POSTINGS:

JURCZYK TO BRUCE 2^ND SHIFT

STEFAN TO STOUT T.A. 1^ST SHIFT

UNION INFO

If people want other type of union info, I mail those out from my home e-mail, to people’s home e-mails. Drop me a note with your home e-mail:

JPETERS2@wi.rr.com

CELL PHONES

PETERS- 414-303-1987

WELCH- 262-470-4921

REMINDER:

We’re on the web also (thanx to Russ Montney!!!)

www.wseu15.org

USEFUL WEB-SITES

www.wseu-24.org

www.wseu-sepac.org

www.afscme.org

www.wisaflcio.org

www.afl-cio.org

www.wisconsin.gov

http://oser.state.wi.us/index.asp

http://badger.state.wi.us/sowdir/phonebook.shtml

LOCAL 15 T-SHIRTS

CLEARANCE!!!!

$10.00 EACH

WOULD LIKE TO SELL OUT THESE OLD ONES AND MAYBE GET SOME NEW DESIGNS!

XL SPRUCE GREEN “BAR & GRILL”

XL WHITE “USA FLAG”

XL BLACK “PROS VS CONS”

S-MED-L-XL—10.00 EACH

2X- 12.00 EACH

CALL PETERS

WISCONSIN STATE EMPLOYEES UNION

8033 Excelsior Drive, Suite C, Madison, WI 53717

608/836-0024

Martin Beil, Executive Director

Bob McLinn, President

June 5, 2008

CONTRACTS…The Governor signed our contracts on Monday, 6/2, with an effective date of Sunday, 6/8.  According to the Compensation Bureau, the contracts will be implemented in pay period 14, which runs June 8 to June 21, and any lump-sum payments will be included in the July 3 paycheck.   There has been a lot of misinformation and inaccurate reporting by some incompetent media sources in the State of Wisconsin regarding these contracts.  First, neither the legislature, nor the Governor, amended these contracts in any way.  Second, you will receive a 2% wage adjustment effective 7/1/07 and a 1% wage adjustment effective 6/28/08.  Various market adjustments for affected classes will occur in October; and then your 2% wage increase will occur 6/28/09.  Now, 2 +1 + 2 = 5; and 2 + 2 + 1 = 5; so how does the media interpret that you have lost any money in this deal?  The actual savings of $25 million across all state employees occurs because the 2% in June of 2009 only applies to a couple of days during the current  biennium and the majority of the cost is shifted to the 09-11 biennium budget.  In essence, a $25 million  savings in the 07-09 budget.  We don’t want to confuse you any more than you already may be; however these are the straight facts.  You will see them play out as your pay adjustments are implemented over the course of contract.

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION…Local unions not sending delegates to this summer’s International Convention in San Francisco are asked to contact and/or forward your credentials (signed by president and secretary) to Council 24 to the attention of Lynn Megonigle (608-836-0024, ext. 129); or lmegonigle@wseu-24.org, if you wish for your local’s voted to be carried by another delegate.  Lynn can provide information about how to elect another delegate for that purpose.

            Locals who ARE sending delegates are asked to forward a listing of your local delegation to Lynn (lmegonigle@wseu-24.org) at the Council.

EVENT CANCELLATION ...Labor’s Baseball night on Friday, 6/20/08 at Carson Park in Eau Claire has been cancelled  due to lack of labor support by team ownership.

JERRY CLARK SCHOLARSHIP...$5000/year for junior and senior years, awarded to two college sophomores majoring in social sciences.  Application deadline is 7/1/08.  Further info:  www.afscme.org.

JUNE BARGAINING UNIT CONFERENCES…The constitutionally required regular bargaining unit conferences have been scheduled as follows in Stevens Point (locals have been notified).

            Tuesday, 6/10 - Blue Collar, Technical, Administrative Support

            Wednesday, 6/11 - Security & Public Safety; Professional Social Services

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING…FRIDAY, 6/27 - Council 24.

AFSCME LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

June 5, 2008

Governor Doyle Signs State Employee Contracts

This week Governor Doyle signed into law the bills that mark the final legislative and executive action on the 2007-09 state employee contracts, including five of AFSCME Council 24’s bargaining units.  The Governor thanked our state employee bargaining team members for their leadership on the contracts and in helping with the state budget.

