PROPOSED RULE CHANGE THAT WOULD
REQUIRE EVICTION RECORDS REMOVED
FROM THE STATE WEB SITE AFTER
ONE YEAR.
>>> WISCONSIN JOB NUMBERS
REACHED A RECORD HIGH IN JULY,
AT MORE THAN 3 MILLION.
HOWEVER, A NEW REPORT FROM THE
HIGH ROAD STRATEGY CENTER SAYS
BENEATH THE BIGGER PICTURE IS A
TROUBLING DECLINE OF WOMEN
PARTICIPATING, FALLING BELOW 60%
SINCE THE LATE 1980s.
HERE TO DIVE DEEPER IS LAURA
DRESSER, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR WITH
THE GROUP.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> YOUR REPORT SHOWS WISCONSIN'S
ECONOMY IS STRONG, UNEMPLOYMENT
LOW BUT NO NEWS DOESN'T COME
WITH A LITTLE DOUBT AND
INSECURITY THESE DAYS.
>> YEAH, THAT IS CORRECT.
HAVING DONE THIS REPORT FOR
MANY, MANY YEARS NOW AND
RELEASING IT ON LABOR DAY, THIS
HAS GOOD NEWS FOR WORKERS.
WE HAVE DOCUMENTED TRENDS THAT
ARE TROUBLING AND SEE THINGS
HERE.
>> WHEN IT COMES TO LOW
UNEMPLOYMENT WITH WISCONSIN'S
SLOW POPULATION GROWTH AND
PROJECTED SHORTAGE OF WORKERS,
THAT LOW UNEMPLOYMENT SEEMS A
PERMANENT FIXTURE, RIGHT?
>> OUR RATE WILL ALWAYS BE LOWER
THAN THE NATIONAL RATE.
A FINANCIAL COLLAPSE WILL
INCREASE OUR UNEMPLOYMENT
NUMBERS BUT OUR ALSO REMAIN
LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL, MOST
LIKELY, BECAUSE OF THE
DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE.
THAT TIGHTNESS IN THE LABOR
MARKET CREATES A LITTLE
REBALANCING OF POWER BETWEEN
WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS.
I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE ARE
SEEING, IS WORKERS KNOW THEY
HAVE A CREDIBLE EXIT THREAT.
THEY CAN USE THAT IN THE LABOR
MARKET.
SO THAT IS TRUE NOW, ESPECIALLY
WITH THESE VERY HISTORIC LOW
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES BUT WILL BE
TRUE GOING FORWARD BECAUSE OF
DEMOGRAPHICS.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WOMEN'S
PARTICIPATION IN WORKFORCE AND
HOW CLOSELY IS THAT CONNECTED TO
THE LEGISLATIVE FIGHT GOING ON
BETWEEN GOVERNOR EBERS AND
CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES AND
CHILDCARE ISSUE S?
>> IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN WE
ARE VERY INTER TE INTERESTED IN
SEEING WORKERS TO TAKE PLACE,
EMBRACING INSTEAD OF SITTING ON
THE SIDELINES OR TAKING KIDS
INTO THE LABOR MARKET.
WHAT WE SEE FROM THIS HIGH
LEVEL, WISCONSIN HAS ALWAYS HAD
MUCH HIGHER WOMEN'S LABOR FORCE
PARTICIPATION THAN THE NATIONAL
AVERAGE.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN LATE
1980s AND ON THROUGH THE 90s,
BUT THAT GAP KEEPS CLOSING AND
CLOSING AND REALLY OVER THE LAST
THREE, FOUR YEARS, WOMEN'S LABOR
FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE IN THE
STATE IS COMING DOWN MORE
QUICKLY THAN THE SLIGHT DRIFT
DOWN AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
IT IS CLOSING THAT GAP.
IT MEANS THAT THERE IS CAPACITY
TO SUPPORT WOMEN'S WORK AND TO
GET MORE ENGAGEMENT OF WOMEN IN
THIS LABOR MARKET.
I THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
WHAT CAN HELP WOMEN CONNECT WITH
WORK IT CHILD CARE THAT WORKS
AND IS STRONG.
