Legislature must prioritize working families

I have the honor of recently being appointed chair of the state Assembly Labor Committee by Speaker-elect Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville). On Jan. 5, a new state Legislature will begin to address the legal and fiscal challenges Wisconsin faces in the coming biennium.

From housing costs and the job market to education, infrastructure, health care, and our service people in Iraq, Wisconsin families have weathered some of the toughest times in memory. So many people are working harder to stretch their paychecks further while looking at an ever steeper climb to prosperity.

Our working families shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of malfeasance by Wall Street financiers, nor the ill-gotten gains of corporate boards seeking quick profits instead of long-term stability. We are experiencing the full consequences of the disaster that is “Trickle-down Economics.” Too many pension funds have been dissolved, too many workers displaced. The traditional relationship between workers and their companies is in tatters. 

So many of the people hurt most are those getting up to go to work every day to put food on their families’ tables. Across the state and country, the last eight years have seen their unprecedented descent into the ranks of the working poor. They, along with seniors, young people, and the very poor, are hit hardest by the financial crisis.

This session, the state’s legislative agenda must put the needs of working families first. We must move to increase the minimum wage, deter pay discrimination, and crack down on wage theft to help families with the skyrocketing cost-of-living. In addition, I want to review current laws about workers’ rights during this period of wholesale layoffs. We also should invest in infrastructure and at least maintain investments in public education to strengthen our children’s prospects. All of these changes would help shore up the foundations of our economy.

It’s a new session, there’s a new Assembly, and I’m proud to represent Cudahy, St. Francis, and Milwaukee in my new capacity as chair of the Labor Committee. As always, please contact my office if you have any state legislative concerns.

Chris Sinicki is the state representative for Wisconsin’s 20th state Assembly District, which includes southern Bay View, St. Francis, Cudahy, the airport, and other parts of the south side. She can be reached at (888) 534-0020 or rep.sinicki@legis.wi.gov.

Copyright 2010 by Bay View Compass. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.