The Undercurrent of Legislative Activity Will Continue in the Summer and into the Fall

The 2007-08 Legislative session now is officially over. While lawmakers and candidates have set their sights on the fall elections, there continues to be undercurrent of legislative activity, both inside the Capitol and outside of the Capitol.   Within the Capitol, special legislative study committees will meet to carry out in-depth discussions on some key issues, including:

·         Juvenile corrections and how to deal with high-risk juvenile offenders

·         Emergency management

·         Building Wisconsin’s workforce

·         Strengthening Wisconsin’s families

·         State-tribal relations

·         Creating regional transportation authorities

These committees, comprised of legislators and public members who are experts on the various topics, will meet monthly over the summer and into the fall, with the goal of developing a package of recommendations on the topics that will be brought before the next Legislature, which will return in January of 2009.  AFSCME will be monitoring these committees and will provide input where appropriate. 

From the outside of the Capitol, advocacy groups are organizing and preparing their agendas to bring to candidates in the fall and to elected officials next January.

AFSCME has been participating in discussions with allies on topics such as the future of transportation funding (with the Transportation Development Association and other allies), protecting state aid to local governments (Shared Revenue) and building support for repealing loopholes in our corporate income tax laws to ensure that corporations operating in Wisconsin and using services are paying their share of the cost of those services.  We’ve also been holding discussions about how to break out of the endless cycle of deficit budgeting, and how to elect state and local officials who will truly work to protect the public sector. 

Each of these topics merits greater attention which we intend to provide for you in future AFSCME Legislative Bulletins or in articles in your AFSCME Reports monthly newspaper.  We are committed to giving you a taste of some of the issues brewing and which we hope will come before lawmakers in the 2009-10 session, but right now is the time to plant the seeds, both with our membership and with candidates running for office. 

For more information contact your AFSCME legislative representatives at 608-836-6666

MAY 8, 2008

UNION MEETING MINUTES

§         CALL TO ORDER

§         ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS

PETERS

                                WELCH - EXCUSED

                                GRAINER

                                MONTNEY – EXCUSED

                                REYNOLDS

                                MANKE

                                HIGHTOWER – EXCUSED

• EXEC BOARD MINUTES OF APRIL 2008
• UNION MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 2008

§         TREASURER REPORT OF APRIL 2008

§         STEWARD INFO

q       GRIEVENCES – Not too  many and the one’s we have are coming along good

q       2^ND STEPS – Pending

q       ARBS- UMPIRES – Packet passed out to Board

• HEALTH/SAFETY

q       ABNORMALLY HAZARDOUS REPORTS – Teasley gave Peters stuff and will be looked over

q       INSPECTIONS -

• SRT

• COURT WATCHER (CCAP UPDATES 2/11/08

q       U. WILLIAMS – Battery by prisoner jury trial 04/23/08 – Substantial battery and Intended bodily harm.  Appears he is still in Lincoln County Jail (he got 3+1 time for a 2005 Staff Battery)

q       C. KLESER – court 8/3/07 – 9/14 Prelim Hearing, 3/17/08 hearing.

q       D. RIZERS –  Hearing 2/13/08

q       D. BARNETT – 4^th Degree Sexual Assault – Nothing in CCAP yet

q       M. SIMON – Court 3/27/08- Initial appearance

q       D. LOCKHART –

q       K. SANFORD – Charged with Battery, Disorderly Conduct.  Discharges from EAS on 2/15/08 – no court dates yet

q       DONELSON –  Nothing in CCAP yet

q       W. DEADWYLER –  nothing in CCAP yet

q       J. HOSKINS – Nothing to report as of yet

q       A. HOYT –  Nothing to report as of yet

• FUND-RAISING

q       T-SHIRTS- in Monthly Update, on sale for $10.00 each

q       POCKET PEELERS-

q       NEW TEES

q       Mr. Z’s FUND RAISING – Crystal got a bunch of info on their FUND RAISING PROGRAM and shared it at the meeting.  It’s being tabled until next meeting. 

• NEWSLETTER

q       MONTHLY UPDATE

• SEPAC

q       Nothing to report

• CORRECTIVE SANCTIONS

q       LOCAL AGREEMENT – Nothing getting accomplished and continue to work on at next LM meeting out there

q       LABOR MANAGEMENT MEETINGS –

• NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION

q       OJT –

q       MENTORS – Any volunteers to be put on updated list?

• ACTIVITES

q       SUMMER PICNIC AND GOLF OUTING – June 28^th at ST JOHN’S GOLF COURSE in Delafield. Shot gun start at 9:00 am.  Contact Welch if you’re interested in playing in the outing.  The Union Picnic will be held at the park in Delafield that it’s been at in the past.

