Standing up for workers…the Employee Wage Protection Act

A critical piece of legislation that would protect workers all across the state is up for a vote in the WI State Senate, and we need your help.

The Employee Wage Protection Act, Senate Bill 2, would put workers first in the event a business closes or goes bankrupt. In these tough times, it’€™s more important than ever we stand up for the working people of Wisconsin. Without good bills like the Employee Wage Protection Act, it’€™s going to be the regular folks of Wisconsin who are going to have it the worst.

Look at the case OWN examined last month’€”the Virnich and Moores case’€”that’€™s currently being heard by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Basically, a couple of business owners paid themselves out millions of dollars while they ran the business into the ground, and then refused to make good on their union contracts and required compensation for the workers  of Communications Products Cororation (CPC). BTW, you can read learn about Virnich and Moores here and here.

If the Wage Protection Act was in place, those workers could rest assured their earned compensation would be the first priority when a business goes under, rather than big banks who come first under current law.It’€™s time that we put workers first in Wisconsin; too many times for too long we’€™ve forced our middle-class brothers and sisters to shoulder the burden unfairly. Take the closing of Wisconsin Die Casting in 2008 in Milwaukee. There, workers at WI Die Casting were forced out of their jobs when the factory closed suddenly. Worse yet, the company paid out to huge amounts to the bank while leaving many workers out of anywhere from $9,000 to $12,000. You want stimulus? Give those workers $12,000 and watch the tills at the local stores go nuts. Instead the banks were allowed to keep the cash and help their executives  and shareholders line their pockets. Without the protection of good legislation like the Employee Wage Protection Act, workers were denied what they earned and were left out in the cold.

But that can all change with your help. The Employee Wage Protection Act is up for a vote in the WI State Senate tomorrow. Take 2 minutes RIGHT NOW and call or email your state senator and tell them to support Wisconsin’€™s workers and support Senate Bill 2, the Employee Wage Protection Act.

You can use this link to look up your senator and get their email and phone number. Go! Now! Wisconsin needs this, and you can help.