Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

October 22: All About ALEC Panel

ALEC has an agenda that has been largely hidden from the American people.  An agenda that could fundamentally change our system of government from a democracy of, by and for the people, to one that is controlled by corporations and the rich and powerful.

On October 22, at 5445 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg, Wisconsin there will be a series of panels to examine ALEC’s impact on legislation in a number of critical areas including:

• Education                         
• Tax policy
• Healthcare
• Voter ID
• Jobs

To Register go to: allaboutalec.org.  For an event flyer click here. 

Moderator John Nichols

Panelists & Presenters include (partial listing):
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D) Illinois - 9th Congressional District
Dan Holub - Wisconsin Education Assn. Council
Jack Norman - Institute for Wisconsin’s Future
Jill Underwood - UW Madison School of Education
Jay Heck - Common Cause
Jim Cavanaugh - South Central Federation of Labor
Lisa Graves - Center for Media & Democracy
Mike McCabe - Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Rep. Mark Pocan - Wisconsin’s 78th Assembly District
Robert Kraig - Wisconsin Citizen Action
Sondy-Pope Roberts - Wisconsin’s 79th Assembly District

Statewide Film Screening: “Broadcast Blues”

(Watch the trailer for Broadcast Blues, a film which takes a look at our nation's media)

 

Free and open to the public, The Wisconsin Media Reform Tour, is traveling the state through September 27 with free screenings of the award-winning documentary “Broadcast Blues.” 

Broadcast Blues explores how the consolidation of the media into corporate hands is jeopardizing our news, information and even public safety.  Broadcast Blues reminds us that the airwaves belong the people, and that we can take and must take our media back. 

"This is a great opportunity to remind the people of Wisconsin that they actually own the Radio and TV airwaves," says filmmaker Sue Wilson.  "Local TV and radio stations receive licenses for the privilege to broadcast, but there's a catch:  in exchange for their licenses, the law requires them to 'serve the public interest.' […] The question is, are the broadcasters serving the public interest of Wisconsinites?"

Sue Wilson, the film’s director, will be on hand to survey the audience on how well they believe their local media is serving local needs.  If people feel that the local media is not serving the public interest, Wilson will explain how to reach out to broadcasters with the goal of improving the quality of local broadcasting.

The 2011 Wisconsin Media Reform Tour kicked off September 17 in Madison with continuous screenings at the FightingBobFest. The tour continues in Appleton on Sept. 19, Mequon Sept. 21, Milwaukee Sept. 22, Hartland Sept. 23, Racine Sept. 24, Wausau Sept. 26, ending in Eau Claire Sept. 27.  Click here for a flyer with local dates and locations. 

The Wisconsin tour developed when Delafield resident Barbara Begale went to see a documentary film about media reform in Florida.  After seeing the award winning Broadcast Blues Begale decided to organize a film tour.  She contacted the film’s director and the rest is history.   

"Suddenly I understood why the United States is so divisive," explained Begale.  "The film explains why the news is filled with lies and why there is so much hate speech.  If people know the truth, people will make the right decisions, but they're not getting the truth.  Everyone in this country needs to see this movie."

Scott Walker’s Wisconsin: Open For Business Or Turning Away Jobs?

This morning, Tuesday June 21, Gov. Walker went on the CNBC morning business show, Squawk Box, to promote Wisconsin as "open for business."  Below are some of the real stats behind his "job creation" plan.   

 

Walker’s Budget Repair Bill Could Cost The State Nearly 22,000 Jobs.  In March 2011, the  Wisconsin State Journal wrote about a study that claimed that Wisconsin would shed jobs under Gov. Walker’s proposed budget repair bill:
 
Gov. Scott Walker's plans to balance the state budget by cutting spending and public workers' take-home pay will slow the state's economic recovery, according to projections by a UW-Madison economist.
 