• LABOR MANAGEMENT

q       May 30^h – Normal monthly meeting

q       Still try always to meet to clear up past agenda items

• UNFINISHED OLD BUSINESS

q       LOCAL AGREEMENT – Talked about at EB Meeting.  Some corrections on a few items that  were forgotten and/or mistyped.  Any new changes due by May 14^th .

q       PATROL MEETING – Two employees call in sick that day and the meeting was cancelled.

q       MEDICAL ISSUES – This will be back on the agenda for the next Labor Management meeting

• NEW BUSINESS

q       STATE BUDGET – Nothing new to report

q       SUP MANUAL – Ch. 403 “Employee Discipline” from 8/92 – Working on a new one

q       BADGER CAMP – May 17-19 Poker Run and Golf Outing in Prairie du Chien

q       RACINE MEETING – Staff/Trips/Vigils.  There seems to be some discussions on staff per offenders on trips

q       CORRECTIONS WEEK – Requesting an open records on what other institutions did for their employees.

• PRESIDENT’S REPORT

EB MINS

Ø       INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION- Being held in San Francisco- No one from Local 15 will be attending

Ø       LOCAL AGREEMENT – Should all be ready after a few corrections on items forgotten and/or mistyped.   Any other changes need to be to Peters by May 14^th

Ø       MENTORS TO BE ADDED TO LIST – None as of now

Ø       GRIEVENCE DENIALS/ARBS- Sheets passed out to the Board

Ø       ARB SETTLEMENT – The benefits he is entitled to is still being worked out

Ø        1 DAY- She will be receiving this day back

Ø       3 TEST – Waiting to receive the original test from S. Jackson

Ø       MRSA HAZ DUTY – Recently received some stuff from Teasley that needs to be looked over

Ø       HAZARDOUS DUTY/RESTRICTIONS- Nothing

• EMPLOYEE SERVICES COMMITTEE – Going well as contract was approved

• BARGAINING UPDATE – Bargaining Conference on June 11^th in Stevens Point.  Peters, Welch, and Franke will be attending.

• COCI – at bargaining conference

v      DJC QUARTERLY  - Friday, March 14, 2008.  Trying to set up another meeting

v      DOC QUARTERLY – DECEMBER 18, 2007

ü       LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

ü       EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

ü       MK COMMITTEE

ü       VICTIM SERVICES

ü       AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

ü       BEST PRACTICES UP-DATES

• GOOD & WELFARE
• E-b member  is ill.
• staff’s brother is very ill

AFSCME Council 24

WISCONSIN STATE EMPLOYEES UNION

8033 Excelsior Drive, Suite C, Madison, WI 53717

608/836-0024

Martin Beil, Executive Director

Bob McLinn, President

June 12, 2008

BARGAINING UNIT CONFERENCES…Just as we put the 07-09 contract “to bed”, we elected new bargaining team members for the 09-11 contract this week.  The results of those bargaining team elections are as follows.

AS Unit - Jan Banicki, Local 13; Ann Capadona, Local 68; Cecelia Lewandowski, Local 82; Susan Raasch, Local 579; Gary Mitchell, Local 2412.

BC Unit - Vern Seay, Local 1; Mike Will, Local 126; Barb Peters, Local 171; Paul Walton, Local 1131; Jack Connell, Local 1914.

PSS Unit -Bill Brockmiller, Tom Corcoran, Amy Huss, Dave Kopplin, Laura Welle, all Local 2748.

SPS Unit - Julie Peters, Local 15; Jason Wenzel, Local 18; Ron Keenan, Local 104; Marty Kehrein, Local 333; Russ Wilson, Local 1215.

Tech Unit - Vicky Ruppert, Local 13; Karen Borst, Local 48; Randy Brink, Local 171; Cathy Horenberger, Local 634; Scott Plaster, Local 1218.

In addition, at these bargaining unit conferences, the five units also elected their Council 24 executive board members for the 09-11 term.  The results of those elections are:

AS Unit - LaCretia Moss, Local 91; Mary Czynszak-Lyne, Local 2412.
BC Unit - Barb Peters, Local 171; John Gast, Local 333.
PSS Unit -Amy Huss, Jeff Johnson,  Local 2748.
SPS Unit - Ron McAllister, Local 6; Todd Wetzel, Local 178; Jon Patzlsberger, Local 3394.
Tech Unit - Gerry Zastrow, Local 584; Ken Weaver, Local 758.
       
We congratulate all of these elected leaders, and look forward to working with them as we continue the work of representing our members.

