In what can only be described as a wet sloppy kiss to unions, last year the Milwaukee County board passed a so-called “living wage” ordinance that was a thinly veiled attempt to force county contractors to unionize their workforce or face inflated labor costs. Now, in a massive open records request, Media Trackers has uncovered hundreds of pages of e-mails showing the extent unions were willing to go to increase their ranks.
The ordinance, which raised the minimum wage for employees of the county and its contractors to $11.32 an hour, conveniently exempts contractors that are unionized from paying the “living wage.”
Emails show union front group Wisconsin Jobs Now provided language for Milwaukee “living wage” ordinance.
While outlets such as the Wisconsin Reporter and conservative blogger Aaron Rodriguezhave provided extensive reporting on union front group Wisconsin Jobs Now‘s involvement in drafting and passing the ordinance, the over 300 pages of e-mails being release by Media Trackers show the extent that Wisconsin Jobs Now – and theirregistered lobbyistsJennifer Epps-Addison, Peter Rickman and Michael Wilder – influenced, drafted, and coordinated legislative efforts on the bill.
Besides being involved in the drafting of the ordinance, Wisconsin Jobs Now was also part of the efforts of lead author David Bowen — who was recently sworn in as a state representative in addition to continuing to be a county supervisor — to have information withheld from the proposal’s fiscal impact analysis.
E-mails also discovered in the Media Trackers open records request include:
Meetings set up between county board supervisors, a SEIU union boss and lobbyist, and union front group Wisconsin Jobs Now to discuss fiscal estimates of the bill.
A ritzy living wage house party thrown at the $546,300 home of Fox Point residents Mitchell and Martha Pincus. Speakers included Wisconsin Jobs Now’s Executive Director Jennifer-Epps Addison and the Center for Progressive Leadership’s Martha De La Rosa.
Supervisor David Bowen sharing wage information on Milwaukee home care workers with Wisconsin Jobs Now lobbyists despite Milwaukee County administrative officials informing him that the information is “proprietary in nature” since the program operates in a competitive environment.
Attempts by Bowen and Wisconsin Jobs Now lobbyists to influence the fiscal impact analysis of the ordinance including a request by Bowen that a disclaimer discrediting the analysis be included in the analysis itself.
In one of the more amusing exchanges, Rickman — a former University of Wisconsin law school student who oddly left without graduating — challenges the legal opinion of the County’s Deputy Corporation Counsel, who, unlike Rickman, is actually a licensed attorney.
Additional e-mails may provide even more insight into the union dictated living wage ordinance. In his initial response to Media Trackers, Bowen denied using his personal e-mail account for official business pertaining to the living wage ordinance.
Despite his denial, Media Trackers has uncovered an e-mail sent to Bowen’s personal e-mail from another source discussing the living wage ordinance and has once again asked him to review his personal e-mail records. Media Trackers has been waiting for Bowen’s final response for nearly three months.
E-mails also discovered in the Media Trackers open records request include:
Additional e-mails may provide even more insight into the union dictated living wage ordinance. In his initial response to Media Trackers, Bowen denied using his personal e-mail account for official business pertaining to the living wage ordinance.
E-mails also discovered in the Media Trackers open records request include:
Additional e-mails may provide even more insight into the union dictated living wage ordinance. In his initial response to Media Trackers, Bowen denied using his personal e-mail account for official business pertaining to the living wage ordinance.
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