Despite declines in union membership, political fire burns bright, leaders say
JANESVILLE — While union membership has declined significantly since the 2008 presidential election, Democratic Party and union officials say labor's political support and activity is as strong as ever.
"I think it might even be more active now," said Mike Marcks, president of United Auto Workers Local 95, an amalgamated union built on its representation of hourly workers at the General Motors assembly plant in Janesville.
There's no better example of the decline in union membership in the Janesville area than Local 95, which in 2008 reported more than 4,400 active members.
The plant's end of SUV production in late 2008 and its ultimate closure in 2009 gutted Local 95's membership, primarily as displaced workers left the industry or transferred to other GM plants.
In March of this year, Local 95 reported 580 active members, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Local 95 still represents workers at Blackhawk Community Credit Union, Parker Community Credit Union, Mercy East and Abitec, all in Janesville. It also represents workers at Weiler & Co. in Whitewater.
A survey of federal databases shows that between 2008 and 2012, the eight largest unions with Janesville addresses experienced a membership decline of 61 percent. The majority of that is attributable to membership losses within Local 95.
Marcks said that what the federal reports don't show are retiree members.
"We have more than 5,000 retirees who are members," he said of Local 95. "Those retirees remember the hard battles fought and won, and they're seeing the same things coming up again.
"We have all kinds of volunteers coming in and painting signs."
That wasn't the case as recently as two years ago, as illustrated in "As Goes Janesville," a documentary film that chronicles the struggles after the GM plant closed. The film will be shown in Janesville in October.
Filmmaker Brad Lichtenstein shot one particularly empty scene on Election Day 2010 at Local 95's headquarters in Janesville.
"Before the GM plant closing, we'd be packed with people coming and going and getting their assignments," John Dohner Sr., the local's president at the time, says in the scene. "Now, we're down to a few volunteers."
Marcks said much has changed since that day in 2010 when Scott Walker was elected governor.
"There was a lull in activity," he said. "But people are much more active now. It started with the collective bargaining issues, then the waiting week for unemployment benefits and then health care.
"The Walker recall didn't go the way we wanted it to, but it certainly reactivated a lot of people, and they are still fired up and are out there today."
David Vaughn, chairman of the Rock County Democratic Party and a first vice president at Local 95, said the activism is fueled by a Republican assault on the middle class and the poor.
"We have more boots on the ground now than we've ever seen," Vaughn said.
Volunteers are knocking on doors, helping people register and are ready to help get Democratic supporters to the polls in November, he said.
"People are tired of the Republican takeaways. It's got to stop."
Vaughn, Marcks and Dave Parr, president of the Janesville Education Association, said the activism launched in opposition to Walker, the Republican Legislature and its actions and is growing stronger in advance of the presidential election.
In general, unions typically support Democrats. In February 2010, dozens of Janesville teachers called in sick to join the protests at the state Capitol in Madison.
"I believe the core group of political activists is actually growing," Parr said, adding that he believes the energy level has escalated since 2010.
Barry Burden, a UW-Madison political science professor, said longer-term declines in union membership would translate to less activism and less support for the Democratic Party.
"Union members are some of the most active people when it comes to election campaigns, and they provide a substantial amount of labor for Democratic candidates," Burden said in an e-mail.
In the short-term, he said, the Wisconsin labor movement is quite active.
Labor mobilized in reaction to Walker's moves on collective bargaining, and union members were instrumental in last year's protests in Madison and the subsequent recall election, he said.
"I would expect them to remain involved for now, even among those who were in unions that recently disbanded or decided not to seek recertification from the state," Burden said.
Sep 9, 2012 at 8:16 a.m.
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poorrichard
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"""why-Next time you stop at McDonalds and their workers are all making $30/an hour and your happy meal costs $50 be sure to blame those greedy executives. But of course by then you'll have to make $125/an hour to stay ahead but then they will want $125/an hour too.
It will never end until everyones goes out of business."""
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So the execs. currently making hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars are the cause of the prices rising today? Or, do you blame the increase in minimum wage?