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION…Local unions not sending delegates to this summer’s International Convention in San Francisco are asked to contact and/or forward your credentials (signed by president and secretary) to Council 24 to the attention of Lynn Megonigle (608-836-0024, ext. 129); or lmegonigle@wseu-24.org <mailto:lmegonigle@wseu-24.org>, if you wish for your local’s voted to be carried by another delegate.  Lynn can provide information about how to elect another delegate for that purpose.

       
Locals who ARE sending delegates are asked to forward a listing of your local delegation to Lynn (lmegonigle@wseu-24.org <mailto:lmegonigle@wseu-24.org>) at the Council.

JERRY CLARK SCHOLARSHIP...$5000/year for junior and senior years, awarded to two college sophomores majoring in social sciences.  Application deadline is 7/1/08.  Further info:  www.afscme.org.

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING…FRIDAY, 6/27 - Council 24.

AFSCME LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

AFSCME Green Sheet

Corporate Tax Disclosure

June 12, 2008

Introducing AFSCME Green Sheets

Last week’s legislative bulletin discussed several issues that AFSCME anticipates being at the forefront of the 2009-10 legislative agenda.  Today’s bulletin provides the first in an ongoing series of position papers, or AFSCME Green Sheets, on those issues that will be rolled out over the summer heading into the fall.  AFSCME will still provide updates on pertinent legislative issues when they arise (such as the Audit Bureau report on overtime discussed below), but the focus of this and future bulletins for the next several months will be on fundamental issues for public employees looking towards next session.

Corporate Tax Disclosure

Recent news reports ballyhooed Wisconsin falling out of the top 10 “highest taxed” states in the nation, but those reports ignored the real story behind these suspect rankings, which are driven by ultraconservative think tanks with a blatantly big business agenda.

According to the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future (IWF), profitable corporations in Wisconsin have managed to shift more and more of the cost of providing needed services onto the shoulders of individuals.  In the early 1970s, big business paid for roughly half the cost of keeping our state going.  Today, they pay less than 30%, meaning that individuals have had to make up the difference.  In the mean time, corporations have re-focused the anger resulting from their success at tax shifting by blaming public service providers for rising individual tax rates.  Corporate interests have perpetuated the myth that Wisconsin taxes are out of line, when, in reality, Wisconsin spending levels are in middle of the pack, and our number of public employees is below the national average on a per capita basis.  Instead of blaming public employees, citizens need to understand that they are paying more in taxes because clever corporations are paying less than their fair share.

Even more disturbing from IWF’s findings is that while corporations paid less and less in taxes they saw profits grow considerably during that same time period, even when adjusted for inflation.  In fact, since 1978 nationwide corporate profits more than doubled when adjusted for inflation from $694 billion to $1.446 trillion.  That Wisconsin has seen income taxes from corporations remain nearly flat, while corporate profits have increased so significantly, illustrates how corporations have avoided paying their fair share in Wisconsin over the last three decades.

The primary way corporations in Wisconsin avoid paying state income taxes is due to the proliferation of corporate tax breaks.  These tax breaks, some that are specific to certain corporations engaged in a specific industry, others available to a wide swath of Wisconsin’s business landscape, result in what is called corporate tax leakage.  Essentially, corporate tax leakage is the amount of money corporations would have paid in Wisconsin corporate income tax if they reported the same profits to the state Department of Revenue as they did to the federal government.  In 2006 alone Wisconsin’s corporate tax leakage amounted to $643 million, an amount that was essentially shifted on to working families.

AFSCME, along with IWF and other partners, successfully lobbied for one of these corporate tax loopholes to be closed during the recent state budget adjustment bill.  The “Wal-Mart” loophole, allowed corporations to avoid state income tax by placing ownership of the land their businesses operated on in Wisconsin into an out of state subsidiary.  The subsidiaries, located in states with favorable corporate tax structures, would then charge high enough rent to their Wisconsin based stores to eliminate all profits earned in Wisconsin.

Closure of this loophole is expected to generate, at a minimum, $15 million in corporate tax revenues.  That number may be significantly higher, as it is difficult to ascertain exactly how many corporations operating in Wisconsin are taking advantage of this loophole.  Current state limits public disclosure of corporate income taxes in Wisconsin.

While this was an important victory, it was only step one in creating real tax reform in Wisconsin.  There are many more loopholes that need to be closed in order to reach full tax fairness in Wisconsin, and a lot more information we need to find out how much tax is actually being shifted onto working families in the state.

