Work & the Economy
Kaul, other AG colleagues condemn food stamp cuts
Calling a Trump administration proposal to cut up to 3.6 million people off from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits “nothing short of cruel,” Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul signed on as one of 24 state attorneys general filing a joint comment opposing the measure. “If it goes into effect, thousands of Wisconsinites will lose […]
Rival restaurant lobby says it wants to put employees first
When teacher-turned-restaurant-proprietor Ryan Clancy attended his first restaurant industry lobbying day, he was already a little skeptical of the organization that purported to represent his business interests. Clancy wanted to know why the Wisconsin Restaurant Association (WRA) was lobbying to block local laws protecting the rights of LGBTQ employees and ordinances that would set higher […]
GM strike ripples through Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, GM is just a shadow of what it was, but for workers the strike has a long reach.
Trump’s pick for labor secretary questioned gay rights in 1985 article
WASHINGTON — When Eugene Scalia was a fourth-year English major at the University of Virginia in 1985, he penned an article for the student paper about gay rights. In it, he referred to a lesbian couple that had visited the university, “the proud parents of a daughter fathered by a homosexual acquaintance.” He went on, […]
Recovering birth costs from men
A Wisconsin bill that would expand a program that requires unwed fathers to help pay for the cost of a mother’s pregnancy and delivery — even when the father and mother live together — is drawing criticism from health and child welfare advocates, but defense from supporters. The program is called birth-cost recovery (BCR), and […]
Ex-NYT labor reporter: Trump has ‘not made America great again’ for workers
WASHINGTON — When longtime New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse was in Wisconsin several years ago to cover then-Gov. Scott Walker’s battle with unions, he talked to his 86-year-old mother on the phone. She bemoaned the situation, saying, “When I was growing up, people used to say, ‘Look at the good wages and benefits […]
A new day at WEDC starts with CEO Missy Hughes
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has been plagued by scandals since it was created to replace the state Commerce Department by Gov. Scott Walker as a public-private entity in 2011. The agency’s lack of transparency spelled trouble from the beginning. The following years were marked by one problem after another: Federal officials found WEDC […]
Fun and politics at Milwaukee Laborfest
Laborfest 2019, held on Milwaukee’s Summerfest grounds, attracted hundreds of residents from a variety of backgrounds. Free and open to the public, the festival, hosted by union groups and the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, provided food, live music, and activities for families and children. Among the attendees were representatives of various organizations, from workers’ rights […]
Revenue department vows crackdown on payroll tax fraud
A state crackdown on payroll fraud has led to as many as 50 open investigations of companies suspected of cheating their workers on pay and cheating the state on payroll taxes, the state’s top tax collector says. The crackdown is led by a task force appointed by Gov. Tony Evers, with representatives from three state […]
Union questions the numbers at Milwaukee County Transit
As Milwaukee bus drivers prepare to vote Thursday on the Milwaukee County Transit System’s latest contract offer, their union is accusing MCTS management of overstating the system’s financial straits by millions of dollars while implementing route cuts that would further weaken the bus service. MCTS management is rejecting the union’s claims as nothing more than […]
Pro-Immigrant policies strengthen local, state economies
A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds that local governments can take four key steps to better integrate immigrants and strengthen local economies and communities. “Giving all residents access to economic opportunity would enable them to earn higher wages, spend more at businesses, and contribute more in taxes that are […]
Work without reward
This Labor Day, there is good news and bad news for Wisconsin workers. The good news is continued low unemployment and steady, modest job growth, according to the annual State of Working Wisconsin report from the economy and jobs policy think tank COWS, based at the University of Wisconsin. But chronic problems persist: Stagnant wages, […]