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totellthetruth
"""why_think, are you kidding? Unions taunt their successes in salaries, benefits today, and yet decisions are the sole consequence of the top? If you get paid $1 for a Space Sprocket you can't pay an employee 1.05 to make it? Unions (especially the UAW) still cant get it through their heads. Sorry Why but unions cost jobs by by increasing costs disproportionately."""
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The executive getting paid 1000 times the union worker is also the person that... agreed to the contract, set the price for the item and gave themselves a HUGE bonus and private jet. Oh and the fact that the executive office building costs more than an entire shift of workers HOMES do...
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Yep, I am wrong, it is the worker. The worker without offshore accounts hiding their money, the worker making 1/1000 of their bosses boss, the worker...
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As long as we blame the middle-class worker we are DONE!
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Funny, 4 years ago it was unpatriotic to not wear a lapel pin. Today, it is patriotic to avoid paying taxes with offshore accounts, it is patriotic to send jobs overseas because union workers and greedy and it is patriotic to not mention the troops in an acceptance speech for President of the United States.
Sep 6, 2012 at 4:12 p.m.
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Lilkegler, do you honestly think that? That there are no companies in the entire country that provide good jobs simply for the sake of retaining happy productive employees? That is a very narrow minded approach, to say the least. Worse, it is exactly the fear-mongering I anticipated. This is why you are losing dems.
Sep 5, 2012 at 11:19 a.m.
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EZ.......As I said, a needle in a haystack. You would have had to go through over 900 of his/her comments and back several months before that gem was found....Guess how far back you would have to go to find a comment made by Poohboy which was critical of Romney or Ryan? An hour? 15 minutes? Too funny--as always--the guy is entertaining!:)
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:26 p.m.
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Unions are still needed today to continue to protect workers from the "deregulate" crowd. Non-union workers receive decent pay only because their companies are trying to keep them from going to union jobs. Recently 3 IT workers were told to write out a full description of their jobs. Once that was completed they were "laid off" with the option of applying for their jobs under a new description. Of course starting at the bottom in pay and benefits. The purpose, so that the company could get credit for hiring 3 new people. These things happen on a regular basis in non-union jobs.
During the Bush years the NAFTA balance got lopsided because China refused to loan any more money for the 2 wars unless US companies provided work for Chinese residents. Bush gave tax breaks to companies that set up factories in China. My job was one of them that went overseas but thanks to the union I at least got to keep my pension and vacation benefits.
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:52 p.m.
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June 6, 2012 at 1:01 a.m.: "As a progressive, I supported Barrett and I also supported Obama in 2008, but I will not vote for Obama because of his compromise on healthcare reform, indefinite detention in the NDAA, failure to stop torture of prisoners and rendition and dragging his feet on comprehensive immigration reform, DADT (which only ended due to Joe Lieberman's commitment to ending it) and his questionably-timed "evolution" on DOMA and same sex marriage." [ gazettextra.com/news/2012/jun/05/wisconsin-holds-recall-more-year-making/#comments ]
Just one of my comments indicating why I won't be supporting Obama. Posted just 3 months ago. Many more where that one came from, and comments more recent than 3 months ago, 916WI and Ezoner. You just can't stand the fact that someone not supporting (contributing to or voting for) Obama and Romney is pointing out the truths about Romney's horrible policies and untruths. Get used to it.
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:27 p.m.
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Ez.......You most likely will have to go back almost a year and page through over 2000 anti-republican/Romney/Ryan comments before you find that needle in a haystack.....Hopefully you have a few hours to kill. I didn't actually "find" the comment, I specifically remember the crazy argument I had with him regarding that point. Good luck!
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:09 p.m.
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Let's give the "worst POTUS ever" jazz a break for a while. Ever heard of James Buchanan? Or US Grant? Or Herbert Hoover? How about Zach Taylor or even good old Richard Nixon? Learn a little history people; there's lots to choose from.
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:49 p.m.
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Ezoner said, "Poo -- please post just one of your negative comments about Obama -- personally -- I have not read one."
Don't be so lazy and expect others to do your work for you. You're fully capable of searching my comments. 916WI found some of my comments; you surely should be able to as well.
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:16 p.m.