An estimated 21,843 jobs will be lost over the next year or two as public agencies and workers are able to spend less in their communities, said Steven Deller, a professor of applied economics who studied the ripple effects of Walker's budget-repair bill and two-year budget proposal.  [Wisconsin State Journal, 03/20/11]
 
Walker Refused Federal Money That Would Have Created Thousands Of Jobs In WI.   "We're giving away $810 million that will go to some other state, and we'll be losing out on anywhere from 4,700 to well over 10,000 jobs," fumed State Sen. Spencer Coggs, who was president of an AFSCME local before being elected to the Legislature. … Thus, Walker drew more than nine times the contributions from highway contractors than his Democratic opponent Tom Barrett. [Commentary, In These Times, 11/16/2010]
 
 

Walker’s Refusal Of Rail Funds Cost The State A Major Train Manufacturing Plant.  A December 2010 story in the Wisconsin State Journal about Gov. Walker turning down $810 million in federal funds for high-speed rail quoted a spokesperson for Talgo, a train manufacturer with a major manufacturing plant in Wisconsin:
 
Nora Friend, a spokeswoman for the Talgo train manufacturing company, called the loss of funds “terrible news” for Wisconsin, for the company and its Milwaukee manufacturing plant, and for vendors and workers throughout the state.
 
“It sends a terrible message to businesses that are considering coming to Wisconsin,” Friend said.
 
She added Talgo will close its Milwaukee plant, probably in early 2012, and likely will lay off more than half of the 125 workers it expects to have on its payroll at that time. She said she doesn’t know where the plant will relocate.

“We’ll go where there’s business,” Friend said.  [Wisconsin State Journal, 12/10/10]

 

Click here to read the local editorial from the Capitol Times, "Walker to promote himself, not Wisconsin on Squawk Box."

Bank of Montreal President Admits Payouts to M&I Executives are “Large and Unreasonable”

Wisconsinites traveled to Montreal, Canada, yesterday to question the nearly $71 million in pay-outs to M&I executives. The sale of M&I to Bank of Montreal will result in the loss of hundreds of Wisconsin jobs and comes with M&I executives failing to pay back $1.7 billion in taxpayer TARP money.

“There is no question the payments were large,” Downe confessed. “And could we have negotiated something that was more reasonable, we would have tried to do so.”

“That these $71 million in executive bailouts are coming at the expense of Wisconsin jobs and with M&I giving up their responsibility to pay back $1.7 billion in TARP money is outrageous,” Peter Rickman, member of AFT-Wisconsin, Teaching Assistants Association. “As a state and a nation we have got to stop rewarding failure. Regardless of what Governor Walker may believe, paying out $71 million to a bunch of failed bank executives is not how you bring success to our economy.”

 

For video of Wisconsin Education Association Council’s Betsy Kippers questioning Downe here.

See Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, CEO sets 'bold objective' for bank, here.

See Milwaukee Business Journal article, Group challenges M&I golden parachutes, here.

See DailyKos, Wisconsin Workers Crash Bank of Montreal Shareholders Meeting Re: M&I, here.

See Dane 101 coverage, M&I fight moves from Wisconsin to Bank of Montreal shareholder meeting, here. 

Yesterday concerned citiznes rallied outside of M&I Bank locations in Milwaukee and Madison to encourage M&I to be a better corporate citizen.  Today, Wisconsinites are rallying outside M&I Banks in La Crosse, Racine, Wisconsin Dells and Whitefish Bay to ask corporations to partake in the same shared sacrifice working families have to fix our economy.

M&I Actions Pick up Steam Across Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s families work hard and play by the rules.  So far in this recession, they bailed out big corporations, suffered rounds and rounds of layoffs, lost benefits and tightened their belts all around. 

Taxpayers bailed out M&I Bank with $1.7 billion dollars of their hard-earned money. Instead of repaying that debt to taxpayers M&I executives spent nearly $200,000 on political contributions to Governor Scott Walker and politicians who support Walker’s agenda. 

