Milwaukee fast food workers took action last Wednesday calling attention to poverty wages and poor working conditions. Hundreds of workers from fast food and retail stores including Burger King, McDonald’s, Popeye’s and Dollar Tree walked off the job in solidarity in the fight for $15 an hour and a union. Tessie Harrell, a mother of six who has worked at Burger King for five years explained, “If we don’t stand up today we are always going to be on the downfall. We work hard for $7.25 and we are standing together to say we are worth more. We need to... Continue reading

Inspired by recent workplace actions in New York City, Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit, low-wage workers in Milwaukee joined the nationwide movement for a living wage Wednesday by walking off the job. Workers are calling for a wage increase and the right to form a union free from employer harassment or retaliation. Hundreds of workers walked off the job at places like McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Old Country Buffet and Popeye's. Workers are being joined by community supporters and religious groups throughout the day and plan to march from the Milwaukee County Courthouse to downtown Milwaukee... Continue reading

Below is an important message from Stephanie Sanders, a McDonald's Worker from Milwaukee who joined hundreds of retail and fast food workers who walked off the job this morning in Milwaukee. Today, fast food and retail workers in Milwaukee went on strike. We're fighting for a living wage, $15 an hour, and for the right to form a union without retaliation. As people who know what it's like to struggle to make ends meet, my coworkers and I were inspired by other walkouts in New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit - and like them we're taking action to fight... Continue reading

Anti-worker politicians in Washington and their corporate donors are striking at the rights of workers. Again. They’re threatening to shut down the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the independent agency that protects workers’ rights, by holding up President Barack Obama’s nominations to the Board. If the NLRB nominees aren’t confirmed, thousands of workers—who are waiting for the Board’s decisions in key workplace cases—won’t get their cases decided. Tell your senators to confirm President Obama’s NLRB nominations to make sure workers’ rights are protected. Extremist lawmakers have held multiple hearings attacking the NLRB for doing its job. In 2011 alone, they... Continue reading

Do you have questions about the 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 WHEN: 12:00 p.m., Saturday, May 18 WHERE: Hayes Bilingual School, 971 W. Windlake Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53215 There will be a host of guest speakers to discuss where the bill stands, how it will impact workers, pending amendments and ways... Continue reading

The people of Wisconsin deserve better. While Gov. Walker and the GOP focus on things like attacking public employees, electronic insurance bills, changes to Food Stamps, residency rules, crane game deregulation and rent-to-own agreements, Wisconsin is slipping further and further behind the rest of the nation in terms of job creation. Despite a blistering audit by the Legislative Audit Bureau which found an unaccountable, mismanaged jobs agency which repeatedly broke state law and lost track of millions of taxpayer dollars, Gov. Walker and the Wisconsin GOP are acting like nothing is amiss with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation or WEDC.... Continue reading

On Thursday, May 16, talk to the MPS School Board and tell them to respect and support the educators who teach our students every day! We must stand together and raise our voices as one community supporting our students and teachers. Teacher input is essential to: • Create clear pathways for career advancement • Attract and retain educators with steps and lanes • Partner with educators for teaching and learning success • Support educators; support our students and classrooms Public testimony is welcome, as this is a public hearing. If you plan to testify, please register at mtea.org. WHEN: 5:30... Continue reading

The following is a statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory. Working people around the world are watching in horror and disbelief as the number of workers who have needlessly died in Bangladesh rises. Now, over 1,100 brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, friends and loved ones have been confirmed dead in a tragedy that never should have happened. There is no doubt that the collapse of the Rana Plaza building and factories in Bangladesh will be known as one of the worst workplace catastrophes in history. We must collectively as a... Continue reading

