February 21, 2012

-For Immediate Release-

Contact: Brian Sikma, Communications Director, brian@mediatrackers.org

MILWAUKEE – As the latest recall effort aimed at proponents of collective bargaining reform starts to move into the campaign phase, various unions in Wisconsin are announcing candidate endorsements and reminding their members that is the unions, not some elected officials, who are standing up for them. A new video released today by the conservative watchdog organization Media Trackers challenges that assumption, however. The short video notes that although labor leaders and progressive organizers in Wisconsin repeatedly use the rhetoric of envy and class warfare to stoke political tensions, many of those leaders have salaries of up to 250% more than what the average working class worker in Wisconsin makes in a year.

“We commend anyone who is a success in their profession, and it is liberals – not conservatives – who argue against the rich,” Brian Sikma, communications director of Media Trackers, noted. “However, hypocrisy in the political process is always of interest and the research we present in this new video indicates that some labor leaders are getting rich while supposedly standing up and representing the working class. Some of these labor leaders make up to 250% more than what the average working class worker in Wisconsin makes, and a few are just one tax bracket below the top tax bracket that is occupied by someone like Mitt Romney.”

“Lately, some union members have alternatively expressed frustration and disgust with how their union is involved in the state political process. That frustration and apparent divergence of interests might be explained by the huge income disparity between union bosses who view themselves is key political players, and the hardworking men and women in Wisconsin who may belong to one of the unions that pay a pretty hefty salary to some of these leaders,” Sikma concluded.

The video may be found here.

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