Now Wisconsinites are standing up across the state, from Racine to Superior, to ask M&I Bank for shared sacrifice. 

Below is a sampling of some of their actions making headlines through out Wisconsin.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Miracle on the Hudson co-pilot withdraws money from M&I.

Superior Telegram, Protests target M & I.

Racine Journal Times, People protest outside M&I.

Wisconsin State Journal, M&I Bank branch on Capitol Square closes after protests.

WBAY Green Bay, M&I Bank's Support for Governor Walker Met with Protest.

Chanel 3000, Protests Continue Against M&I Bank Over Walker Contributions.
 
TMJ4, "Miracle On The Hudson" Pilot Pulls Cash From Bank Led By Walker Supporters.

 
Huffington Post, Wisconsin Governor's Allies Ran a Toxic Bailout Bank... and Got Rich.

Daily Kos, Wisconsin: Hurting Walker by Boycotting One of His Biggest Donors, M&I Bank.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Teachers, firefighters, cops target M&I with boycott.

Thousands Rally into the Night

As the temperature drops and the fog rolls in on Madison working families are not backing down.  Thousands are still gathered on the steps of the Capitol building in an unprecedented show of solidarity to protect Wisconsin’s Middle Class.  It is expected that many will not rest until this fight is over. 

“This is the most anti-worker legislation in Wisconsin history,” said Rep. Cory Mason, 62nd Assembly District.  “We are here tonight to tell Gov. Walker that this proposal has gone too far.  Brothers and sisters, this is the fight of our generation.  This is the moment to transcend party politics and do what is right by the hard working people who voted you in office.”

Around 300 people are also gathered inside the Rotunda of the Capitol.  Drums and chants of "unions unite, save the middle class" are keeping the action lively.  Some concerned citizens held sleeping bags and pillows and will not go home until their voice is heard. 

If you are not in Madison but want to lend your support to this historic fight please take a moment to e-mail or call your Legislature.

Click here to send an e-mail to your Representative.  Over 4,000 e-mails sent so far -- let's keep the pressure on!

Call 877-753-5578 and tell your Representative to stop the attack on working families.

For information on tomorrow's rallies click here.

 

Day Two To-Do List

Today’s rally at the capital in Madison had an estimated crowd of 15,000 people, and additional actions took place statewide.  In order to stop Governor Walker's efforts to take away the rights of Wisconsin workers, we are going to have to keep the pressure on.  In fact, our goal is to kick it up a notch.

Governor Walker and his allies are trying to ram this bill through as quickly as possible; it could be passed as soon as this Thursday. We’re doing all we can to stop this.

Here's what you can do:

* Join us for a rally.  Click here for more details.

* Continue to call your legislators at 877-753-5578.  The phone lines have been jammed, and we want to keep them that way.

* Email your legislators.  Click here to use our easy online template, and don’t forget, you can customize it!

* Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.  Click here for some ideas to get started.

* Spread the word.  Use Facebook, twitter and good old-fashioned word of mouth to make sure that your friends and neighbors have seen our ads and are taking action. 

Time is running out.  Take action today to defend collective bargaining rights for future generations.

(Photo taken at the capital on February 15th by Union Labor News.  For the latest photo uploads, visit: http://flickr.com/wisaflcio.)

Wisconsin Public Sector Workers Have Massive Support

All persons have the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of their interests.

– UN Declaration of Human Rights, Article 23(4)

As the opposition to the so-called budget repair bill continues to mount, Wisconsin working families can take heart in the abundant and diverse voices speaking out in support of collective bargaining rights.   

International labor groups are alarmed that the budget shortfall is being used as a convenient excuse to engage in union busting; religious leaders are pointing out the mutual benefits of labor management cooperation; current and former Green Bay Packers players want public employees to know that they have fans; and veterans groups are alarmed by Governor Walker’s threat to call in the National Guard.