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Poo -- please post just one of your negative comments about Obama -- personally -- I have not read one. If what you are saying is true -- and you cannot vote for either -- I agree, but would disagree on which is worse for our country. I would rather have someone that understands how to financially clean up this mess , than an absente president that has no clue. That is in my opinion unqualified for the job. But that was my initial evaluation of Obama 4 yrs ago. I had hoped I was wrong, but sadly, I was correct and he will go down as the worst president in the history of the US to date. That is unless we allow the far left to write our history books.
Sep 4, 2012 at 2:09 p.m.
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Yes God help you Eagle1 ;0)
Sep 4, 2012 at 1:48 p.m.
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If voters were actually to believe the comments of Vaugh, Marks, and David Parr -Walker would have been recalled easily. Union membership has been on decline for decades and the voters spoke loud and clear.
Unions for the most part are outdated and un-needed and this is evident by the 90% of private businesses that freely choose to not unionize.
Sep 4, 2012 at 1:48 p.m.
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wcm4life if you want to honestly evaluate why we got into our mess you will look into the housing market and why it collapsed, it was only one spoke but it was a major spoke, I will give you a hint, the reason occurred in 1998 and it was VERY bi-partisan. The dishonest partisanship has gotten me to a point where I actually have to defend Bush.. God help me.
Sep 4, 2012 at 1:31 p.m.
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916WI, you apparently have missed my recent comments where I have confirmed my disappointment with several of Obama's policies that continued the misguided policies of George W. Bush. That has not changed. What has changed is I am now focused on the Romney/Ryan falsehoods machine they are relying on to elect themselves, which I feel is much more of a danger to America than Obama. Romney would be as likely, if not more likely, than Obama to continue George W. Bush policies and lead us to war than Obama. Additionally, Romney's domestic policies would surely serve to widen the wealth and income disparity gaps in American and there's no way I will support someone whose policies would encourage that. I am not supporting (contributing to and/or voting for) either Obama or Romney in the upcoming election. But that does not preclude me from speaking about statements and policies of either candidate. I've spoken out about both candidates in terms that are not supportive, as you have demonstrated in your comment.
Sep 4, 2012 at 1:25 p.m.
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And the 1st new plant Government Motors built under Obama was put in Mexico.
Sep 4, 2012 at 1:13 p.m.
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Lets take a look at what really got the US in trouble shall we...or did we all forget were George W. left us after 8 years of what some call a Presidency. Obama took over a country that was already in shambles. I for one did not envy the job in front of him but he has done well considering the state of the US.
Think about GM and all its issues at the time...Obama steered the auto bailout while Romney opposed. Now three years later, the American auto industry has come roaring back. Nearly 250,000 new jobs. The sad thing is it didn't include Janesville. However with the oldest plant in Janesville in dire needs of a face lift and new technology it only made sense that it would be passed over. Anyhow...Just something to think about...not trying to tell people what to do or how to vote...just something to think about.
Sep 4, 2012 at 12:29 p.m.
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Bankrupt states like IL and CA should have their delegate votes ruduced based upon their financial budget defecits.
Sep 4, 2012 at 12:04 p.m.
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Poohboy.......While you claim that you support neither candidate, I see you calling into question many of the statements made by Republican candidates, yet making no reference to pledges and promises broken by Obama and his Administration. Weren't you the tool that claimed Obama violated both international and constitutional law when he sanctioned the raid on Bin Laden's compound.....and in doing so sanctioned murder? I remember you getting all puffy chested about this, but coming up on the election while claiming that you support neither candidate, you have never made a reference to the Bin Laden's death or the economic failures that have plagued the Obama administration. It almost seems as if you support someone you see as a murderer in the White House rather than someone who misspoke/lied about a running race they ran over two decades ago.......Disgusting.......
Sep 4, 2012 at 11:41 a.m.
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lovemycountry excellent point, I used that example in a presentation in 1996 about political relationships in college and my wonderful open minded democrat professor gave me a D saying I was playing GOP politics despite my wearing a Vote Harry Brown (libertarian) button all semester. She had no facts to defend the AFL-CIO's support of Clinton in 1996 even though they were against NAFTA. more of the same political BS and short memories.
