1 Million Signatures!
(1/17/12)
We needed 504,208 signatures. We were aiming for 700,000 or so. We got more than 1 million.
Recall Walker? Oh yeah.
Here's a link to the United Wisconsin press release, issued Jan. 17: http://www.unitedwisconsin.com/jan17-release
For additional more context, here's a link to the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO blog, also posted Jan. 17: http://wisaflcio.typepad.com/wisconsin-state-afl-cio-blog/2012/01/one-million-recall-walker.html
What's next? Stay tuned.
* * * * * * * * * *
Need to express your opinion? Our contact lists can help.
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
Wisconsin State Senate: Senators' home pages
Wisconsin State Assembly: Representatives' home pages
Wisconsin members of US Congress
City of Milwaukee Common Council
* * * * * * * * * *
Have questions about your financial future?
Contact Bob Johnston, a financial advisor and financial services representative with The Principal Financial Group. Bob can be reached at 414-258-6220 Ext. 132 or via email at johnston.robert@principal.com.
* * * * * * * * * *
© 2012 AFSCME District Council 48
3427 W. St. Paul Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208
Phone: (414) 344-6868 Your e-mail feedback is welcome!
|
Continue Your Membership -
Continue The Fight
(7/11)
Gov. Walker may have rammed his law through the legislature. He may think he has won. But the fight has just begun. Public service workers from across Wisconsin have stood up and will fight back.
The three steps to winning the fight: (1) Save the union by continuing your membership. (2) Recall, recall, recall. (3) Restore our rights.
Walker believes he can bankrupt the union by taking away our right to pay-roll deduction of dues. If we are going to win this fight, the first step is to continue your membership through direct payment of your dues.
To take that crucial step, visit https://dc48.wisconsinunionstrong.org.
We also need to increase our political campaign resources by funding candidates who join our fight and opposing those who sold us out. We need to fund PEOPLE -- our political action fund that makes direct campaign contributions to candidates. To join AFSCME PEOPLE, visit https://dc48.wisconsinunionstrong.org.
* * * * * * * * * *
Wisconsin Workers File
Lawsuit to Block Anti-Union Bill
(6/15/11)
Today, a broad coalition of worker right’s organizations filed a legal challenge to Gov. Walker’s Budget Repair Bill. The organizations include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 24, AFSCME Council 40, AFSCME Council 48, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the Wisconsin State Employees Union, The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union – Health Care Wisconsin (SEIU).
Together the organizations are filing a federal law suit against Scott Walker’s bill which denies hundreds of thousands of public employees their right to collectively bargain for a better life. The groups challenge the constitutionality of the state’s Budget Repair Bill which would destroy collective bargaining rights for all but a select group of public sector workers.
"Not only have Scott Walker and his deep-pocketed corporate allies sought to silence the voices of Wisconsin workers, they have also violated those workers constitutional rights," said Phil Neuenfeldt, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. "Scott Walker has created two classes of public sector workers and that is unconstitutional. When a legislature discriminates among classes of workers, especially when doing so has more to do with political payback than with any legitimate reasoning, the law has been violated."
The lawsuit charges that the Budget Repair Bill violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution by stripping away basic rights to bargain, organize and associate for the purpose of engaging in union activity, which have been in place for the last half century.
The suit contends that it is a violation of the U.S. Constitution for a legislature to discriminate among classes of public employees, particularly when doing so does not advance legitimate policy objectives but instead simply rewards political allies and punishes political opponents.
The lawsuit seeks to enjoin some, but not all, of the provisions of the Budget Repair Bill. Significantly, the unions do not seek to enjoin the pension and health insurance contribution requirements imposed by the Budget Repair Bill. Public sector unions have made it clear from day one that Wisconsin workers would do their part to share in the sacrifice and keep our state moving forward. The lawsuit only seeks to preserve the basic right to bargain and freely associate.
An Open Letter to
Milwaukee DC 48 members
(3/17/11)
Dear Milwaukee District Council 48 members:
The events over the last few weeks in Madison did not turn out the way we wanted. The Republicans in the State Legislature rammed through a bill which takes away collective bargaining rights enjoyed by Wisconsin public workers for over 50 years.
The bill passed in the special legislative session was originally introduced as a “Budget Repair Bill” and was allegedly designed to solve the State’s fiscal crisis. Governor Walker tried to “fast-track” the bill and pass it in less than a week. But the 14 Democratic State Senators left the State to prevent Walker and his Republican cronies from simply railroading the bill through. They refused to cave into Governor Walker’s crass political bullying and fast-track passage of the bill. Because of their efforts and sacrifice, the Democratic Senators exposed Walker’s real agenda, and the hypocrite Republicans passed only the “non-fiscal” portion of the bill which gutted our collective bargaining rights. They then adjourned the special legislative session without addressing the fiscal issues.
No one in Wisconsin should be fooled by Walker and his cronies, and their cynical and sleazy maneuvers. We didn’t even need a taped telephone call from a phony Koch brother to understand their agenda. Their only intent from the beginning was to gut our bargaining rights, silence our voice and bust public sector unions!
However, a right to a voice at work is a fundamental human right for all working people. No matter what they attempt to do to us, we will not be silenced!
The Executive Board of District Council 48 is prepared to meet these challenges. We will adapt to the new reality. We will replace the collective bargaining table with increased political action. We will enhance our legislative program and actively engage with all elected bodies in order to advocate for our members and local unions. We will make sure that all of our members are treated fairly at the workplace under labor agreements which remain in effect, and under the Civil Service rules in each community. We will not be silenced!
For all of you who joined the efforts in Madison, or the events and rallies in Milwaukee to stop the assault on our rights – THANK YOU. Even though we lost this battle, the fight continues. We will challenge the bill in the courts and by every other means available.
In the short run, we will be concentrating our efforts on the Senate Recalls, as well as fighting to overcome the devastating policies in Walker’s Budget Bill. The Budget Bill devastates quality public education, and slashes State Aid to cities and counties. In our area, we are well on our way to recalling Alberta Darling in the 8th Senate District. We are even making serious progress in the Mary Lazich recall in the 28th Senate District. Throughout the State, the recall efforts are in full swing. So please volunteer your time. With your help, we can change the Wisconsin Senate by July!
Milwaukee District Council 48 was here before any of these Republican legislators were elected. And we will be here when we kick them out of office, restore collective bargaining and regain our rights!
In Solidarity,
The Executive Board of Milwaukee District Council 48, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
* * * * * * * * * *
News & Notes
Direct Talk from District Council 48 Executive Director Rich Abelson: We will not sit idly by (12/10)
AFSCME International launches 'Stop the Lies' campaign (12/10)
AFSCME’s new-breed leaders met in Milwaukee for the state’s first ‘Next Wave’ conference (10/10)
Read The Greenline,AFSCME International's blog
* * * * * * * * * *
|
|