That is why AFSCME is working to build support for the Corporate Tax Accountability Act (2007 Senate Bill 367), introduced by Senator Dave Hansen.  This act would require corporations in Wisconsin to publicly disclose their total gross income and their state income tax returns.  The act will allow a complete review of Wisconsin’s corporate tax structure, enabling us to determine how corporations are avoiding paying their share in the state, and what tax loopholes are most responsible for the tax burden shift to Wisconsin families.

This fall, when talking to candidates seeking legislative office ask them if they support the Corporate Tax Accountability Act and overall tax fairness for Wisconsin.

Audit Bureau Releases Overtime Report

A 15% increase in overtime by workers employed at state institutions should come as no surprise, AFSCME notes in wake of a report on overtime costs by the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB).

This week the LAB issued a report that showed that state agencies paid nearly $188 million in overtime, a 15% increase since 2005.  Most of the overtime involves staff at the state’s mental health institutes and in correctional facilities, which require round-the-clock staffing. 

The increase in overtime costs is a direct result of staff shortages. Since 2002, the state has been loath to advocate for staffing the mental health and correctional facilities at the levels necessary to run them safely, as well as to support the workers and keep the institutions safe. In addition, AFSCME notes, most lawmakers are reluctant to add staff and are skittish about committing to supporting the additional spending that more staff positions would require. 

Until the state recognizes that additional staff is needed in the institutions where inmates and the mentally ill require 24-hour attention, Wisconsin is going to continue to grapple with ever-increasing overtime costs.

AFSCME notes that missing from the LAB report and the news stories about “excessive” overtime is the fact that many staff do not welcome overtime but are forced to put in long hours, causing burnout and resulting in others leaving their positions, putting our institutions at risk. 

AFSCME will continue to work with lawmakers to address staffing shortages at Mendota, Winnebago, the Wisconsin Resource Center as well as Wisconsin’s many correctional institutions.

AFSCME Council 24

WISCONSIN STATE EMPLOYEES UNION

8033 Excelsior Drive, Suite C, Madison, WI 53717

608/836-0024

Martin Beil, Executive Director

Bob McLinn, President

June 20, 2008

FLOOD VICTIMS...our thoughts and prayers are with the citizens and our members who incurred huge losses and significant damage to their homes and personal property during the recent flooding disaster.  The International Union has reopened the “Fallen Heroes Fund” to collect and disperse money to affected members in the Midwest.  The International has made an initial contribution of $100,000 and Councils and Locals are beginning to contribute as well.  The International also has a “strike team” currently in the Midwest dealing with AFSCME members’ issues.  We know that with losses in the billions of dollars, whatever the union can do is a drop in the bucket, nonetheless we are prepared to do as much as we can.  Any member or local wanting to contribute can do so by sending a check to:  AFSCME Fallen Heroes Fund, 1625 L St., NW, Washington DC  20036.

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION…Local unions not sending delegates to this summer’s International Convention in San Francisco are asked to contact and/or forward your credentials (signed by president and secretary) to Council 24 to the attention of Lynn Megonigle (608-836-0024, ext. 129); or lmegonigle@wseu-24.org <mailto:lmegonigle@wseu-24.org>, if you wish for your local’s voted to be carried by another delegate.  Lynn can provide information about how to elect another delegate for that purpose.

       
Locals who ARE sending delegates are asked to forward a listing of your local delegation to Lynn (lmegonigle@wseu-24.org <mailto:lmegonigle@wseu-24.org>) at the Council.

JERRY CLARK SCHOLARSHIP...$5000/year for junior and senior years, awarded to two college sophomores majoring in social sciences.  Application deadline is 7/1/08.  Further info:  www.afscme.org.

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING…FRIDAY, 6/27 - Council 24.

AFSCME LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

AFSCME Green Sheet (No. 2)

“Combined Reporting”

June 19, 2008

Wisconsin’s Revenue Problem: Combating Corporate Tax Avoidance by Enacting “Combined Reporting” for Wisconsin Corporations

AFSCME members surely are tired of dealing with the fallout of endless state budget deficits, which translate into unfilled job vacancies, staff layoffs, forced overtime, reduced funding for services and more. Deficit budgeting, in sum, means skimping on the vital services that make Wisconsin a great place to live.

Calls for cuts in spending to solve budget deficits are all too common but are short-sighted and overly simplistic. There is another way: Wisconsin should consider new revenue options to provide a fair, progressive alternative to service cuts that would affect the elderly, disabled, children and families.

One such option is to change our corporate tax filing laws to ensure that the corporations are paying what they should pay for the cost of services.

