News

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. 

The Call for Nominations has been sent to local presidents and is also posted on the AFT-W website.  

AFT National has prepared a presentation on the Affordable Care Act (ACA).   The health insurance exchanges are due to be in place by October of 2013.  ETF will probably be sharing information this summer on how it will impact state employees and retired state employees. 

AFT National's ACA Slideshow

Union Begins with “U” – Calendar of Events
Know of any labor friendly events in your community that you would like to share with other members? Please email the details and links to: wpec-communication@aft-wisconsin.org

May 11, 2013      WPEC Communications Committee meeting 10:00-12:00, AFT-Building Madison

May 13, 2013      WI Coalition of Annuitants Annual Conference 8:30-3:30, American Family Headquarters

May 16, 2013      All Union Social 4:30-6:30, Madison Labor Temple Lounge

May 22, 2013      SCFL Bean Feed Fundraiser 6:00-7:15, Madison Labor Temple

May 25, 2013      People’s Brat Fest 10:00