THAT IS GOING ON IN THE
LEGISLATURE, HOW DO WE INVEST IN
CHILDCARE INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> CAN WE SAY IT IS A MARKET
SOLUTION, SOMEONE WILL FIGURE IT
OUT BECAUSE THEY NEED PEOPLE TO
WORK?
>> HAVING WATCHED CHILDCARE FOR
SO LONG, I THINK THE SECTOR
REQUIRES PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
WE HAVE MASSIVE PUBLIC
INVESTMENT BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE
A PUBLIC GOOD ONCE THEY GET TO
SCHOOL, RIGHT?
WE ALL AGREE WE ARE BUILDING THE
FUTURE AND ALL INVEST IN
SCHOOLS.
AND THAT IS HOW WE HAVE JOB
QUALITY IN SCHOOLS, TEACHER
QUALITY IN SCHOOLS THAT CAN
REALLY SUSTAIN DECENT JOBS.
BUT AT THE -- IN THE LEVEL OF
EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION, WAGES
TEND TO BE VERY LOW.
PARENTS, ESPECIALLY IN JOBS THAT
PAY LESS THAN THE MEDIAN WAGE,
HALF WORKERS IN LESS THAN MEDIAN
AGE HAVE HARD TIME SO THAT TAKES
A PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
NOW WE HAVE A LARGELY PRIVATE
SOLUTION AND STATES THAT ARE
TAKING ON MORE AND MORE PUBLIC
INVESTMENT ARE GETTING THAT KIND
OF SYSTEM THAT CAN REALLY
SUPPORT WOMEN'S WORK.
>> ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES YOU
TRACK IS UNIONS AROUND THE
COUNTRY AND WISCONSIN.
WE HAVE SEEN PLACES LIKE AMAZON
DOWN TO THE COFFEE SHOP.
WHAT IS THE SITUATION?
>> WELL, UNIONS HAVE BEEN IN A
DECADES DECO
DECADES DECLINE IN THEIR SHARE
OF WORKFORCE.
THIS IS TRUE NATIONALLY AND IN
WISCONSIN.
WISCONSIN USED TO BE RELATIVELY
HIGH, ABOVE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
2011AC10, THE CHANGE IN PUBLIC
SECTOR UNIONIZATION CHANGED THAT
SO THAT LINE BEGAN TO TIP.
FROM 2011 TO CURRENT WISCONSIN
DECLINING FAR OUTSTRIPS THE
NATIONAL DECLINE AND IS WORST IN
THE REGION.
SO, YES, THERE'S -- YOU KNOW,
WORKERS ARE GOING TO FIND WAYS
TO JOIN TOGETHER AND MAKE JOBS
BETTER.
YOU CAN SEE THAT ALL OVER THE
STATE AND NATION GOING ON.
UNIONS ARE INCREASINGLY POPULAR.
SO FAR THE HEAD WINDS AGAINST
ORGANIZING ESPECIALLY IN A RIGHT
TO WORK STATE WITH VERY HARD
PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONIZATION RULES
AS WELL MAKES TURN ING THAT INTO
MEMBERS REALLY HARD.
>> JUST A FEW SECONDS LEFT.
TALK ABOUT THE MINIMUM WAGE OF
$7.25 IN WISCONSIN.
IT IS EVEN RELEVANT TO TODAY'S
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE
WORKFORCE?
>> SUCH AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
WE ALL KNOW THE FLOOR HAS REALLY
COME UP.
LOW-WAGE WORKERS ARE DOING
BETTER.
THEY ARE DOING THEIR BEST OF ANY
GROUP IN THE ECONOMY.
LOW-WAGE WORKERS HAVE MADE MORE
GAINS, SO THE $7.25 IS
TECHNICALLY OUR MINIMUM WAGE,
LIKE 20 STATES IN THE NATION.
BUT IT REALLY MATTERS TO RAISE
THAT WAGE SO THAT ALL WORKERS,
CARE WORKERS AND OTHER WORKERS
KNOW WHAT THE FLOOR IS.
>> LAURA DRESSER FROM CAUS,
THANKS.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
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