February 12, 2012

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State wants input on broadband plans

January 23, 2012 By

The Public Service Commission wants to hear from residents on a plan to expand digital access in south central Wisconsin. The public meeting Tuesday will focus on ways to fill gaps in broadband availability, along with improve adoption of existing services throughout the region.

An economic development group involved with the process says such access is even more important outside of metro areas where face-to-face contact is not easy. However these are the areas that have the least access to broadband.

“Obviously Dane County is important but we really want to reach out to the none Dane Counties as well because they are the ones most impacted by this,” says Joe Klosterman, Project Manager with Thrive.

The PSC says another goal of the event is to gather public and private investment of time and money for more and better broadband.

The government’s Link Wisconsin initiative ( Region 8 ) includes Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Jefferson, Rock and Sauk Counties. The meeting begins at 4:30 pm at the Days Inn Portage.

Click here to see how broadband stacks up in Wisconsin.

Filed Under: Business, News

Strike ends at Manitowoc Cranes (AUDIO)

January 20, 2012 By

A two month strike is over at Manitowoc Cranes. Members of Local 516 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted 112 to 59 Thursday to ratify the company’s latest offer. The union’s main objection was the company’s freedom of choice provision which allows workers not to be union members in order to be employed. There was also word that Manitowoc would hire permanent replacements if a deal wasn’t reached soon. “Our committee didn’t see anything about people being replaced,” says Leon Gauthier, a union member who voted no. “That’s all crap, a bunch of bull from somebody. We don’t know where it came from, but I don’t believe it.” Don Griffin, business representative for IAM’s District 10 office in Milwaukee, was asked about the rumor. “Unfortunately, from what I heard, some media station had it scrolling on the bottom of the screen that the company did say they were going to. But they did notify the union” of any such plans, says Griffin.

AUDIO: Manitowoc Cranes workers (1:20) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Labor, News

Sensenbrenner slams pipeline decision

January 19, 2012 By

After months of uncertainty, the Obama administration has rejected the application by a Canadian company, to build the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada’s tar sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast. A big mistake, says Wisconsin congressman Jim Sensenbrenner. “What it will do is force Canada to build a pipeline to its Pacific coast so that oil would be exported to China and Japan, who are our competitors,” says the Menomonee Falls Republican, “I would hope that Congress would override the decision of the administration, if we can figure out a way to do that and prevent Obama from vetoing it.”

AUDIO: Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (:45) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Economy, Environment & Conservation, News, Politics & Government

Superior lands aviation jobs

January 17, 2012 By

The city of Superior has landed hundreds of new aviation jobs. Mayor Bruce Hagen says the city and Douglas County worked closely with the state on a package of incentives to attract Kestrel Aircraft Company. “We were able to land this company – no pun intended – in a matter of six months,” Hagen says.

Incentives include more than $3 million in tax incremental financing, $2.4 million in low-interest loans from the city and $500,000 dollars in loans from Douglas County, which also transferred title to land for the Kestrel plant. In addition, the state has provided incentives which include $90 million in New Market Tax Credits. The payoff for Superior should be huge: the builder of advanced general aviation planes is expected to bring 600 jobs by 2016, many of them highly skilled. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Economy, News

Manitowoc Crane workers remain on strike (AUDIO)

January 13, 2012 By

Calling it union busting, 177 striking workers of Local 516 of the International Association of Machinists, Aerospace Workers, overwhelmingly rejected the latest four-year contract offer from Manitowoc Cranes. The vote was 140-to-37, to remain on strike, which they have been since November 15th. Scott Parr is with District 10 of IAMAW, based in Milwaukee, says the financial part of a two percent raise per year isn’t the issue. It’s two requests in the company’s latest offer that are sticking points, one of which was eliminating the union dues check off. “The other three unions (at Manitowoc Crane) have that,” says Parr. “They would not let us continue with that. That tells us it was nothing more than union busting.”

AUDIO: Parr, Griffin, Miller (1:22)

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Economy, News
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