Public Services International (PSI) General Secretary Peter Waldorff, writing on behalf of a global union federation representing 20 million workers in 160 countries, had this to say in a letter to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker:

We regard this as an attack on one of the fundamental pillars in a well developed democracy, where social dialogue and collective bargaining is securing constructive relationship between the employees through their unions and the employers.  A relationship that in many other countries has proved its high value in both times of growth in the economy and during crisis.

The New South Wales Nurses’ Association (NSWNA) General Secretary Brent Holmes, writing to Governor Walker on behalf of 54,000 Australian nurses and midwives, illustrated that public servants did not cause the financial crisis and should not be used as a scapegoat:

Fundamental rights to bargain about not only wages but working conditions which impact on nurses capacity to deliver safe patient care should not be removed because banks and financial institutions made terrible judgments and left your country and your State in a difficult financial position.  Nor should a financial situation be conveniently used to take away workers rights to bargain for fair and just outcomes.

Wisconsin worker themselves are well aware that their struggle has implications for working families globally. 

“If Wisconsin public sector workers lose the right to collectively bargain, it brings us one step closer to a world in which workers have no say about their compensation or working conditions,” says Candice Owely, president of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Heath Professionals.  She is also a registered nurse who is participating in rallies at the Wisconsin capital building in Madison this week.  “We are standing up not just for ourselves, but for working people everywhere.”

The religious community is also speaking out in favor of workers’ rights.  Rabbi Jonathan Biatch issued the following statement from the Madison rallies today:

Jewish tradition, from the Hebrew Bible, to Talmud, to our modern American religious movement, supports fair and appropriate treatment of workers, as well as the right to bargain collectively.

Our faith tradition knows that from these important and just practices come many benefits: from increased standards of living to increased productivity and profits. Judaism supports the rights of all workers to speak with employers, negotiate in good faith, and come to a final agreement that has everyone’s assent. 

I therefore I cannot support Gov. Walker’s proposal in his Budget Repair Bill to remove collective bargaining rights for public workers.

According to a press release issued by VoteVets.org, veterans are strongly objecting to Governor Scott Walker's inappropriate threat to activate the National Guard to intimidate state workers.

"Maybe the new governor doesn't understand yet - but the National Guard is not his own personal intimidation force to be mobilized to quash political dissent," said Robin Eckstein, a former Wisconsin National Guard member, Iraq War Veteran from Appleton, WI, and member of VoteVets.org.  "The Guard is to be used in case of true emergencies and disasters, to help the people of Wisconsin, not to bully political opponents.  Considering many veterans and Guard members are union members, it's even more inappropriate to use the Guard in this way.  This is a very dangerous line the Governor is about to cross."

Still basking in the glow of recent Super Bowl glory, current and former Green Bay Packers players including Curtis Fuller, Chris Jackie, Charles Jordan, Bob Long, Don Majikowski, Steve Okoniewski, Brady Poppinga and Jason Spitz issued a solidarity statement through their union, the NFL Players Association: 

These public workers are Wisconsin’s champions every single day and we urge the Governor and the State Legislature to not take away their rights.

Of course, the loudest and most important voice in this struggle is that of Wisconsin working families themselves.  An estimated 15,000 people turned out in Madison today to protest the budget repair bill, and rallies will continue throughout the day tomorrow.

Profits Before People: What You Can Do To Stop It

Yesterday’s blog post explained in great detail how Senate Bill 1/ Assembly Bill 1, which is currently under consideration by a Special Session of the Legislature, will eliminate corporate accountability and endanger the public without creating a single Wisconsin job. 

Click here to read yesterday’s article.

If you still haven’t called or emailed your legislators and urged them to vote NO, now is the time to do so.

Click here to find out who your State Senator and Assembly Representative are.

Not sure what to say?  It’s as simple as this:

Senate Bill 1 and Assembly Bill 1 put corporate profits before people.  As your constituent I strongly urge you to vote no on this legislation and focus on measures that will actually create family-sustaining jobs.

