MADISON, Wis. — Today, Wisconsin State Senate candidates Jodi Habush Sinykin and Sarah Keyeski joined the President of the South Central Federation of Labor, Kevin Gundlach, for a virtual press call to talk about Duey Stroebel and Joan Ballweg’s careers spent attacking working families and unions.
From working to pass Scott Walker’s Act 10 and the anti-union ‘Right to Work’ bill to their refusal to pass worker-first bills such as Paid Family Medical Leave, Wisconsin Republicans Duey Stroebel and Joan Ballweg have been all too happy leaving workers behind. But while Republicans attack workers’ rights, Wisconsin Democrats like Jodi Habush Sinykin and Sarah Keyeski are leading the way to support working Wisconsinites. Wisconsin Democrats are fighting to retake majorities in the State Legislature to roll back Scott Walker’s anti-union policies, restore workers’ voice in the workplace, and give power back to the people.
Watch the press event here and see what speakers had to say, in part, below:
Sarah Keyeski: “I grew up in a Wisconsin union home, where my dad worked for the Burlington Northern Railroad for 33 years. He was a proud union member. During the Act 10 protests in 2011, I stood beside my father and alongside my sister, who was a member of the WEA to signify my dissent. I plan to continue my family’s legacy by proudly advocating for working families in the State Senate. Unfortunately, my opponent, Joan Ballweg, has spent her political career making the lives of working families and low income individuals more difficult. […] Wisconsinites are tired of the demeaning treatment of Republican leaders like Joan Ballweg. As a champion for working families like mine, I am ready to uplift families and restore protections for workers all across the Badger State.”
Jodi Habush Sinykin: “Republicans have spent over the past decade working to erode protections for workers in our state. My opponent, Duey Stroebel, has been a leader in this effort. Duey Stroebel has stridently advanced an anti-union agenda and has called attempts to bring collective bargaining back to Wisconsin as ‘backwards.’ He made it his top priority to eliminate the prevailing wage in Wisconsin, which protects union workers, supports fair wages and supports job growth in in demand industries. He’s even called prevailing wage a ‘scam.’”
South Central Federation of Labor President Kevin Gundlach: “Republicans like Joan Ballweg and Duey Stroebel have spent over a decade attacking us. They have attacked us as workers, they have attacked our unions we have joined, and they have attacked our families, our children and our loved ones. […] In 2011, that’s when Scott Walker and the Republicans forced Act 10 upon us and stripped away the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers that made it more difficult for workers to organize and to fight for their rights in the workplace. But it was more than that. By weakening the ability of unions to advocate for safer working conditions or public safety concerns, the Republicans compromise the safety of everyone within our communities.”
