AFSCME Wisconsin Council 32 applauds Governor Evers for crafting a budget that addresses many of the serious issues facing Wisconsin communities, yet reminds him that tens of thousands of public employees are still waiting for him to show that he truly stands with them.
AFSCME Wisconsin President Paul Spink offered tempered praise for Governor Evers’ budget measures including increases to shared revenue and funding for state universities; overturning Right-to-Work legislation; pay increases for state employees; and additional funding to address the corrections crisis.
President Spink said, “Governor Evers understands that investments in the people of Wisconsin lead to a strong state.” Spink continued, “However, it is difficult to fully embrace a budget that does nothing to address unfair compensation for state employees and continues to embrace Walker-era policies which silence the collective voice of all public sector workers.”
Under Wisconsin law, working people in public employment are denied nearly all the collective bargaining freedoms that private sector workers are afforded. This means correctional officers are not allowed to discuss dangerous shortfalls in staffing levels and county highway workers are denied the right to discuss safety hazards when repairing state roads as a part of the current collective bargaining law.
“I agree with Governor Evers that Right-to-Work is morally and economically wrong for Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the Governor can’t see how the same argument applies to the selfless public employees who work day in and day out to serve the citizens of our great state. Public workers demand dignity in their workplace,” stated Spink.
Patrick Wycoff, AFSCME Wisconsin’s Interim Executive Director stated that AFSCME is committed to continuing the dialogue initiated by Governor Evers’ budget proposals. “We appreciate Governor Evers’ attempt to address these issues, and as an organization, we are dedicated to working with all stakeholders to improve the working conditions and morale of all public workers,” said Wycoff.
For more information, please contact Valerie Landowski (vlandowski@afscme32.org)