Our current corporate tax laws allow corporations to legally avoid paying income taxes. Here’s how they do it: parent corporations report their own income and expenses separately from their affiliates. Corporations such as banks and retailers take advantage of this separate reporting mechanism to place ownership of their affiliates in states that have no income tax.

On paper, therefore, these parent corporations show less income than what they actually earn. Thus they owe less in taxes. This is not fair to other taxpayers (such as small business owners and working families) who end up paying more for the services that corporations also depend on and enjoy.  It’s also not fair to those who need services, which are chronically under-funded. 

Some years ago, former Governor Tommy Thompson urged lawmakers to enact a law to implement a system of “combined reporting” of corporate taxes. The law would require combining the income of the parent company as well as all of the affiliates of a corporation to determine their whole tax liability.  By combining the income of corporations, the state could hold corporations accountable to the same tax laws that apply to the rest of us.

Recently, Senate Democrats pushed for “combined reporting” law in Wisconsin. Fiscal analysts report that combined reporting could pump an additional $75 million a year into our state’s treasury.  Imagine what $75 million could do for Shared Revenue or for financially strapped counties that struggling with skyrocketing juvenile corrections, nursing homes and court costs. 

Combined reporting would eliminate a legal loophole that corporations exploit to avoid paying their full tax responsibility and for cost of services. 

Combined reporting has been adopted by 21 of the 45 states that tax corporations.  Close to home, our neighbors in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota require combined reporting. Michigan is among five states that enacted combined reporting in the past three years to end the practice of corporations exploiting outmoded tax laws to avoid paying taxes. 

Combined reporting would not raise tax rates, eliminate deductions, credits or exemptions. Simply put, it would erase an accounting trick that corporations legally but unfairly exploit at expense of the rest of us.

It is time for the Wisconsin Legislature to consider enacting “combined reporting” in this state not only to alleviate our chronic budget woes but to modernize the corporate tax filing system and bring us in line with our neighboring states. 

AFSCME supports “combined reporting” legislation and will work to secure passage of this law in the 2009-10 legislative session.  AFSCME leaders across Wisconsin should pressure candidates to take a stand in favor of implementing combined reporting here. 

AFSCME Endorses Obama

Posted By Seth Michaels On June 19, 2008 @ 5:29 pm In Legislation & Politics | 2 Comments

[1] AFSCME has [2] endorsed Sen. [3] Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president, following a unanimous vote by the union’s International Executive Board in favor of the endorsement.

AFSCME President Gerald McEntee said the 1.4 million-member union would mobilize enthusiastically to elect Obama.

Barack Obama has mobilized a historic movement to reclaim the greatness of America. With his leadership, our nation will rise up to rebuild the middle class at home and restore America’s reputation in the world. AFSCME will mobilize more members and invest more resources than ever before to help Senator Obama win the White House. We will turn out an army of 40,000 AFSCME activists to knock on doors, make phone calls and talk with their co-workers and neighbors to produce an unprecedented turnout in the 2008 election.

Barack Obama is a proven fighter on the issues our members care about most, such as ending privatization, providing state and local fiscal relief, fully funding and supporting public services and the workers who provide them and guaranteeing that everyone in our country has access to quality, affordable health care they can count on.

In October, AFSCME [4] endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) for president. Clinton suspended her campaign earlier this month and endorsed Obama.

Obama also has been endorsed by [5] AFGE, the Boilermakers ([6] IBB), the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department ([7] BCTD), the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers ([8] IFPTE), the International Longshore and Warehouse Union ([9] ILWU), the National Air Traffic Controllers Association ([10] NATCA), the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters ([11] UA), the Postal Workers ([12] APWU), the [13] UAN, the [14] UAW and the Utility Workers ([15] UWUA).   

Three unions that initially endorsed former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.)—the Mine Workers ([16] UMWA), Transport Workers ([17] TWU) and United Steelworkers ([18] USW)—also have given their endorsements to Obama.   

Twelve other AFL-CIO affiliate unions endorsed Clinton: [19] AFT, Amalgamated Transit Union ([20] ATU), Bricklayers ([21] BAC), Letter Carriers ([22] NALC), Machinists ([23] IAM), Office and Professional Employees ([24] OPEIU), Painters and Allied Trades ([25] IUPAT), Plasterers and Cement Masons ([26] OP&CMIA), Sheet Metal Workers ([27] SMWIA), [28] TCU/IAM, Theatrical Stage Employees ([29] IATSE) and the United Transportation Union ([30] UTU). The IAM and IUPAT endorsements of Clinton in the Democratic primaries were accompanied by endorsements of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Republican primaries.  

