News

Harris v. Quinn: An under-the-radar labor case with potentially huge consequences, Harris v. Quinn could decide the future of public sector unions.

Article

Public Service Recognition Week is May 4 – 10 this year, with  May 7 specifically dedicated to State Employees Recognition.  We are joining with other locals to offer some opportunities for members to participate in events to honor public service. 

1.  Habitat for Humanity.  The Wisconsin Science Professionals (WSP) has set up a date, May 6, to work on a site in Sun Prairie.  No previous construction experience is necessary and all tools will be provided by Habitat.  Jeff Myers is coordinating the WSP and WPEC volunteers.  Please contact him at jdmyers711@gmail.com no later than April 29. 
2. The

March 13, 2014 -- The Labor and Working Class Studies Project welcomes Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II to Madison.  The event will be held at the Bethel Lutheran Church at 312 Wisconsin Ave., Madison, WI.  Starts at 7:00 pm.   See Poster. 

Labor Notes Conference -- Barb Smith attended the Labor Notes Conference in St. Louis in September.  Click Here to read what she has to say about it. 

The AFT-W Convention was held on  October 24 - 26, 2013 at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton.  To see the results of the elections, go to AFT-W's website.  

There are activities around the state celebrating labor and Labor Day.  See the List compiled by the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. 

Sep 17, 2013:  DOJ releases personal information, including Social Security numbers, for Solidarity Singers who were arrested: Isthmus article.

Sep 10, 2013:  Madison Police Officer "Why I Sing":  Capital Times article. 

At our 2013 Convention, members passed a resolution to support the Solidarity Singers.   As part of that effort, we are announcing and supporting the Solidarity Sing-Along Defense Fund (aka The First Amendment Defense Fund).  We encourage you to make donations. Make a donation at:  http://solidaritysingalong.org/. 

Why don't the Solidarity Singers just get a permit?  Here's what

July 24, 2013 by The Progressive

"The rightwing argument that public employees bankrupted Detroit is incredible on its face. But it is part of an ominous national push to raid pensions, give away tax dollars to corporations, and impose austerity on regular working people."   

Read more.

“We are privatizing ourselves into one disaster after another. We’ve privatized a lot of what our military is doing. We’ve privatized a lot of what our intelligence agencies are doing. We’ve privatized our very prison system in many parts of the country. We’re privatizing the health system within those prisons. And it’s not working well.”

Ted Koppel on National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air”, 6/27/13

Veteran newsman Ted Koppel was reflecting on the national conversation stimulated by whistleblower Edward Snowden about government surveillance and the perils of out of control government outsourcing.  

Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - The Joint Committee on Employment Relations (JCOER) is scheduled to hold a public meeting to review OSER's Compensation Plan for 2013-2015. The meeting is scheduled for room 412 East, State Capitol, beginning at 10:00 am.

Read the meeting announcement here.

Read OSER's summary here.

See the entire Comp Plans proposed by OSER here.