AFSCME President Lee Saunders finds some dangerous parallels between the crushing austerity measures that have “left the Greek economy dangling on a ledge, threatening to prolong the recession and sending unemployment skyrocketing,” and Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) economic prescription for Wisconsin. In a column at The Huffington Post, Saunders writes:

There’s no skills gap holding back recovery in the job market or the broader economy, despite contrary claims from some politicians and CEOs. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, History, Economic Development and Urban Studies professor Marc V. Levine reviewed scientific literature on the skills gap concept and found no evidence to support it.

As educated consumers, we try to keep up on the latest boycotts and ethical practices of employers so we can make responsible buying decisions, but it isn't always easy. Next Monday, a free iPhone app, BizVizz, will be available in the app store to help people track taxes, government subsidies and political campaign donations of major corporations. 

We've heard a lot about loss of labor rights in Wisconsin, "right to work" for less legislation in Indiana and now Michigan. We get the impression that laws in those states had somehow required workers to join unions.

Quite the contrary. Unions are the bargaining agent for the employees, negotiating contracts with employers—binding legal contracts, sacred to conservative think tanks everywhere.

It’s National Pizza Week (Jan. 9- Jan. 16) and we’re inviting pizza lovers everywhere to celebrate in solidarity with the striking workers at the Palermo’s Pizza factory in Wisconsin. Striking since last summer, these workers are remaining strong in their plea to management for the recognition of their union and the reinstatement of those who were wrongfully terminated.

The South Central Federation of Labor in Wisconsin collected $445 in gas cards and bus cards to donate to the Community Action Coalition, which provides case management for families struggling to become self-sufficient.

Madison Affiliates Publish 'Just Dining' Guide is a cross-post from Interfaith Worker Justice.

The Workers' Rights Center of Madison (WRC) and the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice (ICWJ) teamed up to publish a "Just Dining" guide that informs customers and workers about the employment standards and conditions for the people who cook, prepare and serve food in the downtown restaurants of Madison, Wis. The guide focuses especially on the working conditions in central Madison restaurants.

Dane County Circuit Court Judge Juan Colas, who last month struck down the Wisconsin law (Act 10) that eliminated public employee collective bargaining rights, refused a request on Monday by Gov. Scott Walker’s administration to stay the order while the case is on appeal.

Colas said the state "failed to show that they will suffer irreparable harm if the stay is not granted."

More than 300 union and community activists "unwelcomed" Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) to Kalispell, Mont., yesterday with signs and chants letting him know that there’s no room in Big Sky Country for the anti-worker, anti-union, education and health care cutting policies that mark his record.

Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt and Secretary-Treasurer Stephanie Bloomingdale send us this.

On Friday, Sept. 14, Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas granted summary judgment in favor of Madison Teachers Inc. and others, finding many basic provisions of Act 10 violate the U.S. and Wisconsin constitutions and are therefore null and void.

Judge Colas found that the restriction limiting the increases on general municipal employees’ base wages only to the consumer price index (CPI) if bargained by a union burdened employees’ rights to free speech and freedom of association, since the limitation applied only to municipal employees represented by a union.

The judge held the prohibition against payroll dues deduction and the annual recertification election requirement by 51% of those eligible to vote burdens freedom of speech and association rights of those employees who support unions.