Milwaukee Chapter News

News, info, and updates from the 9to5 Milwaukee chapter.

Welcome LaShawndra Vernon, Milwaukee Organizer

LaShawndra Vernon is a community activist dedicated to eliminating poverty and advocating for disenfranchised community members. She has 19 years of experience in outreach and education. LaShawndra is a third generation Milwaukee activist. She got her start as a teen peer educator at Planned Parenthood, and continued to work in several Milwaukee area non profits providing community outreach and education.

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Reactions to the Arizona Immigration Law

By Teresa Mambu-Rasch

On April 23, 2010, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a disturbing and potentially unconstitutional bill into law. In sum, the new law legalizes racial profiling and discrimination within the State of Arizona. It requires police officers to stop anyone whom the officer reasonably suspects may be undocumented. If the person does not have immediate proof that they are a legal citizen or resident, the officer can arrest and detain the person until s/he can offer proof of their "legal" status.

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Welcome Rhonda Willette, 9to5 Milwaukee Organizer

Rhonda Willette, Milwaukee Organizer, has 15 years of organizing experience as a seasoned second generation women’s rights organizer with a commitment to social justice and social change. She has worked for several non-profits in the Milwaukee area. She brings a strong dedication to improve the quality of life for individuals, and families in her community.
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Nayak: Women, stand up and count

Source: Article featured on Statesmen.com

Sangita Nayak, PROGRESSIVE MEDIA PROJECT

Today is International Women's Day, and today, women in the United States should insist on getting fairly counted.

For women and families struggling in this economy, completing a census form might be the last thing we can make time for. But by taking just 10 minutes to fill out the census form that will soon arrive in your mailbox, you can help get urgent community problems addressed and solutions fairly funded.

A myriad of federal programs rely on the census to set funding levels. By completing your census form, you ensure funding for public education, child care and public transportation.

Some women might feel afraid to fill out the census.

Women who are survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault might be reluctant to report their addresses. But answers are 100 percent confidential. And keep in mind: Funding for many programs designed for survivors of domestic violence rests with allocations determined by the count.

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BREAKING: State Supreme Court to Hear Paid Sick Days Case

Source: expressmilwaukee.com

This just in: the state Supreme Court has just accepted the Milwaukee Paid Sick Days case.

The District IV Court of Appeals kicked the case to the Supreme Court, saying that there were bigger issues surrounding the enactment of the measure that should be decided by the state’s highest court.

The court has been asked to decide whether Milwaukee voters were fully informed of the scope and content of the ballot measure—a piece of direct legislation approved by 69% of the city’s voters in November 2008. 9to5, which spearheaded the paid sick days campaign, argues that voters knew what they were doing. The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), which filed the suit to stop the implementation of the resulting ordinance, argues that voters didn’t know what they were being asked to decide.

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9to5 Milwaukee 2010 Board

9to5 Milwaukee's local member board was approved by member election, as of 2/15/10. 

Angie Grice: 9to5 is important to me because it motivates me as a young lady, mother, and scholar. I have been working for 6 years and have seen injustices that must be changed, and am now a weekly intern at 9to5. 9to5 is a community for working moms to ensure that we are all important.

 

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9to5 Milwaukee Real Work T-Shirts!

Join 9to5! Buy one T-Shirt for $25 dollars and become a 9to5 member today!

Front: “Real Work for Real Families=Real Recovery”
Back: “Don’t Let the Big MMAC Steal Milwaukee’s Paid Sick Days!”

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Domestic Violence Prevention ... All of us Deserve Time to Care

 By Sheila Conley

On October 1 – the start of this country’s observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month – I am reminded that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was attacked by another man and had to stay in the hospital for two days.

As the mother of a domestic violence survivor, I know that many people suffer domestic abuse daily. But, unlike Mayor Barrett, many of these survivors have neither paid time off work nor the access to health care.

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Fun at Labor Fest

9to5 members and volunteers a part of festivites in Milwaukee this Labor Day.  Seen here on the left, board members begin to cut loose after a productive afternoon of signing people up for statewide efforts to get paid sick days for all workers.  The Big mMAC (Metropolitian Milwaukee Association of Commerce) burger crashed the parade, scaring kids, hipos, and workers alike.

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Judge's Decision Won't Stop Paid Sick Days

 Milwaukee - Supporters of paid sick days in Milwaukee expressed confidence in the legality of the ordinance passed by nearly 70% of voters last November and pledged to continue their fight, both through the courts and in Congress.

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