The Fire Fighters ([31] IAFF) union, which endorsed Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), has not announced a new endorsement.   

In August 2007, the AFL-CIO Executive Council said it would not make an [32] endorsement at that time for a 2008 presidential candidate, freeing AFL-CIO unions to endorse candidates for the caucuses and primaries. The AFL-CIO will continue the [33] Working Families Vote 2008 campaign to help elect a worker-friendly Congress and president.

    AFSCME Council 24

WISCONSIN STATE EMPLOYEES UNION

8033 Excelsior Drive, Suite C, Madison, WI 53717

608/836-0024

Martin Beil, Executive Director

                                                                                        Bob McLinn, President

June 27, 2008

FLOOD VICTIMS...just a reminder that the International Union has reopened the “Fallen Heroes Fund” to collect and disperse money to flood affected members in the Midwest.  Members or locals are urged to contribute by sending a check to:  AFSCME Fallen Heroes Fund, 1625 L St., NW, Washington DC  20036.  Already dozens of your brothers and sisters in Council 24 have registered for flood relief - proof that your contributions benefit us right here at home.

CONTRACT...New rates and retroactivity payments will appear on your Thursday, 7/3 paychecks.  Please look carefully to make sure your retro amount is accurate.  Questions or problems should be reported to your field representative.  We are in the final proofreading process with the contract and hope to have the document at the printer within the next couple of weeks.

COUNCIL 24 CONVENTION...is approaching July 23-25 in Green Bay.  Locals are urged to send credential forms in ASAP so that their delegates will receive the advance packet of convention information, resolutions and proposed amendments, which will be mailed in early July.

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION…Local unions not sending delegates to this summer’s International Convention in San Francisco are asked to contact and/or forward your credentials (signed by president and secretary) to Council 24 to the attention of Lynn Megonigle (608-836-0024, ext. 129); or lmegonigle@wseu-24.org <mailto:lmegonigle@wseu-24.org>, if you wish for your local’s voted to be carried by another delegate.  Lynn can provide information about how to elect another delegate for that purpose.

        Locals who ARE sending delegates are asked to forward a listing of your local delegation to Lynn (lmegonigle@wseu-24.org <mailto:lmegonigle@wseu-24.org>) at the Council.

JULY 4^TH HOLIDAY...In observance of the holiday, all Council offices will be closed on Friday, 7/4.  There will be no Weekly Summary - so watch for the next edition on 7/11.

 
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING…FRIDAY, 6/27 - Council 24.

COMMITTEE MEETING...Education, 7/9; Council 24.

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AFSCME LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN    
GREEN SHEET NUMBER 3 - SHARED REVENUE  
       

Sharing Revenue: A commitment to the state/local government partnership

The concept of  “Shared Revenue” goes back to the early 1900s, when legislators recognized that state tax dollars ought to be shared with local governments to help pay for services that the locals provide. It is a commitment the state made to localities decades ago to acknowledge that local governments are partners in government.

Shared Revenue (SR) helps localities pay for services that the public and our economy depend upon, such as public safety, recreation, sanitation, libraries, courts, public health, transportation and more.

Revenue sharing is based on the idea that every community and citizen deserves a basic level of public services, regardless of ability to pay. SR is vital to keeping the public sector strong, and it is an important funding source for local budgets.  The 2008 budget for the City of Eau Claire, for example, relies upon the $7.5 million the state sends in Shared Revenue.  That’s more than 14% of the city’s entire $51 million budget. 

Wisconsin provides nearly $900 million per year in Shared Revenue for counties and municipalities.  Shared Revenue is funded with general tax dollars (General Purpose Revenue or GPR) that come from the state’s General Fund. The GPR-portion of the state budget for 2008 is $13.8 billion.  Our entire state budget for fiscal year 2008 is $28 billion (all funds). 

While $900 million is no small change, the allocation for Shared Revenue has been faltering over time. Since 1997, funding for Shared Revenue has been cut by 5.5% - but when inflation is factored in, the reduction in the state funding for Shared Revenue actually is 26.7%!   The following chart identifies the allocation for Shared Revenue made by the state Legislature since 1997:

1997    $950.6 million                          2004    $893.5    -7.9% cut
1998    $950.6 million  0%                      2005    $893.5     0%
1999    $950.6 million  0%                      2006    $898.3    0.5% increase
2000    $951.2 million  0.1% increase           2007    $899.2    0.1% increase
2001    $951.2 million  0%                      2008    $899.6    0.1% increase
2002    $960 million    1% increase            
2003     $970.3 million         1% increase             (source: Legislative Fiscal Bureau)

