wisconsin Watch a stronger organization and an even better place to work.”

Management negotiated with the union to craft a recognition agreement so that they can get to work developing a contract that codifies and strengthens what already makes Wisconsin Watch an excellent place to practice journalism, as well as to build capacity for the nonprofit.

“We are so thrilled that we’ve been able to work constructively with management to help achieve voluntary recognition,” said Kiran Saini, audience director, a member of the union’s bargaining committee. “Now, we begin bargaining for a contract that will build a more stable and secure environment at Wisconsin Watch.”

The union’s mission statement closely aligns with Wisconsin Watch’s guiding principles, said investigative reporter Jacob Resneck. 

"Wisconsin Watch is about protecting the vulnerable and exploring solutions," Resneck said. "Organizing brings everyone to the table and gives them a voice to improve their workplace."

Wisconsin Watch CEO George Stanley — who previously served as editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — led negotiations on behalf of the award-winning news outlet’s management.

“We all want a workplace where people treat one another with respect, fairness and dignity,” Stanley said. “We all want to build a strong, sustainable newsroom that reports the stories that matter most -- reporting that improves lives and serves folks with the information they need to make decisions and stay in charge of our republic. That is what this voluntary recognition agreement reflects.”

The bargaining unit will be comprised of workers from both the editorial and business sides of the organization as a wall-to-wall union representing non-managerial employees. Other positions exempted by federal labor law will be excluded in accordance with the agreement signed Friday. 

Members of the Milwaukee Newspaper Guild recently voted unanimously to welcome the Wisconsin Watch Union into Local 34051, to share expanded administrative and logistical resources.

"We are proud to join forces with the dedicated staff of Wisconsin Watch as we all work for a brighter future of journalism in our state,” said Rory Linnane, president of the Milwaukee guild and a beat reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the state’s largest newspaper. 

Wisconsin Watch is a nonpartisan, nonprofit investigative news outlet that seeks to foster an informed citizenry and strengthen democracy. Its successful union campaign comes amid an upsurge in successful organizing drives in newsrooms across the country. For example, workers at fellow nonprofit newsroom ProPublica won voluntary recognition in August.

Founded in 2009, Wisconsin Watch is a nationally recognized nonprofit newsroom that began as the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, founded by Andy and Dee Hall, a married couple of accomplished journalists who retired this summer.