AFL-CIO Targets TPP Sell Out

The AFL-CIO in California is taking direct action to protect American jobs:

The AFL-CIO has been threatening for weeks to make an example of a Democrat who dares support giving the president fast-track trade authority — a warning shot to others leaning that way. And now they’ve picked their man: Sacramento’s Ami Bera, a two-term congressman who barely held on to his seat in one of last year’s most expensive House races.

The union leaders are going after Bera hard. They’re getting personal and vicious. And they say they don’t care if it means that a Republican wins the seat instead.

“Ami Bera won off the support of working families’ boots in the district, knocking on doors for him,” AFL-CIO spokesperson Amaya Smith said. “But no one’s saying, ‘Let’s not call him out because we’re scared of a Republican taking him out.’”

[...]

Throughout this past recess week, union-linked protesters have been in Bera’s district holding out giant Q-tips, urging him to clean out his ears. On Friday, labor activists went up with an $84,000 ad buy in the California district. On Sunday, the communications director for the California Labor Federation published an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee calling his support for the TPA “a slap in the face to those who worked so hard to elect him.”

Now they’re going guerrilla, with a mock classified ad that will run in Monday’s Sacramento Bee and on Sacramento Craigslist.

“Wanted in CA-7: A congressman w/backbone to represent working families,” the Craigslist ad says. “Successful candidate will stand with constituents, not multinational corporations, for good jobs and fair trade. Must have backbone. No sell-outs need apply. Taking applications now.”

Labor has been talking about no longer going along to get along for a while. It's good to see that they are no longer willing to be doormats for corporate Democrats.

What Gives You Meaning?

We're stronger together!

Labor Day Events Across Wisconsin

From the AFL-CIO:

How are you celebrating Labor Day 2013? Below is a list of picnics, parades, car shows and more to celebrate Labor Day. All events are scheduled for Monday, September 2, except for Janesville Laborfest which runs from August 31 to September 2. 

Labor Day is a time to honor workers and celebrate worker rights with friends, family and neighbors. If you are lucky enough to have Labor Day off, thank the men and women who organized for fair wages, safe working conditions and a sustainable work-life balance. 

Labor Day 2013 Events 

Eau Claire Labor Day Picnic: 10:30 a.m. Solidarity Walk, 11:00 a.m. rally, noon to 3:00 p.m. Picnic and prizes at Phoenix Park, 330 Riverfront Terrace. Open to all. Brats, hot dogs, potato salad, beans, coleslaw, ice cream, plates, utensils, coffee, and pop provided by the Greater West Central Area Labor Council. We ask each family to bring a packaged item (due to City/County Health Department regulations) and/or a deli-made item, and/or baked goods. Bring a nonperishable food item and lawn chairs. Please, no pets.

Fond du Lac Labor Day Parade and Picnic: The parade begins at 11:00 a.m. on the corner of N. Main St. and Rees St. The parade will go north on Main St. into Lakeside Park, 555 N. Park Avenue, where a picnic begins at 12:00 p.m. and continues until 5:00 p.m.

Green Bay Labor Day Picnic: 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Bay Beach Amusement Park, 1313 Bay Beach Rd, Green Bay, WI, 54301.

Janesville Laborfest: August 31 - Sept. 2, 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m., 1795 Lafayette St., Janesville, WI, 53546. Music, rides, bike show, craft show, mud volley ball, car display, parade and more! Visit www.laborfest.org for more info.

Kenosha Laborfest: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at St. Therese church grounds, 91st. St. & 22nd Ave, Kenosha, WI, 53143. The annual Kenosha Laborfest features booths from all labor organizations in the Kenosha area. Raffle prizes, beer tent. There will be pony rides and a moonwalk for the kids. Rain or shine!

La Crosse Laborfest: Parade starts at 10:00 a.m. at corner of Gillette St. and Kane Street. Food, games, and music to follow at Copeland Park, 1130 Copeland Park Drive, La Crosse, WI, 54603. Over 50 unions, local businesses and individuals have come together to sponsor Labor Day 2013 in La Crosse. This year's Parade Marshal is Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. After the parade, festivities will move to Copeland Park with free kids games, face painting, and other activities. Two musical acts, a bagpiper and rhythm and blues band, will entertain during the festivities. Soda, beer, brats, and snacks will be offered for sale. This year's celebration is dedicated to the memory of Jack Reihl, La Crosse native and former President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.

Madison Laborfest: Noon-5:30 p.m. at Madison Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park St, Madison, WI, 53715. There will be food, music and fun!

