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Nonunion workers turn to federal labor law to challenge employers
After what they said were repeated problems with their pay and working conditions, employees at a Madison apparel and screen printing business sent the owner a petition last week describing their frustration. They wanted a meeting at which they could discuss complaints that they said included missed payroll, stifling hot work rooms and a lack of […]
Advocates unpack the details in new climate, health and tax law
In the two weeks since President Joe Biden signed a massive bill that incorporates health care, climate and tax measures into law, the legislation’s supporters have been working to convey its details to the public. The legislation, which the authors dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act, passed Congress with votes from Democratic lawmakers only. Biden signed […]
UW Health nurses vote for 3-day walkout in September to gain union rights
A Wednesday night vote by hundreds of nurses working for UW Health to strike if the hospital system’s management does not recognize their union followed months of conversations, meetings and strategizing among more than 2,000 nurses employed by the largest health care provider in Madison. Nurses involved in the campaign say that the decision to […]
Evers touts new tax relief plan ahead of expected bigger budget surplus forecast
With a road show that took him across the state, Gov. Tony Evers unveiled a new proposal Tuesday for Wisconsin’s budget surplus, now projected to be even larger than previous forecasts. Evers’ proposal includes provisions to cut taxes, with a focus on low- and middle-income households. It also has measures to boost child care access […]
Janesville manufacturer that fled to Mexico is selling off its assets
Less than a year after Hufcor closed its plant in Janesville and moved operations to Mexico, displacing 150 workers, the company’s Mexico plans appear to be a bust and the manufacturer’s assets in its one-time home state of Wisconsin are being liquidated. On Thursday, Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington authorized the court-appointed receiver for […]
State’s jobs numbers, unemployment are both up, although not by much
Wisconsin employers added nearly 10,000 jobs in July, the state labor department reported Thursday, continuing job growth that has been steady for six out of the seven months of 2022. At the same time, however, “we didn’t see the normal pop we get in June and July in the workforce,” said Dennis Winters, chief labor […]
Evers decries GOP lawmakers after they block state’s opioid settlement plan
Republican leaders of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee blocked a plan Wednesday from the state health department that would spend $31 million awarded to the state in a settlement to address the opioid crisis. The budget committee’s co-chairs didn’t explain their reason for delaying the plan, which the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) created […]
COVID-19 levels and hospitalizations remain high where more than half of state residents live
One-third of Wisconsin counties have high community levels of COVID-19, a federal designation that carries a recommendation for universal masking indoors away from home. Those counties are home to more than half of Wisconsin residents and range from major metropolitan areas to much smaller and lesser-populated parts of the state. The Centers for Disease Control […]
Finance panel OKs changes to advance local juvenile correction centers in Milwaukee, Racine counties
While Wisconsin’s plan to replace long-troubled youth correctional facilities at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake advances, the state is also expanding a planned renovation of Milwaukee’s juvenile justice center and facing higher costs for a new youth facility in Racine County. The Legislature’s budget committee voted unanimously Tuesday to increase what the state will pay […]
Watchdog group: State corporate political donations double since 2020
Corporate donors have given Wisconsin Republican Party groups more than three times as much money as they have to Democratic Party groups so far this year, according to a campaign finance watchdog group, and they are spending twice as much on political contributions as they did two years ago. Through June 2022, corporations gave $633,393 […]
What really happened the night Michael Bell’s son died?
Over the course of a dozen years, Michael M. Bell has been campaigning for local and state officials to take a new look at the 2004 killing of his son by a Kenosha police officer. In the last year, that campaign has escalated — culminating with public allegations that Bell has directed at the Kenosha […]
Democratic legislators demand audit of Gableman’s 2020 election review
Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers are urging Republicans to join in commissioning a nonpartisan state audit of the partisan election review office established by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos a year ago. The Office of Special Council (OSC) that Vos established under the leadership of former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman has already racked up at least […]