Sep 4, 2012 at 11:04 a.m.
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Eagle1 - union bosses really are blindly following the Dem party. Consider Clinton signed NAFTA into law. NAFTA, the largest single cause of union job loss in American history.
Sep 4, 2012 at 10:59 a.m.
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During Obamas tenure more than additional 150,000 federal union jobs have been created. Not bad when you consider federal jobs pay an average of $70,000 plus generous benefits. He's developed his own voting bloc.
Sep 4, 2012 at 10:37 a.m.
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This year, the Bickers-Berry model shows Mitt Romney winning with 320 electoral votes to Obama’s 218, with a 20-vote margin of error. A popular vote margin of 53-47 percent in Romney’s favor is predicted.
Their model has accurately forecast the winner of every presidential race since 1980.
Sep 4, 2012 at 10:19 a.m.
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Unione would probably have a better time at attracting members if they weren't so blatant at being fundraising arms for the Democratic Party. Large Evangelical churches are the same for the GOP. Some members understand it and don't play the game others drink the Kool Aid and buy the BS like a brainwashed group of Nazis.
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:44 a.m.
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Thanks for accidentally posting that "wrong link" that shows the exact opposite happening to what your "right link" showed. Haha, brother....
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:35 a.m.
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Some things never change, you still can't read...
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:32 a.m.
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Ahaha, "Wrong link?" Did you finally find the link you like? Thanks for the RealClearPolitics link. It confirms the Talking Points Memo PollTracker links.
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:26 a.m.
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NEW ELECTORAL COLLEGE FORECAST (using RealClearPolitics with no toss-ups) also has Obama with strong lead, 295-243: [ http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/... ]
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:25 a.m.
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Votes elect people, not polls. Wisconsin proved that.
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:24 a.m.
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Wrong link http://thehill.com/conventions-2012/dem-...
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:17 a.m.
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NEW POLL: "A majority of VOTERS believe the country is worse off today than it was four years ago and that President Obama does not deserve reelection"
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/...
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:09 a.m.
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New electoral college forecast. Obama maintains huge 332-206 lead with no leaners. No bounce in electoral college for Romney from Republican convention: [ http://core.talkingpointsmemo.com/electi... ]
New aggregate poll. Obama maintains national lead through the Republican convention: [ http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com... ]
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:05 a.m.
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poobah
silly you, trying to cite a quote that doesn't exist.
Sep 4, 2012 at 8:49 a.m.
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wislady, I was just confirming what you had said about the GOOD teachers that protested at the capitol, "Good teachers always have my respect."
Sep 4, 2012 at 8:38 a.m.
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Having read all of these comments, I am filled with regret. I have yet to see an answer to the question, are unions still necessary or relevant? I am FAR from Republican and believe that unions were once very important. Now though, I don't see evidence of that. I and many close to me have good non-union jobs with all kinds of benefits. That is pretty standard these days. So what is the point of all the us vs. them?
Sep 4, 2012 at 7:42 a.m.
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poobah
And your comment shows what is wrong with the "union mentality". Too bad the unions use the teachers the way they do, good thing that some teachers do not buy into it.
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:38 a.m.
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Why think, you are wrong. Republicans philosophy is for you to make as much money as your determination and hard work can win you. As opposed to democrats philosophy is how many entitlements can the government give me to push me up.
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:42 a.m.
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New poll: A majority of voters believe the country is worse off today than it was four years ago and that President Obama does not deserve reelection
http://thehill.com/conventions-2012/dem-...
Sep 4, 2012 at 3:04 a.m.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfu3mRa3w...
Sep 4, 2012 at 2:25 a.m.
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When the UAW and the IAM begin to take apprenticeships seriously again they will have my attention... Not before.
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Until that time there is nothing to celebrate on labor day... Workers have been sold out by their unions via B scale whoredome
Sep 4, 2012 at 1:17 a.m.
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I'm glad to hear that you respect the many GOOD teachers that called in sick to protest at the capitol, wislady.
Sep 3, 2012 at 10:42 p.m.
