(Editor’s Note: Hey, union members, better take a good hard look at some of your union leaders. They are taking your hard-earned union dues and shoveling them over to the very people out to slit your throats. Time to ask these Republican-friendly union leaders: “Which Side Are You On?” — Mark L. Taylor)
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (9/2/15)
Ten political action committees (PACs) controlled by labor unions that represent police, firefighters, plumbers, carpenters and construction workers contributed about $64,000 during the first six months of 2015 to Republican campaign committees.
The labor PAC contributions to Republicans accounted for about 45 percent of the total $142,350 in labor PAC contributions to all legislative and statewide officeholders and candidates between January and June 2015, which was the same period that the Republican-controlled legislature and GOP Gov. Scott Walker considered and approved prevailing wage law changes and a right-to-work law that were opposed by most unions.
Topping the list of labor unions that contributed to Republican statewide and legislative officeholders was the Wisconsin Pipe Trades PAC, which gave $36,000, including $30,000 to Walker and $6,000 to the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee (RACC). RACC is used by Republican Assembly leaders to raise money from special interests to spend against Assembly Democratic legislators and candidates in elections.
The Milwaukee Police Association PAC, which is one of the few labor unions that has been a longtime contributor to mostly Republican legislative and statewide candidates, contributed $11,000 to GOP fundraising committees, including $6,000 to RACC, $3,500 to the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate (CERS), $1,000 to GOP Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, of Juneau, and $500 to Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel. CERS is used by Republican Senate leaders to raise money from special interests to spend against Democratic state senators and candidates in elections.
Rounding out the top three labor PACs that gave to Republicans was the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Local PAC, which contributed $7,000, including $6,000 to RACC and $1,000 to CERS.
The top Republican recipients of labor PAC contributions between January and June 2015 were Walker, $32,500; RACC, $24,000; and CERS, $4,500.
In March, Walker and majority GOP legislators approved a right-to-work law, which prohibits requiring workers to make payments to labor unions as a condition for employment. In July, Walker and the legislature approved a 2015-17 state budget that repealed the state’s prevailing wage law as it applies to local government projects.
- Unions That Backed Scott Walker Faring Better Than Others — Only a few state employee unions and a modest number of local unions have fared well under the Republican governor’s leadership since 2011. Whether in contract negotiations or rewrites of state law, the unions that have done the best are often the same unions that endorsed Walker in his three elections for governor. The Wisconsin Troopers Association, for instance, is one of the few labor unions to support the governor in his 2010 campaign, his 2012 recall election and his 2014 re-election race. Its members played a key role in guarding the state Capitol during massive labor protests four years ago and state troopers also staff the detail that protects Walker and his family. Almost all other state worker unions had their bargaining authority stripped under Walker’s signature legislation known as 2011 Act 10 and then had their members’ take-home pay reduced by roughly 10% because of cuts to health care and pension benefits. The State Patrol union was spared both of those blows and still negotiated a roughly 17% pay increase for its members in a contract with the Walker administration. But Walker flatly rejects questions about whether he helps the unions that help him, saying that many police unions have opposed him and still done better than other public employees. ,,, Read the Rest
- A Song For Wisconsin Union Members To Consider — Which Side Are You On? 5-Minute Video With Historic Photos Of Labor Struggle