Be sure to state your name and where you live.
   
The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO will continue to speak up whenever a law is introduced that would negatively impact working families, and we will continue to fight for the creation of high quality jobs.  Thank you for join us in action!

Profits Before People: Senate Bill 1 / Assembly Bill 1 Are All Wrong

“The special session on job creation is being used as a cloak for corporate interests to achieve a long-desired goal – to deny meaningful access to the courts for workers who are injured or killed on the job, as well as consumers and other victims who have been harmed,” warned Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.

On January 11th, labor and community groups gathered at the State Capitol to express opposition to Special Session Senate Bill 1/ Assembly Bill 1 (SB 1/AB 1).  After the press conference, the legislature heard almost 10 hours of testimony, much of it critical of the intent and consequences of the proposal.

One of the most moving stories came from Dawn Kellner, whose 15 year-old son Jared was crushed when chunk of concrete fell from a poorly maintained parking garage O'Donnell Park last summer.  Under the proposed law, it will be almost impossible for Kellner to hold negligent contractors responsible for her son’s death.  “I want to know why Governor Walker wants to protect the worst of the worst.”

Click here to watch a short news clip of Kellner’s testimony, and Governor Walker’s inadequate response. 

The destructive consequences of this legislation include:

• Changes punitive damages criteria for those injured on the job.  Victims of at work accidents will now have the burden of proving that the injury was “intended” by the employer in order to be awarded punitive damages.  This new heightened standard effectively closes the courthouse door to most victims of egregious conduct resulting in serious injury or death. Had this proposed new standard been in place at the time that three ironworkers; Jeffrey Wischer, William DeGrave and Jerome Starr; fell to their deaths from a crane basket during the construction of Miller Park stadium in Milwaukee, their families would have been denied a punitive damage award.

• Changes to product liability law that encourage the export of jobs.  The bill requires that victims harmed by faulty products seek compensation from the manufacturer first. Since it is near impossible to track down manufacturers and pursue legal remedies in countries such as China, this bill creates a perverse incentive to shift more manufacturing jobs out of Wisconsin. 

• Eliminates retailer responsibility for harmful products sold in sealed packages.  This means that if a child is injured by a faulty toy the family has limited rights and options. 

• Limits the rights of nursing home residents’ families to protect their loved ones from negligent care.  The bill changes legal standards for nursing homes making it significantly harder to hold institutions accountable.  It would deny families access to reports that show a pattern of abuse or mistreatment.
  

Testimony on the proposal stretched late into Tuesday night, and Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Legislative Research Director Joanne Ricca was one of the last people to offer comment.  "Stripping away individual legal rights and protections for workers, consumer and seniors to the extent this legislation does is not a small step.  It cannot be justified by a few anecdotes and vague references to a 'friendlier business climate.'"

Ricca ended by reminding the legislature that the bill is offered as part of an emergency special session to create jobs and should be measured by that stated purpose.  “Again, after over 9 ½ hours of testimony, where are the jobs?”

Indeed, this bill will not create a single job in Wisconsin, and yet, it would do immeasurable harm to citizens seeking justice.

Both houses of the Legislature are expected to vote on SB 1/ AB 1 early next week.  Your action is urgently needed. 
 
There is no time to lose. Please call or email your elected officials and urge them to vote NO on Senate Bill 1 and Assembly Bill 1. 

Click here to find out who your State Senator and Assembly Representative are.

It only takes a moment to tell your elected officials to stop protecting criminal corporate activity and start working on meaningful job creation legislation.  Please speak up before it’s too late.

(Top Photo: Working families gather at the Capitol to oppose SB 1/AB 1.  Bottom Photo:  Brenda Giles, an unemployed Milwaukee teacher, says that The Legislature needs to focus on jobs for Wisconsin residents.  Credit for Both Photos: Karen Hickey.  For more pictures from Tuesday's press conference, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157625803492140/.)