Friday, January 18, 2013
Act 10, which essentially stripped public unions of their ability to bargain, was ruled constitutional on Friday in a federal appeals court.
The controversial state law that curtails collective bargaining for most public employees was upheld by a federal appeals court Friday. In ruling that Act 10 is constitutional, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said the state had a rational reason for rolling back collective bargaining rights, and rejected arguments from public employees unions that they violated First Amendment rights, WisPolitics.com reported. The court overturned a decision by a federal judge last year that struck down parts of the law dealing with prohibitions on government employers withholding union dues from workers' payrolls and a section requiring labor unions to vote to re-certify yearly, the Journal Sentinel reported. A separate case challenging the law remains …
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Several unions have thrown their backing behind Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Kathleen Falk in the primary election. Despite the endorsements, the sentiment among rank-and-file members may be different from their union leaders.
The Wisconsin AFL-CIO and the Wisconsin Educators Association Council have thrown their support behind Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kathleen Falk, while the Iron Workers District Council of North Central States and Operating Engineers Local 317 are backing her chief rival, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in Tuesday's recall primary. The union endorsements — and other — are a big deal to both candidates. After all, getting the backing of labor unions typically translates into more cash in the campaign coffers and more volunteers to knock on doors and make phone calls. In Falk's case, she's getting a big boost from a group called Wisconsin for Falk, a group backed by WEAC and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees…
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Some rank-and-file members upset with WEAC endorsing a unproven candidate for statewide office who has lost twice already.
As Wisconsin taxpayers are faced with an expensive recall election for governor, rank-and-file members of the state’s largest teachers union are fuming mad over the endorsement of a candidate that was hand-picked by their leadership. Kathleen Falk, the former Dane County executive, was endorsed by Wisconsin Education Association Council bosses on Wednesday, with one condition: Uphold a promise to veto the budget reforms instituted by Gov. Scott Walker. Hours after the endorsement, a petition on change.org was created to demand that the union rescind its endorsement of the former chief executive of the second largest county government in Wisconsin. Rank-and-file members were upset with WEAC endorsing a unproven candidate for statewide …
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Local educators are concerned about a new bill that would allow administrators to evaluate and even fire teachers based on their students' test scores.
A bill just passed by the state Legislature that would allow school districts to discipline and even fire teachers based on their students' test scores is coming under fire from area educators who say such results aren't the best gauge of a teacher's abilities. Currently, administrators can use scores on standardized tests like the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) to evaluate teacher performance — but only if certain conditions are met. For example, a district that wants to evaluate teachers based on student performance has to develop a multifaceted teacher evaluation plan. However, Senate Bill 95 allows test scores to be used as a factor in discipline, suspension or firing without any of the current conditions. Those scores …
Thursday, November 10, 2011
We Are Milwaukee to demonstrate on same day that effort to recall Wisconsin governor officially gets under way.
- GOVERNMENT
- Jim Price
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Thursday, November 10, 2011
A statewide effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker gets under way Tuesday, and at least one organization plans to start the effort off with a bang: By holding a recall rally in front of the governor's Wauwatosa home. Planning for the rally has been under the radar. No press releases have been sent to the media and there isn't much information about it online. But organizers said Thursday that the rally is a go, with local, regional and national groups behind it. We Are Milwaukee, an "alliance of community-based organizations, unions, faith communities and local leaders," is planning to meet at 4:30 p.m. at the Juneau High School, 6415 W. Mount Vernon Ave. in Milwaukee, and march four blocks north to Walker's residence at 520 N. 68th St. There…
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Wisconsin's school administrators are no longer subject to 'union meddling and obstruction.'
The repeal of much of Wisconsin’s collective bargaining law with regard to many of Wisconsin’s public employees has not been adequately explained. This repeal will do more to improve the quality and lower the cost of Wisconsin government than anything else we’ve done. There are approximately 275,000 government employees in the state of Wisconsin. About 72,000 work for the state, 38,000 for cities and villages, 48,000 for counties, 10,500 (full-time equivalent) for technical colleges, and 105,229 for schools. Only half of state employees are unionized, but almost all school employees are. As you can see, the biggest impact will be on Wisconsin’s schools. Since my office has received the most complaints from school teachers, let’s look at …
John Wilson
8:51 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
Keith Best - You would also get on with the NEW BIOLOGY/SCIENCE PROGRAM OF WALKER TOO; you know, where our children are taught that babies are delivered to your house by the stork! You do not have a CHOICE there, but you BELIEVE that is how babies come into the world, so, no problem there... more ›