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Occupy Wall Street hits Wisconsin

October 17, 2011 By WRN Contributor

A couple hundred gathered on the Capitol Square over the weekend for the Occupy Wall Street Movement’s Global Day of Protests events. On the State Street side of the square, signs blasting corporate America and conservative politicians were taped up.

Speakers, like retired Reverend Carson Dary of Madison, also focused on the upcoming recall effort against Governor Walker.

“Shout it the heavens let me hear it,” yelled Dary. The crowd replies, “Move On!”

AUDIO: Dary bashing corporate America and Republicans :19

Politicians at the event included Democrats Mark Pocan of Madison and Jon Erpenbach of Waunakee.

Saturday’s event had a much smaller showing than the protests in Madison from earlier this year. Meanwhile a few hundred also turned out in downtown Milwaukee for such a rally. Organizers say there are over 800 “Occupy Wall Street” groups throughout the country.

Robin Colbert-WIBA

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: labor

Bill would bring back collective bargaining

October 12, 2011 By Bob Hague

A bill being offered at the Capitol would reinstate collective bargaining rights for public employees in Wisconsin. The legislation from state Representative Mark Pocan and state Senator Fred Risser, both Madison Democrats, would repeal the anti-union provisions of Act 10, which essentially eliminated public employee unions and their right to collectively bargain. The bill includes provisions on how unions are certified, the collection of union dues and the ability to collectively bargain for working conditions. The authors say it will have 45 legislative co-sponsors, but Risser and Pocan concede that with Republicans in control of both chambers, its chances of advancing are not likely.

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: labor

Hoping lawmakers spread disability job awareness

October 10, 2011 By Brian Moon

Advocates are encouraging those in the workforce with disabilities to get a visit from their state lawmaker while on-the-job. The Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities is sponsoring the first ever “Take Your Legislator To Work Day in Wisconsin” during the month of October. For those  interested, the BPDD will contact legislators and help with logistics.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Legislature, News Tagged With: labor

New vigor for annual progressive event

September 16, 2011 By Brian Moon

Fighting Bob Fest has been going every year since 2002 but as organizer Ed Garvey says this year is different. “This will be the first time we’ve had a Fighting Bob Fest after having an explosion of interest in what the governor and legislature were doing.”

Governor Walker and the Republican majority made numerous changes including scaling back labor rights for public workers which prompted massive [Read more…]

Filed Under: Politics / Govt Tagged With: labor

NewPage seeks bankruptcy protection

September 8, 2011 By WRN Contributor

A paper maker with Wisconsin operations has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. NewPage said August 16th that it was uncertain whether it could complete a sale of $131 million in assets, because it was hurt by higher prices for raw materials in its most recent quarter, and because of a slower demand for its products.

Even before that, the company that bought NewPage in 2005, Cerebrus Capitol Management, had to issue $900 million in junk bonds to make the purchase happen, and has been unprofitable since 2006. New Page says its gotten up to $600 million in debt financing commitments to continue operations, while it reorganizes under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. NewPage is headquartered in Ohio and operates central Wisconsin mills in Wisconsin. It closed its Kimberly mill in 2008.

Matt Lehman, WSAU

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: labor

Labor honors Wisconsin 14

September 6, 2011 By WRN Contributor

The Racine area LaborFest celebration included a special award to the 14 state Senators who challenged Governor Walker and the Republicans on collective bargaining rights. “Without these honorable senators our communities would not have been able to marshal a response to the proposal that captured the attention of the nation, and made Wisconsin ground zero for national labor movement,” said organizer Scott Sharp, from Local-67 in Racine.

Milwaukee Senator Chris Larson talked about how today’s blue collar worker, union or non-union, has become “the whipping boy in our society.” Kenosha Senator Bob Wirch mentioned that his recent recall victory included the greatest coalition he’s ever exprerienced in his political career. “We have to keep it going,” said Wirch. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Politics / Govt Tagged With: labor, Scott Walker

Union feeling frustrated

September 1, 2011 By Bob Hague

The head of the union representing state workers says they’re frustrated as they try to open negotiations under Wisconsin’s new law governing public employee unions. It’s been nearly two weeks since the Wisconsin State Employees Union sent a letter to the state Department of Administration and the Office of State Employment Relations, seeking to commence collective bargaining under the terms of Act 10. Governor Scott Walker was asked about the process on Tuesday. “My understanding from OSER is they received that letter,” said Walker. “Greg Gracz, who’s the head of OSER, will be continuing to reach out and meet with them.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Politics / Govt Tagged With: labor, Scott Walker

Union head fires back

December 15, 2010 By Andrew Beckett

Governor-elect Scott Walker has offered some tough talk for state employee unions, recently saying he plans to push for major concessions in benefits and is open to decertification if unions are not willing to make deals.

If that happens, AFSCME Council 24 Executive Director Marty Beil says workers are ready to fight. Beil says Walker can “bring it on” if he’s willing to face labor unrest and disharmony. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Politics / Govt Tagged With: labor, Scott Walker

Sheridan pushes for contract vote

December 14, 2010 By Andrew Beckett

Assembly leaders have set the stage for a vote on state employee contracts. However, whether members will get a chance to approve them is still up in the air.

An Assembly panel on Tuesday authorized the extraordinary session of the Legislature needed to vote on the labor contracts, which have been under negotiation for the past two years. Outgoing Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville) says his members are ready to vote and he plans to get them in to make that happen. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Politics / Govt Tagged With: labor

Right to know bill provides corrections protections

February 11, 2010 By Bob Hague

A pair of state legislators believe being a correctional worker is a dangerous enough job without the risk of catching a serious disease from an inmate. State Senator Randy Hopper says he was amazed to learn that corrections officers in Wisconsin may request a disease test for an inmate if they get any of their bodily fluids on them, but not until then. “The only procedure for after is for HIV,” says Hopper. “Any other communicable disease, they cannot find out.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, Politics / Govt Tagged With: labor



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