Across the country low-wage workers at McDonalds, KFC, Jimmy John’s and other service-sector jobs are joining together to improve wages and working conditions for the entire industry. This growing movement is one of the largest grassroots workplace mobilizations in recent history. Recently, workers in New York City, Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit went on strike demanding a minimum wage of $15 an hour and the right to form a union free from employer harassment and retaliation. Inspired, Milwaukee workers are taking action and joining the fight for 15. Show your support for better wages and better communities. Stand with the... Continue reading

According to a new AFL-CIO report, Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 89 workers were killed in Wisconsin in 2011 with a rate of 3.3 deaths per 100,000 workers. Nationally, Wisconsin ranks 19 with 1 being the best and 50 being the worst. Due to lack of staffing it would take the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 96 years to inspect each workplace in the Wisconsin once. The report notes that in 2011, there were 4,693 workplace deaths due to traumatic injuries and more than 3.8 million workers across all industries, including state and local government, who... Continue reading

Gov. Walker ran on a promise to create 250,000 jobs in his first four years as Governor. Many economists argued that this goal was likely to be reached with little lifting from Gov. Walker due to natural upticks in the economy. Yet, more than halfway through Gov. Walker’s first term, he is spectacularly failing to meet his own job creation standards and his flagship “jobs agency” – the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) – has become a national embarrassment. WEDC’s mismanagement and incompetence falls squarely on the Walker Administration because it was the Governor’s brainchild to privatize the Department of... Continue reading

On May 11, our nation’s letter carriers will pick up food donations from doorsteps and mailboxes along their route to help feed the hungry in our communities in the 21st annual "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive. "Stamp Out Hunger" is the largest, single-day food collection day in the United States. To make a donation simply leave a bag of nonperishable food items by your mailbox on Saturday, May 11, 2013, and your letter carrier will do the rest. Your donation stays local and will help feed the needy in our community. The food is sorted by volunteers on-site at the... Continue reading

The 127th Anniversary Commemoration of the Bay View Tragedy was held Sunday, May 5, at the Bay View Historical Marker Site on Milwaukee’s lakefront. The reenactment honors the struggles of Milwaukee workers to achieve a greater quality of life through a humane working day. Up until the 1886 tragedy, workers had been campaigning through rallies, marches and other efforts to establish the principle of the eight-hour day. The Milwaukee rally for the cause ended with the Wisconsin State Militia firing into a crowd of about 1500 immigrant workers and laborers marching toward the old Bay View Rolling Mills (Milwaukee’s largest... Continue reading

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An audit released this week by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau found that Gov. Walker’s premier job creation agency -- the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, better known as “WEDC” -- repeatedly broke state law, failed to keep track of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded loans and spent taxpayer money on ineligible projects. The scathing audit found that the WEDC had no plans for tracking delinquent loans, gave out grants that violated state law and had insufficient records to track job creation. The audit found that Gov. Walker’s hires spent taxpayer money on Wisconsin Badger Football season tickets, alcohol and iTunes... Continue reading

Thousands of working people gathered across Wisconsin on May 1 to commemorate May Day and rally for the rights of all workers, regardless of where they were born. At marches in Milwaukee and Madison participants demanded a roadmap to citizenship, strong worker protections, good jobs, and an end to deportations. Immigrant families, students, union members and their allies in the civil rights, faith and progressive communities commemorated the legacy of May Day, also known as International Worker’s Day. The streets of Milwaukee were shut down for as marchers took to the streets for rights and recognition at an event sponsored... Continue reading

UAW Local 469 members will travel to Wheeling, Ill., today where Master Lock's parent company, Fortune Brands Home & Security Inc. (FBHS), will hold its annual shareholder meeting at 3:30 p.m. at the Westin Chicago North Shore, 601 N. Milwaukee Ave. FBHS is a publicly traded company which sells a wide range of brand name home and security products. From October 2011 to April 13, 2013, FBHS' stock tripled from below $12 to more than $36 a share. Both Wall Street and the company's own material indicate that FBHS, and in particular the Security and Storage business segment, are expected... Continue reading

