Day of Action - Please Make the Call!

Keep Ethan Allen and Lincoln Hills Schools Open

A Day of Action
We Need Your Help!

On Wednesday, July 14th, AFSCME members are asked to contact their state Senator, Assembly Representative, Governor Jim Doyle, and Department of Corrections Secretary Rick Raemisch to ask them to support keeping Ethan Allen School and Lincoln Hills School open.

The message that needs to be delivered is to; "keep both Ethan Allen and Lincoln Hills Schools open and consider other viable options."

Download the "Day of Action" Flyer
Download the Bacground of Information

“Americans Will Remember Who Is Responsible for Lost Jobs and Services”

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 18, 2010

Statement of AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee in response to the U.S. Senate’s cloture vote last night on the jobs bill

Washington, DC — “Unless last night’s shortsighted vote is reversed in the coming days, the Senate’s failure to break a Republican filibuster on the jobs bill will put hundreds of thousands of additional Americans out of work. Senators are wrapping a hangman’s noose around state and local governments trying to cope with increasing demand for vital public services during dire economic times. This country’s fragile economy cannot grow if elected officials in Washington refuse to take the action needed to put our country back to work. We intend to make sure that the American people understand what this reckless failure to act will cost in terms of our recovery. Americans will remember who is responsible for lost jobs and services – the Senators who blocked action during an unprecedented fiscal crisis.”

###

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

Political Buffoonery

As you know by now, gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker has issued a series of press releases beginning last Saturday through today regarding state employees’ salary and benefits. At this rate, by Sunday Scott Walker’s position will be that all state employees should receive similar salary and benefits to those people working at McDonalds and Burger King. The whole mentality of cutting public employees’ salary and benefits to give tax breaks to corporations in Wisconsin is becoming very annoying.

Back when Walker was in the legislature and participating in the Wisconsin Retirement Fund, he didn’t pay a dime for his contributions and probably didn’t care about them. But now, when we have the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, Vicki McKenna, Jeff Walker and all the other right wing vermin pimping for him, this becomes a major piece of his campaign.

State employees, and all public employees, need to read, listen and understand exactly what Mr. Walker is saying about our future, our jobs, and the people we serve.

Stay informed, sign-up for the SEPAC Action e-List at the SEPAC website. At the very least, check out the SEPAC webpage, "Walker's World" often. Point your browser to; http://www.wseu-sepac.org/.

Source: AFSCME C24 Weekly Summary 06/18/2010
Authority: Marty Beil, Executive Director

Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas Calls for Ethan Allen School to Remain Open

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 18, 2010
Contact: Ellen Nowak – Chief-of-Staff, (262) 548-7902

WAUKESHA, Wis. – In anticipation of a potential recommendation regarding the future of Ethan Allen School, located in the Village of Wales, by the Governor’s Juvenile Corrections Review Committee, Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas is calling for Governor Jim Doyle to ensure the facility remain a youth corrections facility.

Due to a Juvenile Corrections’ budget deficit projected at $25 million, Doyle has created a task force to examine ways to respond to this deficit. Currently, the task force is deliberating the possibility of closing Ethan Allen School. This recommendation may be made despite a significant impact the closing would have on the juveniles sent to the facility and the economic and employment implications it would have on Waukesha County.

As of 2009, 73% of youth referred to Ethan Allen and Lincoln Hills, located in Irma, Wisconsin, the other juvenile detention facility in the state, came from 6 counties in central or southeastern Wisconsin – Dane, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine, Rock and Waukesha Counties. These 6 counties are at least 2.5 hours away from Lincoln Hills. Research has proven that the role of parents and family members in the rehabilitation and re-socialization of incarcerated youth can
play a vital and long-lasting role in the treatment of at-risk youth. If all juveniles are incarcerated at Lincoln Hills, they would be further isolated from their families and family involvement in treatment would be more difficult.

“The priority of the state must be to protect the residents of our communities and provide housing, punishment and rehabilitation to juveniles in the best and most efficient way possible,” Vrakas said. “If Ethan Allan School is closed, we would not be efficiently providing the service that is needed.”

In addition to the impacts closing the school would have on service delivery to juvenile delinquents, closing Ethan Allen School would have a direct impact on the local economy and employment in Waukesha County.

Vrakas said he has been contacted by numerous concerned constituents urging the state keep the school a juvenile facility.

“I share the concerns of my constituents,” he said. “I urge the Committee to keep Ethan Allen School a juvenile corrections facility.”

###

Daniel P. Vrakas
County Executive
515 W. Moreland Blvd. · Room 320
Waukesha, Wisconsin 53188
Phone: (262) 548-7902 · Fax: (262) 896-8510
TDD: (262) 548-7903
www.waukeshacounty.gov

FMAP Funding Looking Very Bleak

From: Charles Loveless
Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 1:59 PM
To: AFSCME Leadership
Cc: Executive Staff Assistants
Subject: Update on State Fiscal Aid
Importance: High

Sisters and Brothers –

Last night the U.S. Senate again failed to break a Republican filibuster of the jobs bill. Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) joined all Republicans in supporting the filibuster.

