Mary Burke Discusses Plans For Construction With Milwaukee Iron Workers Union

Democratic candidate for governor Mary Burke is talking about her building plans for the state as she accepts the endorsement of the iron workers union in Milwaukee.

Burke emerged from a closed-door meeting with leaders of Iron Workers Local 8 on Thursday and told the gathered news media that Wisconsin needs more construction projects.

“We were talking about the projects in Milwaukee along the lakefront,” said Burke. “Certainly the casino in Kenosha is a big project that people are concerned about. The pipelines — those are all projects that certainly put a lot of people to work.”

Tony Mayrhofer, the business manager of Iron Workers Local 8, said his local has endorsed Burke because his members feel that she considers the working class, while Gov. Scott Walker does not.

Mayrhofer also has a list of building projects he’d like to see developed: “Obviously the Kenosha casino, obviously all the bridgework that’s been going on in the state, some of the high-rise projects that are slated for around Milwaukee, obviously talk of the new Bucks arena downtown.”

Mayrhofer also said union leaders talked with Burke about a proposed iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin and a pipeline the Enbridge Corporation wants to build through the state. Mayrhofer said that with those particular projects, the union does want attention paid to environmental protection.

Walker’s campaign did not reply to several requests for comment. The governor’s office said he spent the day meeting with members of the Wisconsin Air National Guard and making remarks about the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.