Marinette Annual Labor Day Family Picnic: 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marinette City Park (between Carney Ave. and Mary St.). Cheap food and refreshments. Great music provided by Reverend Raven and The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys to celebrate working families and to promote solidarity. The park is a beautiful setting and we'll have a bouncy house and a playground for kids. All proceeds will go to the Tri-City United Way.

Milwaukee Labor Day March & Picnic: 11:00 a.m. march from (1) MLK Drive and Vine St. at the MLK Statue or (2) 1027 S. 5th Street. Ending Location is Zeidler Union Square Park, 301 W. Michigan St. Free food, refreshments, live music, dancing, face painting and a bounce house at noon at Zeidler Park. All are welcome.

Neenah LaborFest Parade and Picnic: 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. parade. 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. picnic. 

(Parade info): The day begins at 10:00 a.m. with a parade through the cities of Menasha and Neenah. The Parade starts in Menasha by Curtis Reed Square and proceeds into Neenah. The Parade ends in Neenah at the intersection of Wisconsin and Church Streets (Green's Pour House).

(Picnic info): After the parade, festivities move to the Neenah Labor Temple, 157 S. Green Bay Road. Live music begins playing at 11:30 a.m. and continues until 6:00 p.m. Food and refreshments are available along with activities for children like Badger Bouncers Inflatables, face painting, miniature golf and with weather permitting "bucket rides" with workers from WE Energies. Paddle Wheel, a corn roast, retirees club Food Tent, raffles and a large White Elephant sale will be some of the activities offered for adults.
Oshkosh Labor Day Picnic and Car Show: 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at South Park, 1496 W South Park Ave, Oshkosh, WI, 54902.

Racine Laborfest: 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. at Franksville Park, 9700 Northwestern Ave, corner of Highway K and H , Franksville, WI. VOTER-JUDGED Car & Motorcycle Show, CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES, MEET LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES, MR. and MRS. SOLIDARITY, RETIRED LABOR PERSON of the YEAR and LABOR PERSON of the YEAR. Please bring a food donation for the Racine Food Bank

Wausau Labor Day Parade: Lineup for parade at 3:00 p.m., parade starts at 4:00 p.m. at corner of 3rd Ave and W. Wausau Ave ending at the Wausau Labor Temple, 318 S. 3rd Ave.

Wisconsin Rapids Labor Day Picnic: 11:00am-6:00pm, 1150 17th St. North, Wisconsin Rapids. Food, children's rides and live music along with a cash raffle and Bingo.

In Solidarity,

Phil Neuenfeldt, President
Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer

The Stand Up For Medicare and Medicaid Ambulance Tour

From the inbox:

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan want to end Medicare as we know it, leaving seniors without proper care. They also want to repeal the Affordable Care Act which will leave millions of Americans without health insurance and unable to go to the doctor when they get sick.
The Stand Up For Medicare and Medicaid Ambulance Tour will be crisscrossing the state in the days leading up to November 6 Election to raise awareness of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s scary plans for healthcare. Join us at an event near you!
Ambulance Tour Schedule:

• 1:00 pm, Monday, October 22, Green Bay Labor Temple, 1570 Elizabeth Street
• 6:00pm, Wednesday, October 24, La Crosse Hmong Cultural Center, 1815 Ward Street
• Noon, Thursday, October 25, Bray Center, 924 Center Street, Racine
• 5:30pm, Friday, October 26, Wausau Labor Temple, 318 S. 3rd Ave
• TBA, Wednesday, October 31, Paul Ryan District Office, 20 S. Main Street #10, Janesville

These family-friendly events are designed to draw public attention to and educate voters on the harmful Romney/Ryan healthcare plan. Bring your friends and family to learn about the consequences of the Romney/Ryan plot to gut healthcare.

In Solidarity,

Phil Neuenfeldt, President
Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer

Is Palermo's Ripping Off The Taxpayers?

Sure looks that way:

The AFL-CIO Center for Strategic Research today released a new report that questions whether Milwaukee-based Palermo Villa Inc. has lived up to its commitments to create family-supporting jobs after receiving $26 million in government subsidies.

The report is titled, “Too Much Pork in the Pepperoni Pizza?: Tax Credits For Palermo’s Highlight Need For More Transparency, Accountability at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.”

The report the company has received from city, state, and federal subsidies for economic development and job creation.

In return for substantial public assistance, the Milwaukee-based frozen pizza manufacturer made specific commitments about job creation and economic development, the report said.

“Due to a lack of transparency in the administration of the Wisconsin Economic
Development Corp., we cannot know whether Palermo’s has kept its promises,” the report stated.

The report called for the WEDC to improve public disclosure about the company’s accountability.

The report said a disclosure document obtained during the research for the report was “heavily redacted” by the WEDC.

