Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010
‘Wisconsin Shouldn’t Be Left Out’
A Shepherd Q&A with Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Stephanie Bloomingdale
Organized
labor is in a process of rebirth, but it’s doing so in a very challenging
economic and political environment that promotes corporate profits and the
consolidation of wealth over workers’ ability to earn fair wages. Part of
labor’s rebirth includes new leadership at the 250,000-member Wisconsin State
AFL-CIO. In September, Stephanie Bloomingdale, formerly of the Wisconsin
Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, became the secretary-treasurer,
while her predecessor, Phil Neuenfeldt, became president.
Bloomingdale spoke to the Shepherd about the AFL-CIO’s campaign to save high-speed rail in Wisconsin and its work to ensure that corporate CEOs and shareholders hold up their end of the social contract. Here’s an excerpt from our interview:
Shepherd: The state AFL-CIO—along with Voces de la Frontera and the Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods Coalition—has held a number of rallies in support of Talgo and high-speed rail, which Gov.-elect Scott Walker has promised to eliminate. Why is this project so important?
Bloomingdale: We at the AFL-CIO are standing shoulder to shoulder with community groups and religious groups and asking Scott Walker to reconsider his position on high-speed rail.
The reason why Talgo is so important to our community is that Talgo chose Milwaukee to set up their permanent base to build high-speed rail components to be used across the country. It’s not just for high-speed rail in Wisconsin. At the beginning they were planning on having 150 jobs there. But those jobs can grow.
It’s so important for this particular site, especially, since it was the site of Tower Automotive and A.O. Smith. At one time more than 10,000 workers showed up to go to work there every single morning. It’s amazing how many workers were able to have a good life because of good-paying union jobs there. Especially in that community, those jobs are needed so much now. But Walker is clinging to this shortsighted ideology pushed by his small circle of advisers. By saying no to the train he’s also saying no to Talgo and saying no to jobs. That’s just irresponsible.
Shepherd: How would the project help the rest of the state, especially those who don’t live near the proposed line or won’t work on it?
Bloomingdale: This project is critical to Wisconsin. It will bring jobs to Wisconsin. People are desperate right now. They’re out of work. They’re really struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for their families. This rail project would bring at least 5,000 jobs just to construct the rail line and also thousands and thousands more permanent jobs. And it’ll create the infrastructure we need for long-term growth in Wisconsin, which is very important. Finally, this is a nationwide rail project that is designed to improve our means of transportation. Wisconsin shouldn’t be left out of the overall infrastructure plan.
Our campaign to save the train is really just the first campaign in a series of many as part of our overall jobs agenda. We are going to hold Scott Walker accountable for every single one of those 250,000 jobs that he promised to create. When he makes foolish decisions like this one, which jeopardizes jobs—15,000 jobs that we’ll lose because of his shortsighted adherence to the views of his narrow circle of political advisers—we will be there to speak out about it every step of the way.
Shepherd: The recent economic downturn has allowed employers to cut workers’ wages, hours and jobs. Did employers take advantage of the recession to get concessions that weren’t absolutely necessary?
Bloomingdale: We’ve seen the erosion of our economy because of deregulation and tax breaks for the rich. Now that they’ve ransacked our economy, they’re asking workers to give back more. That’s just not fair and it’s just not right.
It’s like if you had a wedding and you had enough food for 100 people and one person came and took the food for 90 people and said, “There’s not much left for everyone else. You’ll have to make do.” That’s what’s happened to our economy. This 1% has taken 90% of the wealth. Rather than saying, “We should give some back,” they say, “You’ll have to make do with less.”
These are American companies. They have prospered because of the infrastructure we have here in the United States. But they break the social contract when they ship jobs overseas. Americans are angry about this. We need to raise our voices and hold these CEOs and shareholders accountable to Americans through our laws and our regulations, but also through our voices. When a company decides to move out and they move out silently in the night and no one says anything, it becomes so much easier for the next company to do the same thing. We need to reclaim the power of protest and the power of speaking out.
