Economics


The Senate Just Voted to Keep Big Money in Politics. Three Reasons to Celebrate Anyway

Corporations are not people
The fact that the issue reached the Senate floor is a huge victory for the American people, who overwhelmingly say they want something done about corporate influence in elections. It was no surprise that the Senate’s proposed “Democracy for All” amendment to the constitution did not pass Thursday. It takes 67 votes to pass an amendment in the Senate. So Thursday’s vote of 54 in favor and 42 against spelled defeat. Senators who voted against the amendment will need to explain their actions to their constituents. But the vote represents a giant leap on the ...

Read More


Republican Mayor Opens Public Gas Station

Gas stations aren’t great for the climate, but the move is a step toward local control over economic decisions—a model that holds great potential for developing renewable energy in the long term. Earlier this month, the small city of Somerset, Kentucky, drew national attention when it opened a municipally owned and operated fuel center in an effort to drive down gas prices for local residents. As a result of its proximity to Lake Cumberland, a popular tourist destination, the city of 11,000 residents has long struggled with high fuel prices—especially during the ...

Read More


Supporting Public and Private Sector Workers

Snow Plow
Wisconsin communities benefit from the crucial work done by Wisconsin's public employees and private sector employees. Our neighbors, families, and friends work together to build thriving, caring communities. One of my grandsons lists public school personnel as his friends: the ladies in the lunch room, the playground supervisors, and the school secretary. He knows these people care about him. Public school teachers work more than 50 hours a week teaching and preparing lessons to meet the diverse needs of our children while maintaining high quality public schools. ...

Read More


Dean Einerson’s Speech to Wisconsin Jobs Now Workers Before the Strike

Workers Protest
Wausau, WI Labor Temple September 4, 2014 It is really good to be here in Wausau again. It is good to be here because it is always good to be around brave people. It is good to be here because the brave workers in Wausau are showing the rest of the North Woods what all of us need to do to get ahead. It is good to be here because there are workers in 130 cities and 35 countries on strike today for $15 and a union and that is very, very good. In the fall of 2012 there were a couple of hundred workers on strike. Last May there were strikes in over 100 cities, over 20 ...

Read More


Randy Radtke’s Speech to Wisconsin Jobs Now Workers Following the Strike

Workers' Rights
Wausau WI Labor Temple September 4, 2014 Let's give a round of applause for the workers going out on strike today, they are the real heroes. It shows that if we unite together, change will happen. There are many cities that have raised the minimum wage already because of this movement. Our own Jessy West recently won a judgment against Lee’s Famous Recipe as a result of the Wausau Fast Food Workers Strike back in May. Governor Scott Walker keeps talking about how anyone who needs a job can get a job. The problem with this is that workers often hold three – and ...

Read More


Why I Am A Retired Union Member

Business Ethics Caption
Unions serve a number of useful purposes for working people. They give workers a voice in the workplace. They provide protection from arbitrary treatment by an employer with workplace rules and grievance procedures. They negotiate better pay and benefits. But a retired worker no longer has an employer. So why would a retired person join a retiree union? There are many reasons why I joined my retiree local. Unions give you a collective voice even in retirement. That voice can continue to protect your economic interests. Through lobbying, policy research, and political ...

Read More


Mary Burke Speaks at Wausau Women’s Network

Candidate
Mary Burke spoke at a meet-and-greet with the Wausau Women’s Network on Thursday, September 4, at the home of Dr. Bart and Lila Hobson. Donna Seidel asked Burke several pointed questions regarding the gubernatorial candidate’s standpoint on such areas as job creation, education, women’s rights, healthcare reform, and more. While she addressed each of Donna's questions in detail, Burke also stressed that the platform she’s running on is built on 3 overarching themes: Putting the needs of the PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN over the needs of SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS...

Read More


Walker Squanders Public Dollars, Perpetuates Job Creation Myth

Job Cuts
The 7-23-14 Marquette Law School Poll shows that 51% of Wisconsin voters hold a mistaken impression on job creation: 9% of voters say Wisconsin is creating jobs faster than other states, 42% say Wisconsin is creating jobs at about the same rate as other states. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports results of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages -- the government's most reliable source of employment data and the one Walker endorsed as the authoritative measure of job trends at the state level -- as follows: Instead of 250,000 new private-sector jobs, ...

Read More


Unions: The Folks That Brought You the Weekend

Labor Law Poster
We are all better off because of unions and this is true even if you have never been represented by one.  A good example is the weekend.  The standard work week used to be 60 to 80 hours a week in the early 20th century.  Everyone, including children, were expected to work 10 or 12 hour days six days a week. Sunday was a day off only because you were expected to go to church. The weekend did not come about because employers cared about their employees. Employers had to be forced, through laws and union contracts, to allow workers time for their families or some ...

Read More


Outsourcing Superior

UW - Superior
The decline of good jobs has been the defining feature of our economy for some time. The results have been disastrous for working families and the economy as a whole. The trend is continuing in Superior, only this time it is our public employers killing jobs. UW-Superior is planning to outsource the custodians and grounds maintenance staff to a for-profit company. These jobs have always been state civil service jobs. They were usually full time, paid modest wages, but had good benefits. The 26 affected employees only average about $12 per hour. The community reacted ...

Read More