“The public has a right to know whether companies benefiting from public dollars are meeting their economic development obligations. Annual reports should be comprehensive and responses to public records requests should not be so zealously redacted as to render it impossible to evaluate a particular subsidy or tax credit,” the report stated.

“Palermo’s appears to employ fewer people today than it did before it qualified for almost half a million dollars in job creation tax credits with a promise to create 56 full time, permanent positions,“ said Julie Farb Blain of the AFL-CIO’s Center for Strategic Research.

“I worked at Palermo's for over 5 years and only earned $7.50 the hour,” said Flora Anaya of the Palermo Workers Union. “That is not a living wage. I couldn’t support my children and sick parents with so little.”

“Good public policy requires that the details of incentive packages be disclosed, and the effectiveness of incentives be measured. Public policy makers must be held accountable for their decisions based on evidence,” said Cheryl Maranto, chair of the Department of Management at Marquette University.

Labor Day Events Around The State

From the AFL-CIO:

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend at celebrations in Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Janesville, Kenosha, La Crosse, Madison, Marinette, Menasha, Milwaukee, Neenah, Oshkosh, Racine and Wausau. Unless otherwise stated, events will take place on Monday, September 3. See below for a complete list of times and locations.

Eau Claire: Labor Day Picnic at Phoenix Park, Riverfront Terrace. Solidarity walk will begin at 10:30am on the corner of Gray Street and S. Farwell. Short program at 11:00am followed by picnic and prizes from noon until 3:00pm.

Fond du Lac: Labor Day Parade and Picnic at Lakeside Park on Oven Island. The Fond du Lac Labor Day Parade begins at 11:00am. Route follows Rees and Main Streets to Lakeside Park. Picnic, 1:00pm to 5:00pm.

Green Bay: Labor Day Picnic, 11:00am to 4:30pm, Bay Beach Amusement Park.

Kenosha: Laborfest, 91st. St. & 22nd Ave. The annual Kenosha Laborfest features booths from all labor organizations in the Kenosha area. Raffle prizes, beer tent and activities for the whole family. Rain or Shine!

Janesville: Laborfest, September 1st, 2nd and 3rd at 1795 Lafayette St. Music, rides, bike show, craft show, mud volley ball, car display, parade and more! http://www.laborfest.org/

La Crosse: The Labor Day celebration starts with a ten-block family-friendly parade at 10:00am beginning at the intersection of Gillette Street and Kane Street. Followed by a celebration at Copeland Park with free games for kids, face painting, and other activities.

Madison: Annual Laborfest celebration at South Central Federation of Labor, 1602 S. Park St. Madison, 12:00pm to 5:00pm.

Marinette: Labor Day Picnic, Marinette City Park, 12:00pm-5:00pm.

Milwaukee: Labor Day Parade & Laborfest. March starts at 11:00am at Zeidler Union Square Park and continues to Summerfest Grounds. Laborfest will run from noon until 5:00pm.

Neenah/Menasha: Labor Day Parade and Picnic. The parade will begin at 10:00am at Curtis Reed Square in Menasha. It will be followed by a picnic celebration at the Neenah Labor Temple, 157 S. Green Bay Rd, Neenah, 54956.

Oshkosh: Labor Day Picnic and Car Show at South Park in Oshkosh. Event runs 11:00am to 5:00pm.

Racine: Laborfest, 12:00pm to 5:00pm, Franksville Park, 9700 Northwestern Ave, corner of Highway K and H, Caledonia.

Wausau: Labor Day Parade begins at 4:00pm on the corner of W. Wausau Ave and ends at the Wausau Labor Temple, 318 South 3rd Ave. There will be a food drive collecting non-perishable food items and cash donations to be donated to the Neighbors Place.

Have a great Labor Day!

What Has Wisconsin Lost In Just One Year

The Wisconsin AFL-CIO has compiled a list of things that the people of Wisconsin has lost in just one year under Scott Walker's rule, and it's fully supported with research and documentation.

Now, please excuse me while I go weep for this once great state and its people.

Reclaim Wisconsin Tour - UPDATED

Here's the updated info on the Reclaim Wisconsin Tour, sponsored by the AFL-CIO among others:

• Wed. Feb. 15:  La Crosse - Copeland Park - 1130 Copeland Park Drive, 5:30pm
• Wed. Feb. 22:  Wausau, Wausau Labor Temple - 318 S. 3rd Ave, 5:30pm
• Thurs. Feb. 23:  Eau Claire, Phoenix Park Pavilion, Riverfront Terrace, 5:30pm
• Mon.  Feb. 27:   Kaukauna, UA Local 400 - 2700 Northridge Drive, 5:30pm
• Mon.  March 5:  Racine, Monument Square - Main & 5th Street, 5:30pm
• Wed.  March 7:  Milwaukee, Serb Hall - 5101 West Oklahoma Avenue, 7:00pm
• Fri.  March 9:  Madison, Capitol - Candlelight Vigil 6:00pm
• Sat.  March 10:   Madison, Capitol "Reclaim Wisconsin March at the Capitol" – Rally 1:00pm

For what it's worth, Ill be at the one in Milwaukee.