Shepherd: A few Wisconsin-based corporations have gotten significant concessions and tax breaks by threatening to leave the state. The employees really cannot refuse the company’s new offer or they’ll lose their jobs. Is that fair?
Bloomingdale: It’s not fair. I think it’s important that we help everyone in Wisconsin to rethink what it means to be an economic patriot. These companies are American companies, but they’re taking our jobs and shipping them overseas. They don’t really care about the well-being of American society. I really question their patriotism. A truly patriotic American company should not only think about their bottom line, but they should also think about the well-being of the American people. These companies that only care about their shareholders and don’t care about our society are truly unpatriotic.
It’s a dangerous trend for union workers. It’s a dangerous trend for all workers. In the end it will destroy our middle class. There are so many corporations that are sitting on unprecedented amounts of cash, yet they’re still using the economic recession as an excuse to cut wages and benefits. We have to get better at demanding accountability from these corporations. We have to be serious about their responsibilities to Wisconsin and to the United States of America. Many of these companies enjoy huge tax breaks and their CEOs and shareholders also enjoy huge tax breaks. When you talk about the deficit and why we’re in this economic situation, we know exactly where to place the blame, and that’s the unnecessary tax breaks for the richest among us and huge tax breaks for corporations and massive deregulation.
Shepherd: The news can’t be all bad. What are some success stories? Which companies have struck fair agreements with their employees and honored them?
Bloomingdale: Bucyrus. Their workers developed an incredibly good working relationship with management, which has benefited not only the workers but the company and the shareholders. This is an important lesson for all of us, because when labor and management work together, the company does better. The workers on the front line understand better than anyone where the problems and solutions lie. Of course, Bucyrus has been bought by Caterpillar, so we’re hoping that the level of labor-management cooperation continues under the new owners.
Shepherd: On to politics. In his 2010 and 2011 county budgets, Scott Walker included wage and benefits concessions that had never been negotiated. Will he do that in the state budget?
Bloomingdale: Nothing determines the future like the past. I think we can expect more of the same from Scott Walker, but now it’s going to be on a larger scale. It’s going to be our job to point out these irresponsible actions. We really cannot allow what he did to Milwaukee County—almost bringing it to the point of bankruptcy—to happen to our wonderful state of Wisconsin.
Bloomingdale spoke to the Shepherd about the AFL-CIO’s campaign to save high-speed rail in Wisconsin and its work to ensure that corporate CEOs and shareholders hold up their end of the social contract. Here’s an excerpt from our interview:
Shepherd: The state AFL-CIO—along with Voces de la Frontera and the Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods Coalition—has held a number of rallies in support of Talgo and high-speed rail, which Gov.-elect Scott Walker has promised to eliminate. Why is this project so important?
Bloomingdale: We at the AFL-CIO are standing shoulder to shoulder with community groups and religious groups and asking Scott Walker to reconsider his position on high-speed rail.
The reason why Talgo is so important to our community is that Talgo chose Milwaukee to set up their permanent base to build high-speed rail components to be used across the country. It’s not just for high-speed rail in Wisconsin. At the beginning they were planning on having 150 jobs there. But those jobs can grow.
It’s so important for this particular site, especially, since it was the site of Tower Automotive and A.O. Smith. At one time more than 10,000 workers showed up to go to work there every single morning. It’s amazing how many workers were able to have a good life because of good-paying union jobs there. Especially in that community, those jobs are needed so much now. But Walker is clinging to this shortsighted ideology pushed by his small circle of advisers. By saying no to the train he’s also saying no to Talgo and saying no to jobs. That’s just irresponsible.
Shepherd: How would the project help the rest of the state, especially those who don’t live near the proposed line or won’t work on it?