Senate leadership is huddling this afternoon to determine whether there is a path forward for the bill, which, as you know, includes FMAP, an unemployment insurance extension and aid for doctors who accept Medicare.

SEPAC Note: More information will be forthcoming early next week.

Labor 2010 Is Gearing Up

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

LABOR 2010 MEMBER-TO-MEMBER WALK KICK-OFF IS SATURDAY, JULY 24TH!
(More information will be forthcoming regarding July 24th)

The core of the Labor Political Program revolves around unions talking to their union members, educating them about the issues, and mobilizing them to go and vote on election day. And, we all know what it is at stake for working families this November. Can union members and their families continue to make a positive difference in the lives of all Wisconsin workers, or will the anti-union forces of anger and even hatred win on election day, NOVEMBER 2nd?

We need for ALL union members to help kick off the Labor 2010 program all across Wisconsin. You can start by attending any one of the below scheduled Labor 2010 Regional Political meetings:
(Please RSVP your attendance to the listed contact person)

GREEN BAY
Monday, June 14th, 2010 @ 4:30pm
Green Bay Labor Temple, 1570 Elizabeth St., Green Bay, WI 54302
CONTACT PERSON: Greg Hinds (920) 540-2309 or ghinds@wisaflcio.org

MADISON
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 @ 12:00pm
Madison Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park St., Madison, WI 54302
CONTACT PERSON: Greg Neil (608) 256-5111 or gneil@wisaflcio.org

LA CROSSE
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 @ 5:30pm
IAM District 66, 1307 Market St., La Crosse, WI 54601
CONTACT PERSON: Andy Thompson (715) 831-3353 or athompson@wisaflcio.org

MILWAUKEE
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 @ 2:00pm
Milwaukee Labor Council (Yatchak Hall), 633 S. Hawley Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53214
CONTACT PERSON: Jenissee Volpintesta (414) 771-7070 Ext. 12 or jvolpintesta@wisaflcio.org

EAU CLAIRE
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 @ 5:30pm
UA 434 Union Hall, 2406 Ridge Rd., Eau Claire, WI 54701
CONTACT PERSON: Andy Thompson (715) 831-3353 or athompson@wisaflcio.org

RACINE
Thursday, June 17th, 2010 @ 4:00pm
Racine CLC, 1840 Sycamore Ave., Racine, WI 53406
CONTACT PERSON: Justin Geiger (414) 745-4177 or jgeiger@wisaflcio.org

WAUSAU
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 @ 7:00pm
Wausau Labor Temple, 318 South 3rd Ave., Wausau, WI 54401
CONTACT PERSON: Scott Wright (715) 298-0033 or swright@wisaflcio.org

SUPERIOR
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 @ TBD
Location to be determined
CONTACT PERSON: Chad McKenna (218) 310-8412 or chad@nealc.org

----------
Authority: Marty Beil, Executive Director
AFSCME Council 24 · AFL-CIO

Scott Hassett Wants to Meet You!

Scott Hassett Reception's
Democratic Candidate for Wisconsin's Attorney's General

You are coordially invited to attend a fundraiser for Scott Hassett, Democratic Candidate for Wisconsin's Attorney's General.
Here are the details:

-- Tuesday, June 15th from 5:00pm - 7:00pm
A Reception for Scott Hassett for Attorney General
Hosted by Gary Goyke, Evan Goyke, Penny Sikora and Al Simonis
Hotel Metro, 411 Mason St., Milwaukee, WI

-- Wednesday, June 23rd from 5:00pm - 7:00pm
A Reception for Scott Hassett for Attorney General
Hosted by Rod & Diane Hassett, Dawnene & Chris Hegna, Diana Hess, Lisa O'Brien, Simone Schweber and Nicole & Patrick Tepe
Home of Rod & Diane Hassett, 3550 Bishops Way, Middleton, WI

-- Thursday, June 24th from 5:00pm - 6:30pm
A Reception for Scott Hassett for Attorney General with Special Guest Peg Lautenschlager
Hosted by Lindsey Lee & Beth Rosen
Home of Lindsey Lee & Beth Rosen, 731 Williamson St., Madison, WI

Please RSVP your attendance or direct any questions regarding any of the above events to;
Justin D. Williams, Field Director
Hassett for Attorney General
608-577-8359
justin@hassettforag.com

----------
Authority: Marty Beil, Executive Director
AFSCME Council 24 · AFL-CIO

WSEU to Help the St. Joseph's Food Program

AFSCME Makes Health Care Reform Happen!

After decades of struggle and a year of debate, comprehensive health care reform has been enacted as the law of the land. And while it will take time to responsibly implement the law, the nation has finally put itself on a path to addressing skyrocketing costs and reining in insurance company abuses. This historic achievement was made possible because of the tremendous energy and commitment of AFSCME members, activists and leaders all over the country. These efforts brought home this victory and made AFSCME shine.

