Tom Barrett
Unions really want to beat Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in the upcoming recall election. But first there's the question of the Democratic nominee. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk are the leading candidates, and AFSCME, for one, is coming down in favor of Falk.
Barrett opposed the elimination of collective bargaining last year, but supported cuts to public worker benefits and has not promised to veto any budget that doesn't restore collective bargaining. And:
Barrett earned the ire of Milwaukee unions last year, when he used Walker’s budget reforms (known as Act 10) to propose a budget that cut city employees’ health and pension benefits rather than making a deal with unions before the law took effect. He also clashed with unions in an attempt to take over the public school system.
The Teaching Assistants Association is
undecided about what to do. Its Political Education Committee recommended a Falk endorsement, but the union still has not endorsed, not because it is considering a Barrett endorsement but because Falk has not said she would restore wages and benefits that were cut under Walker, and in fact likes to talk about $10 million in concessions she got from unions during her time as Dane County executive.
Polling has Barrett leading in the primary and performing slightly stronger in the general election. Whatever happens in the primary, the important thing is beating Scott Walker. Please, contribute $5 to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.