AFL-CIO President Visits Miller Brewery, Urges Workers To Vote Burke

Richard Trumka Says Burke Would Work With Unions To Create Jobs

By
ALF-CIO President Richard Trumka. Photo: Alex Hogan (CC-BY).

National AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was in Milwaukee on Thursday afternoon trying to convince workers at the Miller Brewing Company to support Democrat Mary Burke in next Tuesday’s election for governor.

Trumka said Burke supports raising the minimum wage and would work with unions to help create jobs repairing roads and bridges.

Trumka also dismissed claims by Republican Gov. Scott Walker that Walker is the top target of big unions this election season.

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“I find that to be the height of hypocrisy,” said Trumka. “We have Chris Christie coming in tomorrow. Chris Christie said he’s tired of hearing about the minimum wage, coming in to support a guy who thinks there shouldn’t be a minimum wage. They’re bankrupt when it comes to ideas.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is scheduled to help Gov. Scott Walker campaign on Friday in northern Wisconsin.

The Walker campaign sent the following emailed statement regarding Trumka’s visit to Milwaukee:

“The big government union bosses are bitter about Governor Walker’s reforms which have saved taxpayers $3 billion to date, and they’re going to stop at nothing to undo the recall by bankrolling Mary Burke’s campaign. When the union bosses say they ‘have a score to settle with Scott Walker,’ they really mean Wisconsin taxpayers because that’s who Governor Walker is protecting with his reforms.”