Checkout AFSCME's Revised Website on Health Care Reform

AFSCME has created a new website to help answer your members’ questions about healthcare reform.

Visit: http://www.afscme.org/healthcare

Includes:

* Factsheets for both employed members and retirees re: “what this means for you”.
* Timeline for reform implementation.
* Information on issues such as the excise tax for “Cadillac plans” and how the reforms will impact state & local budgets.
* Video address from President McEntee.
* Legislative scorecard to see how your representatives voted on health care reform
More!

Police Deserve More than Respect – They Deserve Our Support

2010 National Police Week President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation in 1962 designating May 9 to 15as National Police Week and May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day. Since then, the nation has formally honored those who lost their lives to protect us all.

This year, there’s something more that we can do for these courageous women and men: Encourage members of Congress to give public safety officers a federally protected right to bargain collectively.

AFSCME – which represents nearly 125,000 public safety officers nationwide (including nearly 30,000 police officers) – is urging Congress to pass the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009 (H.R. 413/S. 3194). The legislation establishes minimum state collective bargaining standards for corrections officers, police, emergency medical technicians and firefighters.

Also high on AFSCME’s legislative agenda for public safety officers is increasing federal funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program, which provides grants to hire police officers, improve law enforcement communications technology, and other initiatives.

Additional funding for COPS will help local law enforcement agencies across the country whose budgets are being cut or threatened with shortfalls, compromising public safety.

Too many law enforcement officers have lost their lives on the job. Let’s support the living while we honor the dead.

Learn more about AFSCME-represented law enforcement officers here. Also, check out the latest AFSCME research on law enforcement here.

Source: AFSCME Greenline Blog

Juvenile Correctional Schools Under Review

Governor appoints public committee to look at future of juvenile correctional schools

On April 8, Governor Doyle announced he was appointing a “Juvenile Corrections Review Committee” whose mission is to “formulate a committee recommendation for the Governor regarding the best correctional environment for delinquent youth which will enable them to learn, grow and change their behavior for successful community integration.”

The committee will hold its third meeting May 7 on site at Lincoln Hills School for Boys near Merrill in northern Wisconsin. The committee, which toured Ethan Allen last week, is comprised of public members, including four judges, two ministers, a therapist, a county human service manager, a retired educator, the director of Rawhide Boys Ranch, and a representative of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. There are no legislators or union representatives on the committee.

AFSCME has been working with lawmakers and advocates for some time to call attention to the larger issues surrounding juvenile offenders. The central problem is how Wisconsin pays for services for teens that run afoul of the law, and how it treats those who are over 17. Generally, teens 17 and over who commit serious crimes are sent into the adult system, and the bill is paid by the state. Offenders under age 17 are handled by the juvenile courts, which have an array of options to deal with teens, including sending them to the three juvenile schools. If kids are sent to the schools, counties pay the price - $279 per day, or more than $100,000 per year.

AFSCME will continue to work with the DOC and committee members and urge them to look at how Wisconsin can do better to address the overwhelming needs of teen offenders, whether in the community or in the state juvenile schools. We will challenge the committee to look at the funding issues, which are at the core of the decline in the school populations, and urge the committee to take a stand in favor of raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 17.

Source: AFSCME C24 UIN 05/07/2010

Marty Beil and John "SLY" Sylvester Continue Discussion of State Employees

Posted by SLY at Lunch Pail Logic on April 14, 2010

Marty Beil and John “Sly” Sylvester, from 1670 WTDY-Madison continue the public discussion of state employees. Use the control buttons at the webpage [http://wseu-sepac.org/lpl_20100417_interviewofmbeil.htm] to listen to the interview. There is no downloading or the need to save to file. The below control buttons will bring you instant sound and you can stop and play, fast forward or reverse if you wish. Now turn up the speakers, sit back and relax and listen to the interview.

AFSCME Member's Fought Hard for Health Care Reform

Message from Council 24 Executive Director Martin Beil on behalf of AFSCME President McEntee:

President Obama recently signed the most significant piece of legislation in a generation. For the first time, our nation recognizes that health care is genuinely a right for all Americans. AFSCME members fought hard to pass President Obama’s health care reform package, and now it’s the law of the land. This victory will protect and improve good union health care benefits. It stops the worst abuses of the insurance companies. It gives workers and families without coverage on-the-job access to affordable health care. It ends skyrocketing premiums and caps on benefits. It helps seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole, strengthening Medicare and helping employers pay for coverage of pre-Medicare retirees. It provides critical new funding to states.

AFSCME ran the largest mobilization campaign in our history to pass health care reform. More than 300,000 phone calls and letters were sent to Congress. We used texting and new media. We put ads on TV, online and in the papers. We marched, we lobbied and we prevailed.

Click on the title of this posting and you will find a thorough and factual summary of the health care reforms that are most important to AFSCME and its members. We hope you will use this educational tool to counter any misinformation currently circulating.

Thank you.