Bloomingdale: This project is critical to Wisconsin. It will bring jobs to Wisconsin. People are desperate right now. They’re out of work. They’re really struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for their families. This rail project would bring at least 5,000 jobs just to construct the rail line and also thousands and thousands more permanent jobs. And it’ll create the infrastructure we need for long-term growth in Wisconsin, which is very important. Finally, this is a nationwide rail project that is designed to improve our means of transportation. Wisconsin shouldn’t be left out of the overall infrastructure plan.
Our campaign to save the train is really just the first campaign in a series of many as part of our overall jobs agenda. We are going to hold Scott Walker accountable for every single one of those 250,000 jobs that he promised to create. When he makes foolish decisions like this one, which jeopardizes jobs—15,000 jobs that we’ll lose because of his shortsighted adherence to the views of his narrow circle of political advisers—we will be there to speak out about it every step of the way.
Shepherd: The recent economic downturn has allowed employers to cut workers’ wages, hours and jobs. Did employers take advantage of the recession to get concessions that weren’t absolutely necessary?
Bloomingdale: We’ve seen the erosion of our economy because of deregulation and tax breaks for the rich. Now that they’ve ransacked our economy, they’re asking workers to give back more. That’s just not fair and it’s just not right.
It’s like if you had a wedding and you had enough food for 100 people and one person came and took the food for 90 people and said, “There’s not much left for everyone else. You’ll have to make do.” That’s what’s happened to our economy. This 1% has taken 90% of the wealth. Rather than saying, “We should give some back,” they say, “You’ll have to make do with less.”
These are American companies. They have prospered because of the infrastructure we have here in the United States. But they break the social contract when they ship jobs overseas. Americans are angry about this. We need to raise our voices and hold these CEOs and shareholders accountable to Americans through our laws and our regulations, but also through our voices. When a company decides to move out and they move out silently in the night and no one says anything, it becomes so much easier for the next company to do the same thing. We need to reclaim the power of protest and the power of speaking out.
Shepherd: A few Wisconsin-based corporations have gotten significant concessions and tax breaks by threatening to leave the state. The employees really cannot refuse the company’s new offer or they’ll lose their jobs. Is that fair?
Bloomingdale: It’s not fair. I think it’s important that we help everyone in Wisconsin to rethink what it means to be an economic patriot. These companies are American companies, but they’re taking our jobs and shipping them overseas. They don’t really care about the well-being of American society. I really question their patriotism. A truly patriotic American company should not only think about their bottom line, but they should also think about the well-being of the American people. These companies that only care about their shareholders and don’t care about our society are truly unpatriotic.
It’s a dangerous trend for union workers. It’s a dangerous trend for all workers. In the end it will destroy our middle class. There are so many corporations that are sitting on unprecedented amounts of cash, yet they’re still using the economic recession as an excuse to cut wages and benefits. We have to get better at demanding accountability from these corporations. We have to be serious about their responsibilities to Wisconsin and to the United States of America. Many of these companies enjoy huge tax breaks and their CEOs and shareholders also enjoy huge tax breaks. When you talk about the deficit and why we’re in this economic situation, we know exactly where to place the blame, and that’s the unnecessary tax breaks for the richest among us and huge tax breaks for corporations and massive deregulation.
Shepherd: The news can’t be all bad. What are some success stories? Which companies have struck fair agreements with their employees and honored them?
Bloomingdale: Bucyrus. Their workers developed an incredibly good working relationship with management, which has benefited not only the workers but the company and the shareholders. This is an important lesson for all of us, because when labor and management work together, the company does better. The workers on the front line understand better than anyone where the problems and solutions lie. Of course, Bucyrus has been bought by Caterpillar, so we’re hoping that the level of labor-management cooperation continues under the new owners.
Shepherd: On to politics. In his 2010 and 2011 county budgets, Scott Walker included wage and benefits concessions that had never been negotiated. Will he do that in the state budget?
Bloomingdale: Nothing determines the future like the past. I think we can expect more of the same from Scott Walker, but now it’s going to be on a larger scale. It’s going to be our job to point out these irresponsible actions. We really cannot allow what he did to Milwaukee County—almost bringing it to the point of bankruptcy—to happen to our wonderful state of Wisconsin.
