WI AFL-CIO Issues Statement on Gov. Walker's Budget & Recall Campaigns

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Posted: Wed 2:51 PM, Mar 02, 2011

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WI AFL-CIO Issues Statement on Gov. Walker's Budget & Recall Campaigns

(Press Release) Governor Walker and the Senate Republicans are not reflecting Wisconsin values. They are doing away with decades of bipartisan cooperation in our government. Walker claims he wants to give our children the “tools they need,” but in reality, he has taken baseball bat to their future. His budget is wrong for Wisconsin.

He is attacking education, seniors and working families by putting the budget burden on their backs. Meanwhile he is asking for no shared sacrifice from the extremely wealthy and corporations who funded his campaign.

“Governor Walker and Senate Republicans are refusing to listen to the hundreds of thousands of working families who traveled to Madison to make their voices heard.” said Roy Vandenberg, USW Local 2-144. “He has refused to listen to the majority of the people of this state who disagree with them. So now it is time for us to make our voices heard in their districts. If they will not listen to ‘we the people’ then the “we the people” are going to take our government back.”

“Governor Walker continues to turn a blind eye to the majority of Wisconsinites who believe his plan to end collective bargaining is wrong. He won’t take yes for an answer. He just continues his political attack to strip us of our collective bargaining rights,” said Ann Louise Petreault a nurse at UW Hospital and member of SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin.

"We have learned that today people have begun filing recall petitions in an effort to take Wisconsin back. We are now going to focus our organizing attention on these efforts and all across the state we will immediately join these efforts and begin collecting signatures, knocking on doors, making phone calls and talking to our friends and family. Starting today, day by day, one by one, we will begin taking our state back before Governor Walker is able to take it backwards,” said Bryan Kennedy, President of AFT Wisconsin.

Governor Walker and the Senate Republicans have failed to show leadership and work across party lines to compromise and get Wisconsin moving forward again and creating jobs.

Click here to visit the Wisconsin AFL CIO website

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by neil Location: point on Mar 3, 2011 at 04:22 PM

unions have agreed to pension and health care people,there is no reason or right to take away the bargaining here.taking away bargaining shows nothing to do with the budget according to most if not all of the mayors in wisconsin.republicans are just power hungry,they are taking away coverage on birthcotrol now ,have you seen the republicans in the state of georgia ,where they are proposing that women be put to death for a miscarriage,i bet they try it here next,what a bunch of wacked out politicians.i dont see anything that takes away there right to have life time health care even after they have been in office for only one term,plus pension,all paid for by the tax payer,wonder how much that would save us if that was put to an end.

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by Kevin Location: Abbotsford on Mar 2, 2011 at 08:08 PM

So--what I'm hearing from some of you is that it's okay for rich corporations and the Koch Brothers to make scads of money on the backs of the people of Wisconsin. I disagree! Men and women need to earn a living wage if they are to provide for their families and achieve a piece of the American Dream. What we really need here are some protectionist policies like Europe has so that our friends and families can make a decent living. Corporations today are multi-national and that means if they can get a child to do the work in India or China where there are no child labor laws, then they don't have to pay living wages in Wisconsin or anywhere else in the U.S. That is just plain wrong!

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by Really Location: Plover on Mar 2, 2011 at 05:11 PM

Fubar, Ya lets bring back someone like Doyle and his majority house and senate,they'll take care of the working class. That 3.6 Billion (for two years)may only be 7.2 Billion, wait that's higher, no problem just tax the rich and the companies, They will never leave the state. Right union people? Maybe we(union) should ask for more, the company will never close the doors to the worker. Just ask the Nepage Whiting mill employees - well sorry thier not employeed that mill in now closed, another 360 jobs gone.

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by Sharon Location: Edgar on Mar 2, 2011 at 05:10 PM

Yes, unions did a great job when unions were for the people. They are now for putting more on the average taxpayers back. NO MONEY means NO MONEY for your high price benifits. Why are you so afraid to make union membership voluntary? I don't understand the idea that if you don't get what you want our children will not be getting a quality education. Is that another way to hold us taxpayers hostage? I find it funny when you say you gave given the Governor what he asked for, when and what? Get real.

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by WI Taxpayer Location: Northern WI on Mar 2, 2011 at 04:48 PM

Is this statement a joke? The governor "failed to show leadership"?? I believe those are the democrats in IL you are talking about. Majority of Wisconsinites think the plan is wrong??? I DO NOT believe you have facts to back up that statement.

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by Bob Location: Central WI on Mar 2, 2011 at 04:41 PM

Walker is doing, what he is doing, because there is NOOOOOOO money!! Nobody wants anything cut that affects them, but when there is no money to keep giving out, there is no money!! And for keeping business in the US and not letting it go to other countries, do any of you people look at where the items you buy are made?? If not and you do not make an attempt to buy US goods, it will get worse and worse for jobs leaving the US. Everybody complains but nobody has had the guts to do something about it. Now someone is, "Walker". So man up and work with this. If you do not like it there is another election in 4 years. Oh, and where is Lassa?? I voted for this person whom I thought could do a job. That election is in less than 2 years. PASS THE BILL

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by Becky Location: Wausau on Mar 2, 2011 at 04:16 PM

I support Walker because something needs to be done. I've been unemployed for close to two years and there are no jobs. The status quo doesn't work. Doing anything is better than running away and pretending nothing is wrong.

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by Fubar Location: Merrill on Mar 2, 2011 at 04:07 PM

Dear Unhappy Voter -- You are the very people we need to step up & let ALL Republicans (Assembly & Senate & the Boy King Governor) know that you will NOT vote for them again but you did in the past. Thank you for honesty & seeing the light. This Governor is all about a greater plan to demolish, dehumanize, and downright, despotically depress the working class...which BTW is the goal of all NEO-Cons / Political Megabucks donors who believe America should be all about the corporation. Which BTW the founding fathers warned us about in the fourth Amendment. Take that you Tea Baggers out there. Walker should be impeached!

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by wisconsin Location: wi on Mar 2, 2011 at 04:06 PM

The unions and the democrats are for the working man, the repubs are for big business. Free market labor did not pre union. Low pay, no health benefits dangerous working conditions etc. It is time to back a party that cares for the citizens of Wisconsin.No longer will I EVER vote for a republican.

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by AIVA Location: Eagle River,Wi on Mar 2, 2011 at 03:53 PM

Walker has got to go before its to late, get somebody in that cares about the people of wisconsin. Don't let him do this for his own gain.

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