Looking back
to look forward

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A Look at Council 48
From the Inside

Bob Klaus and his wife, Krys, at an AFSCME event.

    Editor's Note: The early struggles of our union are fairly murky to many of our newer members, but a source of pride for many old timers. They also provide lessons for looking forward. Listen to Bob Klaus, who qualifies as the senior representative on the District Council 48 staff and today provides advice and negotiating support for a range of Milwaukee city and school locals.
    Recently, one of our unions sought information on its history for its newsletter, as a way to give current members a sense of how their local evolved.
    It started me thinking about how Milwaukee District Council 48 was when I started in 1978.
    Back then, Council 48 had approximately 13,000 members. Organizing, perhaps even the thoughts of organizing, had all but stopped,
    The only organizing we thought was left was Local 1954 (Rehabilitation & Social Service Workers), which was still recruiting membership, but in small numbers. Council 48's focus had shifted almost completely to serving the members already on board.
    Plus events were unfolding that would occupy the Council's attention for some time. The early 1980s saw the first and only illegal strike in Wisconsin at the Sewerage Commission. Binding arbitration had now arrived. The strike was finally settled after numerous court appearances. It was also through the new Arbitration Law that dental insurance was won.
    As a historical note, G. Spencer Coggs (Local 1091) and Marvin Pratt (Local 40) emerged from their locals to provide leadership in public office. Today, Coggs is state assemblyman for the 17th Wisconsin District and Ald. Pratt is president of the Milwaukee Common Council.
    The mid-1980s saw the Council become an arena of constant internal power struggles. Every area wanted to flex its muscles and seemed on a mission to control the resources for themselves.
    When the 1990s began, the Council and its affiliated locals had indeed made significant gains in contract language and economics. In hindsight, a dangerous sense of completion had taken over.
    Grievances were still filed and contracts bargained, but the energy vital to continued success had waned.
    Because now privatization had arrived - yet another threat to the Union's existence that had to be fought. While efforts were successful to retain jobs, there was a significant decrease in the Council's membership, which now stands at around 10,000.
    This disturbing trend went largely unnoticed until the late 1990s. Finally came the realization that now was the time for action. With a runaway sense of urgency and energy, the Council and its members changed direction.
    First, lines of communication were expanded and information shared on a timely basis. Assignments were made to cover budget hearings and lobbying. The Council rejuvenated closer communication with elected officials.
    Along with all of the above, a renewed commitment to organizing was made. What had been forgotten for 20 years was now an integral part of the Council's agenda.
    Together, organizing and servicing have made District Council 48 into a unifying body for members' rights.
    We have learned not to forget one side of our house for the other.

Labor Tidbits of Yore

The October 30 (1969) edition of Milwaukee Labor Press repeated a warning from a British medical journal that men should stop being too helpful around the house. According to the magazine Pulse, such activity following hard days of work had adverse effects on male health.

It was slightly more than 30 years ago that a spanking new headquarters for Milwaukee's largest union council was dedicated. Yup, we're still here, a bit battered and bruised though the old building on West St. Paul Avenue may be. But many of the businesses that offered congratulations in the memorial program no longer are around, such as the Marquardt Bus Service, Rex Chainbelt, Automatique Food Service, Angie's Restaurant, Flowers by Lucille and Pest Patrol.

Incidentally, leading the dediation on June 27th, 1970, were the mayor of Milwaukee, the chairman of the Milwaukee County Board and the "Golden Fleece" senator from Wisconsin. Test your knowledge of history and name them. Answers here.

Did you know that AFSCME District Council 48 once had a newspaper? That was in the 1960s and early 1970s. The current AFSCME 48, launched in the fall of 2000, thus revived a communications outlet that had lain dormant for a quarter of a century.

That first newspaper was called Public Employe Viewpoint and published every couple of months. Thirty years ago, it celebrated the formation of a "new local," which bears the same Local 1053 number and same name today, the Milwaukee Education Secretaries. The local's first president was Adrienne Nichols and its first contract negotiated a 9.5% salary increase. Hmmm, maybe those were the good old days.

Milwaukee labor writers were clearly amused more than 30 years ago by a raging dispute in the British Civil Servants Union -- this item was widely reported by labor publications of the time.

Seems the 173,000 member union in Great Britain filed a strong protest with the government over plans to serve their mid-morning and mid-afternoon tea from automatic vending machines rather than the traditional hand-brewed vintage. Union leaders promised "some bloody serious consequences" if their ancient tea ritual was disrupted.

Labor publications hailed May 7, 1965, as likely to go down as a landmark date in labor history. What happened? The first labor contract to be drawn up between a labor organization and the city of Milwaukee. The far-reaching contract had to be signed by 11 city unions, various city officials, the Wisconsin Employment Relations Board, and the president of the labor organization, John Zinos. Yes, it was AFSCME District Council 48 that was the labor organization.