I don't even know where to start with this one.
With her open disdain for the imaginary "evil rich" and goofy, self-righteous, paranoid rambling - I thought for a minute it might be Joel McNally in drag! (An image that would hardly surprise anyone).
When I re-read the interview and didn't see Bush's name mentioned even once, I knew that could not be the case.
Where was Boolmingdale and her union cronies when our current slimy governor was chasing millions of dollars out of Wisconsin with his crooked sweetheart deal with Talgo?
And to say that Scott Walker will bring the state to the point of bankruptcy, did she not hear about our current deficit of BILLIONS of dollars?
We're already there baby, thanks to lefty extremists like you. Perhaps Mr. Walker might be able to pull us out of this downward spiral your people have put us into - but that would be a tall order for any governor.
I agree, don't know where to start. She seems to think corporations and CEOs should just hand out free money and forgo profits just to put people in make-work jobs. I never undstood the Talgo thing. Why can't they just make trains for other states? Why would they pull out just because tracks arn't being laid. Talgo isn't in the track laying business. There is a demand for trains in other metro areas. So just build them here. Obviously this women has never been a business owner, has never managed wealth, or has any wealth. Otherwise her attitude would not be so liberal and hateful. She is standing up for the cowards who want someone to give them a job rather than create their own opportunties. A true Patriot, also known as a "real man" is always working and making lots of money all the time. A true Patriot creates his own multiple streams of income and does not depend on just one employer. A true patriot does not need a job -- the job needs him. An unpatriotic person is unemployed and not embracing capitalism. Our country was based on capitalism and those who do not embrace it are anti-American. Those who speak against capitalism - well its hateful and its heresy.
This woman does not understand that if we can drive down wages and taxes, we can encourage foriegn investors to come to Wisconsin. If Wisconsin can offer cheap labor and low taxes, believe me, investors will come.
I think that she did her article with understatment and wit, while representing her consitutents. That's more than most of our elected officials are doing. They represent corporations, who are moving jobs out, now providing them in Wisconsin.
Who even takes organized labor seriously anymore? Anybody with some common sense realizes that unions are for lazy and ineffectual dolts. This, however, is a great time to be a conservative because many people are finally cognizant of the thuggery and tactics of unions, and people are just tired of it. Workers in the private sector have been forced to cut hours, reduce wages, or been downsized entirely. Yet, the lazy union clowns feel that they are somehow immune to this reality. Honestly, I would love to have a discussion with any of you inferior leftist bozos about the history and relevance of organized labor. I will concede that, at one time, unions were relevant......of course that was 100 years ago when kids were working in coal mines at 18 hour clips! Since then they have been nothing but havens for corruption and a lazy and ineffectual workforce. I absolutely love that conservatives like Scott Walker and the Chris Christie are challenging the insanity of the union mindset. Christie has been downsizing the size of the state employee workforce in New Jersey and I hope Walker does the same here in Wisconsin. Many functions of city, county, or state government could be completed by privatized workers that would do the job much better, be paid less, and not have the ridiculous lavish benefits that union employees demand and expect. The reason leftists and lazy union workers are so upset with Scott Walker is they know their gravy train may be coming to an end.
This union thug featured in the article is just absolutely delusional. As I read her responses to the questions that were asked all I kept thinking was who in the world does this nutjob think she is?!? Her disdain for anything that involves a profit, corporation, or shareholder is just frightening. Again, it is absolutely useless to debate a socialist like Bloomingdale or any leftist for that matter because they are all delusional, hypocritical frauds. Rather as conservatives we have simply got to lessen their impact and continue to highlight what horrible human beings liberals truly are.
That money that the federal government gave the state was to only be used for that light rail. Since that is not happening in this state, then the money (all of it) needs to be returned to the federal government. Since other states would more than happily allow Talgo to build that light rail there.