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In a sign that the gap between the wealthiest Americans and working people remains high, the AFL-CIO’s Executive PayWatch website shows that the average Wisconsin CEO made $4,907,639. In contrast, the average Wisconsin worker makes $38,869.48. This year’s PayWatch report launches on Tax Day and also looks at “Fix the Debt” CEOs who are pushing for more tax cuts for corporations and the super wealthy while calling for benefits cuts to middle-class programs. Thirty years ago, the pay of CEOs of large companies in the United States was 42 times the average blue-collar worker’s pay. In 2012, CEOs of S&P... Continue reading

On Saturday, April 27, The Shepherd Express will put on a party sure to impress any Wisconsinite! Enjoy a vast selection of delicious beer, tasty cheese and mouth-watering sausage while supporting Milwaukee’s locally owned alternative newspaper. The Shepherd Express is free and provides independent, in-depth coverage of Wisconsin elections, the economy, and important labor issues. We need to support this independent voice for working people. The Shepherd Express has been a valuable source of reporting on issues that we care about from a point of view that we won’t hear from corporate-backed media outlets. Also benefiting from this exciting event... Continue reading

This is a guest blog post by Philip Anderson, AFT-WI Retiree Chapter Member. Being able to retire with some dignity and financial independence was once part of the American Dream. But for many people a secure retirement is slipping out of reach. Many experts claim we are facing a retirement crisis. The Internet is full of grim statistics. Only 42% of private sector workers age 25 to 64 have any pension coverage in their current job. Only half of American workers have access to a 401(k) plan, and only about 30% take advantage of that plan 75% of 401(k)s have... Continue reading

Wisconsinites have been packing budget hearings across the state to speak out on the harms Gov. Walker’s 2013-2015 budget will inflict upon middle class communities in Wisconsin. As many of you learned during our virtual union-meeting in March, Gov. Walker’s budget proposals are no-good for workers and will continue to slow job growth and Wisconsin’s economic recovery. In case you missed our virtual union-meeting, download our 2013-2015 Budget Summary to learn how Gov. Walker’s budget will impact you and your family. The Budget Summary provides a detailed guide of anti-worker proposals outlined in Gov. Walker’s budget. It is crucial that... Continue reading

On Thursday, workers, labor groups, attorneys and surviving family members of victims of asbestos disease came together for an emotional press conference and public hearing to speak out against AB-19/SB-13, a bill which is a direct assault on victims of asbestos disease. Introduced by Rep. Andre Jacque and Sen. Glenn Grothman AB19/SB13 undermines justice for workers who die of asbestos diseases by shielding corporations from being held accountable for having asbestos ridden work places. It is estimated that 10,000 U.S. workers die each year from asbestos exposure. Scott Nuutinen, a pipefitter from Appleton, testified alongside his mother MaryBeth. Scott is... Continue reading

We wanted to make sure that you had the most up-to-date version of our 2013-2015 Biennial Budget Analysis Document. Included in this budget breakdown are specific ways Gov. Walker’s budget proposals hurt middle class families. Also included are 7 surprising budget provisions. Click here to get the latest budget breakdown. The Joint Finance Committee will hold four public budget hearings for citizens to provide testimony on the budget. It is critical that working families attend these hearings to make our voices heard. Joint Finance Hearing Schedule: • Greendale, Thursday, April 4, 10:00am to 6:00pm at Greendale High School Auditorium, 6801... Continue reading

Working families went to the polls and voted in large numbers yesterday. Our hard work on the phones and at the doors made the difference locally and in select statewide races. Voters in Dane County and the City of Milwaukee overwhelmingly voted in support of keeping same-day voter registration, further discrediting right-wing attacks on democracy and voting rights. Endorsed candidate Tony Evers was re-elected as Superintendent of Public Instruction! This is great news for Wisconsin education. Evers, a strong critic of Gov. Walker’s voucher school plan, will fight for Wisconsin students and work to keep our public schools strong. Locally,... Continue reading