Lobby Day: Quality Services Key to Economy

On Lobby Day, AFSCME members arrived in the morning from around the state and gathered at the Masonic Temple, just a few blocks from the Capitol.  There, members were briefed by AFSCME lobbyists and Wisconsin AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Phil Neuenfeldt before heading off for pre-scheduled visit with their own legislators.

Members shared their thoughts about the need to invest in vital services, reject privatization schemes and protect worker bargaining rights.  Some members also attended hearings on bills of interest and turned in hundreds of registration slips on key bills.

The sea of green was everywhere in the Capitol, and for a few important hours, front-line workers outnumbered the sharp-dressing lobbyists in the halls of power.  It was an important statement and a reminder that the needs of working families cannot be ignored.

"Every day AFSCME members are being asked to do more with less, even as the need for services we provide grows more desperate. Wisconsin can't create jobs by continuing to eliminate jobs, especially when those jobs help keep our communities running " said Rick Badger, executive director of AFSCME Council 40.

AFSCME members emphasized the importance of maintaining a quality public workforce. "Cutting essential public jobs only to outsource them means a loss of accountability and inevitably costs more in the long run. It's a bad deal for Wisconsin citizens," said Marty Beil, executive director of Council 24.

AFSCME members also asked legislators to protect hard won bargaining rights that ensure professionalism and high standards in the workforce. "Public employees keep their side of the bargain by doing difficult and often dangerous work on the front lines. All we ask is that employers honor their side of the bargain," said Rich Abelson, executive director of Council 48.

To look at some Lobby Day photos, click here.