Labor
David Michael Miller
Unionize Epic
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in Epic Systems’ favor, upholding arbitration policies that forbid employees from banding together in class-action lawsuits. The ruling makes it clear that Epic workers need to organize. more
David Michael Miller
Staff at The Onion vote to unionize
Seeking to preserve worker protections in an increasingly volatile digital media industry, workers at The Onion on Thursday announced plans to unionize under the Writers Guild of America, East. more
David Michael Miller
The surprising survival of WEAC
WEAC has lost more than half of its dues-paying members, and lost clout in its elections. But teachers still value its union and it is far from dead. more
Dylan Brogan
Solidarity forever
There are half as many union workers in Madison as there were a decade ago. But support for organized labor hasn’t waned among local elected officials. more
Dylan Brogan
Gravedigger says he was fired for blowing whistle
Reymond Blazys says he was terminated for reporting that his co-workers were drunk on the job at Roselawn Memorial Park. In one alleged incident, a concrete grave box and casket were cracked open by a backhoe, exposing a corpse. more
Corporate dragon-slayer
Matt Rothschild remembers Ed Garvey, who died last week at 76, as a witty, energetic firebrand who took on powerful interests — and often won. more
Todd Hubler
So long, safety net
In the past few years, Wisconsin has made it harder to receive unemployment benefits and is aggressively going after workers who make honest mistakes when filing. Is the state trying to eliminate unemployment benefits? more
David Michael Miller
Not dead yet
Wisconsin’s overhauled civil service system went into effect July 1, ending a more than 100-year-old system. Union activists say less government transparency will result, but they aren’t giving up the fight. more
The lie that won’t die
The “raw” wage gap ratio between men and women is about 77 cents to the dollar. But that is an aggregate statistic, comparing all female full-time workers to all male full-time workers. It does not even account for variations in profession. more
Daniella Echeverria
A burger, with a side of benefits
The 2016 edition of “Just Dining” guide to Madison restaurant employment standards is released. The guide’s range expands this year with restaurants on Atwood Avenue and Monroe Street added. more
David Michael Miller
One-hit Walker
In 2011, Gov. Scott Walker had the political equivalent of a hit song with his Act 10 proposal. But his new anti-labor campaign is just a rehash of his old campaign, and his audience has moved on. more
Matt Rota
A dirty secret
Many retailers have turned to an increasingly complicated network of subcontractors to clean their big-box stores. The system is great — for everyone except the employees, who work for low wages and no benefits. more
Laura Zastrow
Paying more than the minimum wage
There's been a lot of debate over whether the federal government and Wisconsin should raise the minimum wage. Opponents claim such a hike would cause widespread job loss among the working poor. Proponents expect a higher wage to lift all boats, putti more
David Michael Miller
Welcome to Wississippi, the right-to-work state
Making Wisconsin a "right to work" state is at the top of the Republicans' agenda, according to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. more
Sarah Rose Smiley
The life of a UW-Madison teaching assistant
Rachel Gross emerges from a classroom to face the crush of students charging through the corridors. The labyrinthine hallways and riot-proof walls make the UW Humanities Building feel like a medieval fortress under siege during class change. Gross ha more
Jenni Dye
Fifty days of Wisconsin labor solidarity have changed my life
Monday, April 4, marked the 50th day since protests started at the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison over a bill that would gut public employees' collective bargaining rights. Fifty days of Wisconsinites standing up and making their voices heard. more
Dean Robbins
Wisconsin labor leaders declare solidarity against Walker's budget bill
"Solidarity" was the watchword as Wisconsin labor leaders gathered at the Concourse Hotel on Monday, registering opposition to the budget repair bill announced by Gov. Scott Walker on Feb. 11. Arranged by the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, the press confer more
Kristian Knutsen
Wisconsin labor, student groups organize protests against Walker's public union plans
Wisconsin public employee unions and their supporters are currently engaged in planning their response to Governor Scott Walker's program to curtail negotiating and organizing rights via a budget bill announced Friday. Three public protests and lobby more
Wisconsin public sector jobs: Okay pay, great bennies
Public employees have it good in Wisconsin, but not necessarily as good as critics think. Begin with the fact that the state is relatively parsimonious when it comes to hiring. Wisconsin ranks 4lst in the nation in per capita public employment, accor more
Michael Villegas
Wisconsin civil servants and their unions face an increasingly hostile world
In September, before the Chazen Museum of Art began stashing some of its collection to make room for construction, I stopped in to see John Steuart Curry's iconic paintings of the Midwestern countryside. The half-dozen paintings, largely executed dur more