Save The Date! Reclaim Wisconsin March!

From the AFL-CIO:

Join us as we mark the one year anniversary of the passage of Gov. Walker’s draconian union-busting bill.

March 9 is the night that Senate Republicans rammed through the bill in the dead of the night in an illegal session. Friday, March 9 will be marked with candlelight vigils around the state and on Saturday, March 10 we will return to the Capitol to let Gov. Walker now we will never forget his attacks on worker rights, our democracy and fairness!

When: Saturday, March 10

Where: State Capitol, Madison

What: Reclaim Wisconsin March

Racine Jobs Hearing This Monday

From the old inbox:

Brothers and Sisters,

The second round of jobs hearings will take place at the Roma Lodge, 7130 Spring Street in Racine on Monday, October 24 at 7:00 pm. Last week over 200 concerned citizens packed the Washington Park Senior Center in Milwaukee to talk jobs. Read a report on last week's job hearing by clicking here.

The jobs hearing will give citizens a chance to speak directly with their legislators about the need for quality, family-sustaining jobs in the area.

The jobs crisis is the number one threat to our economy and a concern of many Wisconsinites. Although Gov. Walker promised to create 250,000 new jobs for Wisconsin, it is clear that continuous tax breaks for the super rich have not helped the people of Wisconsin. The lack of family-supporting jobs is the priority issue that must be addressed immediately by policymakers.

Additional Jobs Hearing are also taking place this Monday in La Crosse and Oshkosh.

As of this date, lawmakers confirmed to attend include Sen. Bob Wirch and Rep. Cory Mason.
In Solidarity,
Phil Neuenfeldt, President
Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer

Jobs Hearings To Begin Monday

From my mailbox, a message from the Wisconsin AFL-CIO:

The first of several jobs hearings will take place at the Washington Park Senior Center in Milwaukee on Monday, October 17 at 7:00 pm. The jobs hearing will give citizens a chance to speak directly with their legislators about the need for quality, family-sustaining jobs in the area.

The jobs crisis is the number one threat to our economy and a concern of many Wisconsinites. Although Gov. Walker promised to create 250,000 new jobs for Wisconsin, it is clear that continuous tax breaks for the super rich have not helped the people of Wisconsin. The lack of family-supporting jobs is the priority issue that must be addressed immediately by policymakers.

Additional Jobs Hearing will be held in La Crosse, Oshkosh and Racine on October 24.

As of this date, Friday, October 14, lawmakers confirmed to attend include Sen. Tim Carpenter, Sen. Spencer Coggs, Sen. Chris Larson, Rep. Sandy Pasch, Rep. Christine Sinicki, Rep. Barbara Toles and Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa.

Noticeable by their absent are elected state legislators State Senators Alberta Darling, Leah Vukmir and Mary Lazich.

But we already knew that the Republicans have never been interested in actually creating jobs, only in trying to keep theirs by pandering to the well-moneyed special interests who bought their seats for them.

#occupywisconsin Events

There are various #occupywisconsin events going on Friday and Saturday.  From the AFL-CIO blog, here is a listing of them, so far:

• Appleton, Saturday, Oct. 15: Gather at Jones Park at 9:00 am, bring your own lunch for noon. March to Chase Bank at 1:00 pm. 3:00 pm march to Houdini Plaza. 5:00 pm march back to Jones Park.
• Green Bay, Friday Oct. 14: Rally at Green Bay City Hall, 3:00 pm.
• Madison, Saturday Oct. 15: March with Occupy Madison in the March to End the Wars, sponsored by the Madison Area Peace Coalition. 11:30 am, Library Mall.
• Milwaukee, Saturday Oct. 15: 11:00 am rally at Zeidler Park followed by a march to Chase Bank.
• New Berlin, Friday, Oct 14: Meet at Malone Park at 3:30pm and march to Chase Bank on 155th & National Avenue

I know, I know. I'm kind of blown away by the Appleton and New Berlin events. Who'd have ever thunk that the GOP would screw up so bad that the people would find their way into those strongholds?

After Fifty Years

The AFL-CIO has prepared a TV commercial to run in defense of the middle class and working families of Wisconsin:



And they are also running a radio ad: