1 Million Signatures!
(1/17/12)
We needed 504,208 signatures. We were aiming for 700,000 or so. We got more than 1 million.
Recall Walker? Oh yeah.
Here's a link to the United Wisconsin press release, issued Jan. 17: http://www.unitedwisconsin.com/jan17-release
For additional more context, here's a link to the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO blog, also posted Jan. 17: http://wisaflcio.typepad.com/wisconsin-state-afl-cio-blog/2012/01/one-million-recall-walker.html
What's next? Stay tuned.
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Need to express your opinion? Our contact lists can help.
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
Wisconsin State Senate: Senators' home pages
Wisconsin State Assembly: Representatives' home pages
Wisconsin members of US Congress
City of Milwaukee Common Council
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Have questions about your financial future?
Contact Bob Johnston, a financial advisor and financial services representative with The Principal Financial Group. Bob can be reached at 414-258-6220 Ext. 132 or via email at johnston.robert@principal.com.
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© 2012 AFSCME District Council 48
3427 W. St. Paul Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208
Phone: (414) 344-6868 Your e-mail feedback is welcome!
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Continue Your Membership -
Continue The Fight
(7/11)
Gov. Walker may have rammed his law through the legislature. He may think he has won. But the fight has just begun. Public service workers from across Wisconsin have stood up and will fight back.
The three steps to winning the fight: (1) Save the union by continuing your membership. (2) Recall, recall, recall. (3) Restore our rights.
Walker believes he can bankrupt the union by taking away our right to pay-roll deduction of dues. If we are going to win this fight, the first step is to continue your membership through direct payment of your dues.
To take that crucial step, visit https://dc48.wisconsinunionstrong.org.
We also need to increase our political campaign resources by funding candidates who join our fight and opposing those who sold us out. We need to fund PEOPLE -- our political action fund that makes direct campaign contributions to candidates. To join AFSCME PEOPLE, visit https://dc48.wisconsinunionstrong.org.
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Wisconsin Workers File
Lawsuit to Block Anti-Union Bill
(6/15/11)
Today, a broad coalition of worker right’s organizations filed a legal challenge to Gov. Walker’s Budget Repair Bill. The organizations include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 24, AFSCME Council 40, AFSCME Council 48, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the Wisconsin State Employees Union, The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union – Health Care Wisconsin (SEIU).
Together the organizations are filing a federal law suit against Scott Walker’s bill which denies hundreds of thousands of public employees their right to collectively bargain for a better life. The groups challenge the constitutionality of the state’s Budget Repair Bill which would destroy collective bargaining rights for all but a select group of public sector workers.
"Not only have Scott Walker and his deep-pocketed corporate allies sought to silence the voices of Wisconsin workers, they have also violated those workers constitutional rights," said Phil Neuenfeldt, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. "Scott Walker has created two classes of public sector workers and that is unconstitutional. When a legislature discriminates among classes of workers, especially when doing so has more to do with political payback than with any legitimate reasoning, the law has been violated."
The lawsuit charges that the Budget Repair Bill violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution by stripping away basic rights to bargain, organize and associate for the purpose of engaging in union activity, which have been in place for the last half century.
The suit contends that it is a violation of the U.S. Constitution for a legislature to discriminate among classes of public employees, particularly when doing so does not advance legitimate policy objectives but instead simply rewards political allies and punishes political opponents.
The lawsuit seeks to enjoin some, but not all, of the provisions of the Budget Repair Bill. Significantly, the unions do not seek to enjoin the pension and health insurance contribution requirements imposed by the Budget Repair Bill. Public sector unions have made it clear from day one that Wisconsin workers would do their part to share in the sacrifice and keep our state moving forward. The lawsuit only seeks to preserve the basic right to bargain and freely associate.
AFSCME Endorses
Kathleen Falk for Governor
(2/20/12)
After an extensive interview process involving all declared and potential candidates, Wisconsin’s largest union representing front-line state, county and municipal employees has endorsed Kathleen Falk for governor in this year's recall election.
AFSCME Wisconsin's decision was clear, with Kathleen Falk emerging as the strongest leader to reverse Gov. Scott Walker’s reign of deceit and job-killing extremism.
Unlike Walker, Kathleen Falk has a record of working constructively with front-line workers to solve problems. Her clear commitment respects the traditional values of Wisconsin, which is the birthplace of AFSCME.
"As Dane County Executive, Kathleen Falk solved tight budgets with workers through collective bargaining. Together we saved taxpayers nearly $11 million dollars by negotiating contracts that included wage and benefit concessions without taking away workers' rights," said Jim Garity, a Jefferson County highway worker and president of AFSCME Council 40.
AFSCME members appreciate Falk's unwavering support for workers' rights, which has been completely consistent throughout her career. "There's never been any question about her commitment to solving problems through the collective bargaining process," Garity said.
Unlike the current governor, who used a sneak attack to destroy 50 years of public employee collective bargaining, Falk has no hidden agenda. She’s always been clear about her commitment to working people.
"Kathleen Falk has staked out a clear, detailed, transparent plan for restoring workers' rights in Wisconsin, and that vision and that courage are what it will take to beat Scott Walker. Nothing short and nothing less," said Brian Stafford, a city of Milwaukee public works employee and president of AFSCME Council 48. "As County Executive, Falk led the fight to challenge Walker's law to take away collective bargaining rights that was passed illegally in the middle of the night. As Governor, she will restore those rights so public employees can once again negotiate for fair wages, benefits and working conditions," Stafford said.
Falk is clearly more concerned about getting real results than scoring political points with out-of-state donors. "Kathleen Falk opposes Scott Walker's tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporate donors. As Governor, she will focus on putting Wisconsin's priorities back on middle class families," Stafford said.
AFSCME's endorsement of Falk comes after an exhaustive process. It began with an open invitation to all known potential candidates to a Jan. 11 interview with members elected to the union's political screening committees. Information from that interview and from each candidate’s record was shared with members, who were encouraged to voice their opinions. Ultimately, Kathleen Falk emerged as the clear choice of the elected screening committees.
The process was accelerated by the fast timeline of the recall election, which will fly by in just a few short months despite the governor’s desperate delaying tactics.
"There’s a lot at stake for our members and for all of Wisconsin in this recall election. We need a strong leader to reverse the damage done in this past year, and Kathleen Falk is clearly the right person to get our state moving forward again," Garity said.
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News & Notes
Direct Talk from District Council 48 Executive Director Rich Abelson: We will not sit idly by (12/10)
AFSCME International launches 'Stop the Lies' campaign (12/10)
AFSCME’s new-breed leaders met in Milwaukee for the state’s first ‘Next Wave’ conference (10/10)
Read The Greenline,AFSCME International's blog
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