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fordfan
Respect is not something that can be MANDATED just because they are teachers. SOME of them have acted in ways which requires they EARN back the respect of taxpayers (who pay their salaries). Good teachers always have my respect, bad ones...don't deserve respect or the job.
Sep 3, 2012 at 10:12 p.m.
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wislady should heed her own oft given advice...that's so old, time to let it go...LOL
Sep 3, 2012 at 9:04 p.m.
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wis - prove it.
Sep 3, 2012 at 8:30 p.m.
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great job wislady - first day of school is on Tuesday so get in one last bashing of the teachers to ensure students respect and value learning.
Sep 3, 2012 at 8:14 p.m.
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"In February 2010, dozens of Janesville teachers called in sick to join the protests at the state Capitol in Madison."
Yes, they lied about being sick.
Sep 3, 2012 at 7:57 p.m.
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http://www.smartmoney.com/plan/careers/d...
The cause and effect of unions vs job loss is far from proven. Lets take a look at all the right to work states, shall we? Almost all of them have low wages, low rates of healthy people,, very low cost of living, etc... Furthermore, 6 right to works states have 0% income tax.
Union membership is at an all time low, yet it's still the scourge of industry? That's a bit silly.
Sep 3, 2012 at 7:33 p.m.
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why-Next time you stop at McDonalds and their workers are all making $30/an hour and your happy meal costs $50 be sure to blame those greedy executives. But of course by then you'll have to make $125/an hour to stay ahead but then they will want $125/an hour too.
It will never end until everyones goes out of business.
Sep 3, 2012 at 7:22 p.m.
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Thanks Gazette for a list of companies we can boycott.
Sep 3, 2012 at 7:15 p.m.
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I don't get how any middle-class American can blame the unions for loss of jobs. The decisions, including salaries, made by the executives are the problem.
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For every one executive you could hire from 5-100 union workers. There are execs. of companies sending jobs overseas;blaming union salarie, American taxes and regulations, making millions and millions and millions of dollars.
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But I got it, the guy that dares to make $30/hour is the problem.
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Yep, and President Obama is the one engaging in "class warfare".
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How can any middle-class American support the Republicans? They blame the worker making $30/hr, regulations that protect the worker's safety, and taxes that support the worker's community (fire, police, schools, etc...).
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HOW???
Sep 3, 2012 at 7:10 p.m.
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fordfan wrote..."righties use Labor Day, a day to honor labor, to instead bash and belittle the value of labor."
You are absolutely correct...the best way to describe the right is HYPOCRITES.
They don't try to help others get to a higher level.
They prefer to push others to a lower level.
Sep 3, 2012 at 7:04 p.m.
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fordfan
Obviously, you missed the point the article was making.
Sep 3, 2012 at 6:18 p.m.
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and in the mean time in Chicago, unions at work again. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section...
Sep 3, 2012 at 6:08 p.m.
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New AFSCME union boss Saunders finished his speech yesterday by kicking an empty chair, yelling at it, and finally throwing it off stage. No surprise union membership is falling off a cliff.
Sep 3, 2012 at 5:07 p.m.
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....and the references used are Fact Free Fake Faux News and their reporting pool.
Sep 3, 2012 at 5:05 p.m.
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wow - righties use Labor Day, a day to honor labor, to instead bash and belittle the value of labor. That should build your support for Romney/Ryan.
Sep 3, 2012 at 4 p.m.
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Time for Workers to Take Back Labor Day
"Unfortunately, as one might expect from a holiday that sprung from the brow of organized labor, Labor Day celebrations all too often degrade into a celebration of unions rather than individual workers, the vast majority of whom, after all, are not members of a union.
And for good reason -- unions have a long history of taking advantage of their members by, among other things, forcibly collecting dues which labor bosses then spend on political activities, regardless of whether union members support the candidates and policies endorsed by the union. No wonder union membership in the United States has plummeted from 20.1 percent in 1983 to 11.8 percent in 2011."
"This Labor Day, you won’t see union bosses acknowledging the fact that they force workers into arrangements made by other people decades earlier.
Nor will they openly celebrate the union-negotiated government employee contracts that are busting state and local budgets across the country, forcing politicians to raise taxes, cut essential government services, or both (though some brave souls, like Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, are choosing a third path by reforming and restructuring their government’s relationship with its workforce)."
http://nation.foxnews.com/labor-day/2012...
