Free Republic

Marty Beil, who as the longtime leader of the union that represented Wisconsin’s state employees was at the center of the fight in 2011 against Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers, died on Thursday at his home in Mazomanie, Wis. He was 68. The cause has not been determined, his sister, Mickey Beil, said. To many, Mr. Beil was the face of the state employees union, an outspoken advocate of workers’ rights for more than 40 years. In the 2011 fight with Mr. Walker that he ultimately lost, Mr. Beil helped organize protests...

Leaders of the state's largest teachers union and the state employees union met privately with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett this week to discourage him from running in possible recall election next year against Gov. Scott Walker. But Barrett rebuffed the union bosses. According to an email obtained by No Quarter, Wisconsin Education Association Council President Mary Bell, WEAC Executive Director Dan Burkhalter and other top union officials had a face-to-face meeting with the Democratic mayor on Monday to discuss the potential Walker recall race. "Despite attempts to communicate the issues you laid out very clearly in our meeting on Saturday,...

Members of Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24, have begun circulating letters to businesses in southeast Wisconsin, asking them to support workers’ rights by putting up a sign in their windows. If businesses fail to comply, the letter says, “Failure to do so will leave us no choice but (to) do a public boycott of your business. And sorry, neutral means 'no' to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members." Jim Parrett, a field representative of Council 24 for Southeast Wisconsin, confirmed the contents of the letter, which carries his signature. But...