Another way to see the decline in funding for Shared Revenue is to look again at the budget for the City of Eau Claire for 2008 compared to 1995:

                Revenue Sources of the Budget for the City of Eau Claire
                                                              1995                    2008
Intergovernmental aid   *                         47.5%                   21.5%  
Property taxes                                      26.0%                   49.3%
Licenses, penalties, etc.                         9.8%                  11.7%    
Charges for service                                 6.7%                  10.6%
Other taxes                                           10.0%                     3.3%

* This includes federal aid and other sources of aid, not only SR.      Source: City of Eau Claire Budget

Back in 2000, AFSCME analysts figured that Shared Revenue had the effect of reducing property taxes by an average of $455 on a $100,000 home.  That offset in today’s dollars is a mere $220 on the same $100,000 home.  Property taxes have replaced Shared Revenue as the main source of revenue for most local units of government. This is not a sustainable situation, especially when property tax levy limits are factored in. (We will discuss in a future edition of our AFSCME Green Sheet how levy limits on local governments are choking public services).   

AFSCME and others are concerned about the future of the Shared Revenue promise and Wisconsin’s commitment to the state/local partnership.

This fall we will be asking lawmakers to enact “indexing” for Shared Revenue - that is, a guaranteed increase in Shared Revenue based on the Consumer Price Index (which is now 3%).  Had indexing been in effect in 2008, Shared Revenue would have been boosted by $26.97 million dollars (to $926.57 million, compared to $899.6 million).

Public employees have a strong reason to be engaged in this election season.  We must elect candidates who will pledge to maintain and improve Shared Revenue in the next state budget.  Wisconsin needs a state Legislature that recognizes the long-standing partnership between the state and local governments and the vital role that SR funding plays in supporting that partnership.  The vitality of Wisconsin’s economy and the public sector depend on preserving Shared Revenue.

Front-line public workers deserve private lives too

By Marty Beil

    If citizens want to know how much front-line public employees are paid, it's not hard to find out.  Pay ranges are public record.

    If a newspaper wants to find out if law enforcement officers are among those who no longer are allowed to drive state cars, a reporter can request and find out the job classifications of those covered by the prohibition.

    But if the newspaper wants to know exactly what a particular state correctional officer is paid, or exactly who is being prohibited from driving, that's when the line is crossed between legitimate public knowledge and the protection of personal privacy.

    It's why we fought for and won contract provisions that protect the right to privacy of our members.  And it is why we continue to fight to protect the privacy of our members in the courts.

    Our union believes the public has a right to know about the inner workings of its government.  We constantly encourage the media to cover the hard work public employees do at a time when each is being asked to consistently do more with less.

    But correctional facilities that continue to operate safely despite crowding do not make splashy newspaper copy.  Of course, if a reporter were assigned to walk a day in the shoes of a correctional officer, there would be stories to tell.  If newspapers invested more time digging into the power-keg conditions inside correctional facilities, a more enlightened public might demand remedies.

    If reporters researched how staffing levels of Department of Natural Resources wardens in the field affect the state's ability to fight chronic wasting disease or other threats to wildlife and human health, they just might find a story there.

    Or if newspapers looked into what happens to severely disabled people when they are taken from safe homes in state facilities and disappear into loosely regulated community settings, there might be a Pulitzer lurking out there.

    But, this kind of nuts and bolts public-spirited reporting appears to have lost favor.  Instead, it's been replaced by all that is petty and personal.  It's easier to publish lists of public employee names and salaries than it is to actually look at the work being done by those employees.

    Of course, some editors claim they have loftier goals for pushing the state Supreme Court to shatter our contracts than to publish the names and salaries of your neighbors.  They should be asked to explain why such lists of names and salaries of county and city employees are paraded out routinely in Wisconsin newspapers, solely because those employees have not won a measure of privacy in their own contracts.

    Certainly we all should know what the top leaders are being paid.

There's a public policy justification to know that Barry Alvarez makes more than Jim Doyle.  But what public policy goal is met by publishing what Betty down the street makes as a nursing assistant at Wisconsin Central Center?

    Again, it is easy to find out the pay range for any specific state job.

It is easy to look at the entire budget of a place like Central Center.

It

is possible to look at staffing levels and trends.  If a public employee is charged with a crime, his or her name is made public.  Everything needed to have a fully informed discussion of public policy is readily available.

    What isn't there is private details of front-line, non-policy-making employees.  Invading their privacy adds nothing to a legitimate discussion of public policy.  All it does is make public what shoul