Sep 3, 2012 at 3:52 p.m.
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US Debt to Hit $16 Trillion on Tuesday as DNC Begins
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/nationa...
Sep 3, 2012 at 3:22 p.m.
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Hope everyone had a great "National Empty Chair Day"!
http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/09/nat...
Sep 3, 2012 at 2:28 p.m.
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RAF, don't blame union members if the politicians in Illinois stole the money that was to go into the pension fund. It's the fault of the politicians that the credit rating was downgraded.
Sep 3, 2012 at 10:11 a.m.
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When the time comes businesses stop trying to screw over their workers and give them they respect they deserve, that will be the day Unions will no longer be needed. They need to remember, they did not build that business, their workers did.
Sep 3, 2012 at 10:11 a.m.
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When the time comes businesses stop trying to screw over their workers and give them they respect they deserve, that will be the day Unions will no longer be needed. They need to remember, they did not build that business, their workers did.
Sep 3, 2012 at 9:49 a.m.
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I'm reluctant to say I'm an union member. I lost all respect for the unions when they decided to stop defending labor and decided to be politicians.
Sep 3, 2012 at 9:48 a.m.
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How did WI teachers react when given the option of getting out of their AFSMCE union ? Wisconsin membership in AFSCME dropped from 63,577 to 34,942. In other words, nearly half ripped up their union cards.
Sep 3, 2012 at 9:22 a.m.
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Class warfare, the last vestige of the public employee union supporters.
Sep 3, 2012 at 8:57 a.m.
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JIM LEUTE.
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You say: "In general, unions typically support Democrats..." .... This is an understaement.
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The overstatement is that Union members are Democrats... A HUGE MINORITY OF UNION MEMBERS ARE REPUBLICAN/CONSERVATIVE. And the American media (you included) hide this fact... Is it by virtue of ignorance and poor journalisim, or agenda (also poor journalisim.)
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Next question...... When was the last time Local 95 had apprentices darken their door?
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Unionisims demise is a thing of it's own doing.
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When the unions wake up and respond to reality they may look forward to a happy labor day.
Sep 3, 2012 at 8:38 a.m.
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Love the comments of the three who followed me. Wake up independents! These people care nothing about the breadwinner(s) in your family having the right to any of the positive changes I mentioned. Like blind mice, they stumble toward their own destruction by honoring the greed of the 1% while ignoring the fact that they are a part of the very group that those on top are destroying. Please reread the list I posted and check those items that you believe are necessary for the middle class, and those aspiring to be middle class. Then make a note to yourself to factcheck the acceptance speeches of Romney and Ryan. Then do the same with those speeches you will hear this week. This will help make your decision on November 6 much easier. Don't buy into lies. I hope you are having a great LABOR DAY! Remember what this day stands for.
Sep 3, 2012 at 8:22 a.m.
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No one has mentioned some of the other achievements of unions--destroying the steel, auto and airline industries so that the only viable companies left are non-union.
Sep 3, 2012 at 7:27 a.m.
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There was a place in history for unions, and now most unions belong in an historical chapter. Some private industry unions (if you can find a non corrupt one) should be kept, though reasons for trade unions are becoming fewer and fewer. Public unions should be retired, something Wisconsin voters have repeatedly agreed on.
Sep 3, 2012 at 4 a.m.
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Another thing the public unions helped build...
Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit of the state of Illinois on Wednesday because of its weak funding levels for pensions, a move that could make it more expensive for the state to borrow money. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-...
Sep 3, 2012 at 3:28 a.m.
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Speaking of unions the following are just a small sample that invested heavily into Bain capital to earn money for union members...btw, no investments were found in any companies created by Obama.
* Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund ($2.2 million)
* Indiana Public Retirement System ($39.3 million)
* Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System ($177.1 million)
* The Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension System ($19.5 million)
* Maryland State Retirement and Pension System ($117.5 million)
* Public Employees’ Retirement System of Nevada ($20.3 million)
* State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio ($767.3 million)
* Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System ($231.5 million)
* Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island ($25 million)
* San Diego County Employees Retirement Association ($23.5 million)
* Teacher Retirement System of Texas ($122.5 million)
* Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System ($15 million)
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/ope...
