WMC: Bad for Women, Bad for the Economy?

Online awareness campaign launched to educate about WMC’s record on women and family policies

Milwaukee – Whether Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) is promoting policies that are bad for women, families and businesses is at the heart of an education effort the Institute for One Wisconsin launched this week.

Recently, a WMC staffer referred to the EPIC Systems founder and well-respected progressive business leader as “that computer lady.” (See the story).

“WMC, which currently has two women on its 48-member board, has opposed legislation that would prevent discrimination, raise parental school involvement and even provide small accommodations for breastfeeding new mothers,” said Institute for One Wisconsin Executive Director Scot Ross. “Our goal is to give the people of Wisconsin the opportunity to have their voices heard about whether they think WMC’s agenda is harmful to women, their families, and therefore harmful to our state’s economic health.”

The online campaign includes a WMC Watch News Alert available at www.WMCWatch.org and a letter to the editor writing tool. The educational project is an outgrowth of the Institute’s WMCWatch.org effort to raise awareness about WMC’s conservative agenda, which many argue harms working families, seniors and children throughout Wisconsin.

Some of the legislation WMC opposed in just this past state legislative session includes:

OPPOSED: Assembly Bill 395

This bill would have allowed parents to request leave for their children’s school conferences and activities that couldn’t be scheduled during non-working hours.

OPPOSED: Assembly Bill 310

This bill would have authorized the circuit court to order a person who engages in discrimination in employment to pay compensatory and punitive damages and a surcharge. It also would have directed the secretary of the Department of Workforce Development to appoint a committee to study wage disparities between men and women and between minority and nonminority group members.

OPPOSED: Assembly Bill 160

This bill would have required an employer to reasonably accommodate an employee who is pregnant or who is breastfeeding her child.

All of these women and family oriented bills, opposed by WMC, languished in the Legislature.

The Institute’s comprehensive online library of information about WMC is available at www.wmcwatch.org.

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