| Wisconsin State AFL-CIO |
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 Wisconsin, Do you have questions about immigration legislation working its way through the U.S. Congress? Are you wondering how to join the fight for immigrant rights and all working people? If so, please join a coalition of worker and community groups for a very important meeting on the immigration reform bill this Saturday, May 18. WHAT: Junta Informativa de Inmigración There will be a host of guest speakers to discuss where the bill stands, how it will impact workers, pending amendments and ways you can get involved in the movement for citizenship for millions of aspiring Americans. Read more  Nearly two dozen Milwaukee homeless shelters are in need of health and hygiene products.Help by collecting items, running workplace drives and asking others to donate. Click here for flyer COLLECTIONS DATES DROP-OFF LOCATIONS Milwaukee Area Labor Council Milwaukee Fire Department Stations United Way Greater Milwaukee Monetary donations are also accepted QUESTIONS?  Budget Attacks on Middle Class Families Governor Walker’s proposed 2013-2015 Biennial State Budget is now being reviewed by the Legislature. It will cover the fiscal period from July 2013 through June 2015. It is clear that the Governor’s budget leaves Wisconsin’s families behind, doing more for his corporate donors and the wealthy than for the hard-working families of Wisconsin. Governor Walker’s 2011- 2013 State Budget called for the largest cuts to public education and public services in state history and is still having a deep, devastating impact on the people of Wisconsin who were forced to absorb the cuts in the form of decreased services to their communities. The 2013-2015 State Budget continues to suffocate Wisconsin’s growth potential. Wisconsin currently ranks 42nd in job creation levels among 50 states. It is time for Governor Walker to stop rewarding his campaign financiers and get straight to the work of creating good jobs for Wisconsin. The following points outline a few of the proposals in the State Budget which threaten the economic security and well-being of working families in Wisconsin. This document will be amended as ongoing analysis of the 2013-2015 budget continues. 
ONLINE: Click here to make donations by PayPal or any major credit card. CHECKS can be made payable to the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Defense Fund, 6333 W. Blue Mound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53213. On memo line write: STAND WITH WISCONSIN. (Donations are NOT tax deductible). Any support would be greatly appreciated! Most voters agree that big corporations and the wealthy should start paying their fair share in taxes. But, of course, big corporations and the wealthy don’t want to do that. They want to pay less, and they are used to getting their way. So what do you do? Some people in Washington think the answer is a “grand bargain.” In a “grand bargain,” Republicans agree to stop protecting millionaires from having to pay a single penny more in taxes. In return, Democrats agree to cut Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare benefits. Read more >>>  Here's an easy, printable list of Wisconsin Senate and Assembly members along with their contact information Click here Other Legislative Information The Wisconsin Legislature link gives you the home pages of Wisconsin's legislators (including e-mail addresses), bill tracking, statutes and constitution, support agencies, general information, and other legislative links.
 (Updated: March 30, 2012) This summary covers some of the major losses for middle income and working class families during the administration of Governor Scott Walker. It details how the public policies promoted by the Walker administration represent a radical departure from Wisconsin values and traditions. Click here for "Losses" full-length or "Losses" Talking Points  Marcus Hedger will have to wait even longer to get his job back if Senate Republicans continue to block President Obama’s bipartisan nominees to serve on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Call your senators toll free at 1-888-264-6154 and tell them to confirm the board nominations now. Hedger was illegally fired in 2010 from his pressman’s job at an Illinois printing company for his union activities on behalf of his fellow union members in the Graphic Communications Conference of the Teamsters. Last September, the full NLRB—two Democrats and one Republican, at the time—ruled he should get his job back with back pay. Read more >>> Rana Plaza, the Bangladesh factory that collapsed three weeks ago, killed more than 1,100 workers, many of them young women. This tragedy adds to the more than 1500 Bangladeshi workers killed in preventable fires and building collapses since 2005. Documents found at the factory show that the workers produced for big names in global retail revealing the link between poor workers in Bangladesh and major retail brands.Obviously, the government must improve local laws and their enforcement to stop these tragedies, but brands must also take responsibility for their supply chains. They must be held accountable to the tragedy that happened in their supply chain. Read more >>>  Since June 2011 Wisconsin has lost more jobs than any other state. The two “special sessions on jobs” called by Governor Walker have failed to address this jobs crisis. The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO has developed a Jobs Agenda to Rebuild Wisconsin’s Middle Class. This updated version (click here to view or printout WI Jobs Agenda) calls for specific legislation that will truly help Wisconsin’s working families and it includes the specific bills that have been introduced, along with their co-sponsors.  This report traces the evolution of the American Right over the past few decades. It covers Right Wing ideology, the development of the New Right beginning in the 1960s, its extensive infrastructure and bold strategy. This report also explains how the Right came to successfully exploit single issues and manipulate religious faith to distract and direct middle class and working class voters to support candidates who are a threat to their economic interests. Hopefully, this summary will encourage a broad discussion on how to effectively challenge and defeat the American Right. To view report in PDF format, click here.  Great videos capture the Solidarity that is inspiring a national movement! |
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