Sep 3, 2012 at 3:22 a.m.
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Happy labor day http://gazettextra.com/photos/2012/sep/0...
Sep 3, 2012 at 1:37 a.m.
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totellthetruth, you will never understand that people died for those rights. We won't forget, even if you dismiss them.
Sep 2, 2012 at 10:31 p.m.
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Humm, Republican assault on the middle class and the poor? What about "ObamaCare", which everyone will pay thru increased taxes and the rationing that will follow. Unions supported the right for citizens not to have that freedom of choice. As for the poor, their party (democrats) want them to rely on the government to support them. The republicans want the poor to go out and succeed and rely on themselves.
Sep 2, 2012 at 9:12 p.m.
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" us taxpayers paid the sick pay for the lying teachers"
Actaully you didn't. In Madison, they had a makeup day of school for the day that was missed, so they did eventually work the same number of days. Again you fail to grasp the facts of the situation.
Sep 2, 2012 at 9:05 p.m.
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oops correction * has no foundation*
Sep 2, 2012 at 9:04 p.m.
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Allin the teachers PAY TAXES ALSO YOU ARE SO IGNORANT AS Is THE REST OF THE REPUBLICAN SUPPORTERS.... Teachers pay taxes and that being they are actually are paying themselves. As the tax payer are who you say pay them, so your comment has no fondation. Then the goon in charge of Wisconsin wants them to take cuts and pay more. GET A CLUE
Sep 2, 2012 at 8:59 p.m.
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allin Again ignorance to the facts.You have not a clue to your comment those teachers went to the protest for the CHILDREN OF THIS STATE, The GOON leading this state was targeting public employees and said EDUCATION WAS NOT THAT IMPORTANT Have people forgot that??????????????
Sep 2, 2012 at 8:57 p.m.
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I hear 'ya greatplain - it sounds innocent enough, but us taxpayers paid the sick pay for the lying teachers, and our children lost valuable learning while the teachers were off on their personal crusade. I guess the ignorance is right back at 'ya.
Sep 2, 2012 at 8:12 p.m.
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Allin: As an educator, I must answer you. Your writing shows your ignorance. Though in unity with the protestors, the majority of public school teachers did not call in sick during the protest. Most have loss thousands of dollars in pay and benefits, and had their union survival threatened. Most returned to work, did their job, and served their communities faithfully. They fought on their own time.
Generalizations like yours do not improve the lot of families all around you, even those in unions.
Sep 2, 2012 at 7:58 p.m.
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Nothing grows a union quite like a few losses, such as the governorship, the legislature, the recall and all the money spent on it in a losing cause they say they realize now that they shouldn't have taken up (since that's the REAL reason they lost), all those members and especially their dues. Oh yes, the sky's the limit for unionism here in Wisconsin and particularly here in Janesville. (They must have hit bottom by now, don't ya think?)
Sep 2, 2012 at 7:15 p.m.
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The crowning achievemnent of the teachers was to call-in sick to attend protests - toss the students asides and pursue their personal desires. It's no wonder Wisconsinites are getting sick of these greedy, selfish public unions.
Sep 2, 2012 at 7:02 p.m.
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A huge thank you to America's labor unions on this Labor Day weekend. Some examples of the accomplishments of American labor unions in our history are:
# End child labor
# Establish the legal right of workers to form unions and collectively bargain for wages, benefits and working conditions
# Establish the 8 hour work day and paid overtime
# Win workers' comp benefits for workers injured on the job
# Secure unemployment insurance for workers who lose their jobs
# Secure a guaranteed minimum wage
# Improve workplace safety and reduce on the job fatalities
# Win pensions for workers
# Win health care insurance for workers
# Win paid sick leave, vacations, and holidays as standard benefits for most workers
# Win the right for public sector workers to collectively bargain
# Win passage of the Civil Right Acts and Title VII which outlaws job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin
# Win passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
# Win passage of the Family Medical Leave Act
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