Workers Independent News - Wisconsin

Wisconsin "Equal Pay Bill" Addresses Continuing Gender Wage Gap - 03/21/07

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:43:07 -0700

With studies showing a continuing pay gap between the wages earned by men and women – legislators in Wisconsin are seeking to do something about it. Jesse Russell has more.

Legislators and supporters of a bill that would strengthen the state of Wisconsin’s law prohibiting discrimination in the workplace gathered at the Capital building in Madison on Tuesday. They cited a recent study showing women in Wisconsin earning 25 percent less than their male counterparts. State Senator Dave Hansen of Green Bay said the 2007 Equal Pay Bill musty be passed to send a message to children that if they work hard and apply themselves there are no limits to what they can accomplish:

President Sweeney Pays Labor Day Visit To Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle - 09/05/06

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 16:08:41 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney stopped in for Janesville, Wisconsin’s Labor Day Parade Monday with some good things to say about Wisconsin Democratic Governor Jim Doyle.

[John Sweeney 1]: “When you hear a governor speak out in support of workers and their right to collectively bargain and when he expresses the concern that he has about health care and education and retirement security, this is a governor who knows what the issues are and is trying his damnedest to make sure that workers are on his agenda.”

Governor Doyle is in a race for reelection against a Republican congressman. Doyle said he’s proud that Sweeney was in Janesville on Labor Day.

AFSCME Opposes Gay Marriage Ban Amendment In Wisconsin - 08/02/06

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:37:36 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

Wisconsin’s American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees is working to defeat a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Wisconsin AFSCME People Conference Political Director Brian Weeks says such a ban could legally wipe out all domestic partner benefits negotiated by unions.

[Brian Weeks]: “It attacks workers’ rights. It attacks labor unions’ rights to collectively bargain.”

City Brewing Workers In Wisconsin Reject Contract - 07/26/06

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:37:32 -0700

By Jesse Russell

It isn't time to toss back a cold one just yet for employees of City Brewing Company in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The workers rejected a three-year contract offer from the company by 2-1 on Sunday. City Brewing is in the process of purchaing Pennsylvania-based Latrobe and those workers signed off on a two-year contract offer this weekend. The new contract for LaCrosse workers included changes in pension, wages and insurance. City Brewing workers are represented by the Teamsters Local 695. The union says part of the reason for the contract rejection could be do to uncertainty over the proposed Latrobe plant purchase. Their contract expired in May.

IBEW Defends Pensions At Power Company In Wisconsin - 05/19/06

Thu, 18 May 2006 18:03:21 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

Madison Gas and Electric, a public power utility in Wisconsin’s capital, is out to destroy its workers defined benefit pensions. Dave Poklinkoski of IBEW Local 2304 says this is a highly profitable power company with no financial justification for trying to take workers’ pensions…

[Dave Poklincoski ] : “I think everybody needs to recognize that if workers working for a state-regulated monopoly with a well-funded defined benefit pension plan are not gonna be able to retain a pension plan, then everybody's pension is at stake."

Poklincoski says that defined benefit pensions are much better for workers than 401(k)'s and his union - IBEWE Local 2304 - will never agree to end defined benefit pensions.

Wisconsin Organization Helps Workers Find Lost Pensions - 04/26/06

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 17:27:33 -0700

By Jesse Russell

As more baby boomers move into retirement, they are learning that handling their pensions can be a confusing business. In a day and age where companies break up and merge on nearly a week by week basis, the chance for a pension getting lost in the shuffle increases. One Wisconsin nonprofit is working to help retirees find those lost pensions.

[Rendall 1]: We help track down, ‘what happened, where did that plan go’ and the challenge for us through the resources that we have is to find it for them and provide them with a good service.

Christopher Rendall is a pension rights attorney with the Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project. Rendell said in addition to finding lost pensions his organization helps with pension entitlement through divorce and deal with pension overpayments. Rendell explained why the Pension Rights Project is important:

Kimberly Clark plant closing - 600 jobs to be lost - 03/17/06

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 18:20:27 -0800

By Jesse Russell

In what is seen as a major blow for the area in Wisconsin known as the Fox Valley, Kimberly Clark has announced plans to close a major factory and distribution center. More than 600 jobs are expected to be lost.

Wisconsin Republican kills Fair Share Health Care bill with no up or down vote - 01/20/06

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 20:48:43 -0800

By Doug Cunningham

Wisconsin Republican state representative Steve Nass has killed the Fair Share Health Care bill , just days after Wisconsin Democratic Governor Jim Doyle called on the legislature to pass the bill. Doyle wants the GOP-controlled legislature to outlaw the practice of health care dumping, saying it's unfair and unethical, and ought to be illegal. Workers Independent News asked Nass whose side he's on.

WIN: Why take Wal-Mart's side at the expense of workers and taxpayers?

[Steve Nass] : "Well again isn't simply Wal-Mart's side, it is a business side. Because there is a question on the legal ramifications of this when you just selectively target a particular industry."

Wisconsin considering "Wal-Mart" healthcare bill - 1/19/06

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:42:01 -0800

By Doug Cunningham

On the heels of Maryland's legislature overriding a governor's veto to force Wal-Mart to pay it's fair share for health care under the Fair Share Health Care act, Wisconsin's legislature has held a hearing on the bill. The state AFL-CIO testified in support of the bill as did the UFCW, Citizen Action and other groups. This is part of an effort in 31 states to get Wal-Mart to provide more money for its workers health care. Wisconsin's has a Democratic governor but it's legislature is Republican controlled, making it harder to get the law passed

UW employee's personnel records altered after filing grievance - 07/21/05

Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:19:06 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

University of Wisconsin academic employee Robert Stone is battling the University of Wisconsin over what he and the American Federation of teachers Local 223 says is discrimination against him for using the Family Medical Leave Act. More shocking, the AFT's David Nack says, is that supervisors at UW tampered with Stone's personnel records.

[David Nack] : "If the response to that is they go and alter your personnel file we're really living in really what amounts to a police state mentality anyway, because you can't be sure what is being manufactured about your record or what is being altered about your record. So that's pretty scary stuff."

Wisconsin AFL-CIO President says fight against CAFTA isn't over - 07/11/05

Sat, 09 Jul 2005 08:18:18 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

Wisconsin AFL-CIO President David Newby says though the fight against the Central American Free Trade Agreement isn't over, a powerful coalition of labor, progressive and faith groups is finally getting many in Congress to realize that trade agreements like CAFTA aren't good for the U.S. economy.

[David Newby 1] : "Legislators, more members of Congress, are becoming aware that the NAFTA/WTO model simply doesn’t work and it's failed the American economy and American workers."

The vote on CAFTA is Congress is expected within a couple of weeks and while organized labor has taken a prominent public position against CAFTA, Newby says this is really an issue that all working families in America should unite around.

Wisconsin considers amendment banning gay marriage; SEIU, others oppose

Wed, 27 Apr 2005 06:54:54 -0700

As gay marriage bans sweep the nation, Wisconsin considers its own constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships. Last June, the Service Employees International Union passed a resolution in support of gay marriage. Sasha Gorman, Communications Coordinator of the Wisconsin SEIU Council says the ban would affect unmarried couples, gay or straight.

[Gorman 1] "I have four children. The mother of my children and I live together, we're not married. We get benefits that would be impacted by this constitutional change in Wisconsin."

Wisconsin labor/community groups coalition pushing state to charge Walmart for costs of its employees on state health insurance

Tue, 26 Apr 2005 07:02:37 -0700

In Wisconsin a coalition of labor and progressive groups is calling on the state to charge Walmart for the health care costs taxpayers are paying for
Walmart employees. Darcy Haber of Wisconsin Citizen Action says Wisconsin taxpayers are paying millions of dollars a year because Walmart won't pay for adequate health insurance overage for its workers.

[Darcy Haber 1]: "It's close to two million dollars of taxpayer money here in Wisconsin, but it's also another three million dollars of our federal tax dollars. It's about five million dollars that taxpayers are paying every year to subsidize the health insurance of Walmart workers."

Wisconsin state workers and UW students rally to demand contracts

Fri, 22 Apr 2005 08:38:11 -0700

Wisconsin state employees without a contract after two years of attempted negotiations rallied at the state capitol demanding justice for public employees as the state decides its two year budget. Gerald McEntee, national President of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, gave Wisconsin state workers a $100,000 check at the rally as he vowed solidarity with state workers under attack in Wisconsin and across the nation.

[Gerald McEntee ]: "When they're all gone - and we have seen it in state after state - whenever they have battled us, when they have challenged us by God they're gone, by God we will be back time after time after time!"

Wisconsin State Senate passes bill cutting wages for home health care workers

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 14:07:48 -0700

A minimum wage bill that could cut the wages of Wisconsin home care providers passed that state's Senate last week. The bill, written to prevent cities and towns from having a minimum or living wage higher then the state, would also affect contracts and private workers paid through public funds. Robert Kraig, political director for SEIU 1199W says home care workers who currently make $8 or $9 an hour because of living wage laws, could see their pay cut.

[Kraig]: "It could be a huge pay cut for a lot of low income workers who do a vital public service. There is already a workforce crisis in that area and if you didn't require a living wage it could get substantially worse."