Tiffany, Crowley bring starkly different labor policies into campaign as Labor Day nears

Wisconsin is often called the Birthplace of the Labor Movement. The state’s first unions were formed in Milwaukee, starting with The Bricklayers' Union in 1847, and the Carpenters' Union in 1848. Wisconsin led the way in reforms that included the eight-hour workday, unemployment compensation, and the right for workers to organize and form unions.

So Labor Day has always held a special place in the hearts of Wisconsinites. This year’s Labor Day, Sept. 7, will hold extra significance, given the governor’s race and the role the issue of labor will play in it. 

So how do candidates Tom Tiffany and David Crowley stack up on the matter of labor and workers’ rights? Their records are in stark contrast, with Tiffany maintaining a consistent anti-union voting record and Crowley, the son of a labor organizer, championing union causes.

Tom Tiffany’s record includes his support for former Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial Act 10 legislation, a 2011 law that heavily restricted collective bargaining for public sector workers. In 2017 when he was still a member of the State Senate, Tiffany voted to rescind the requirement that 16- and 17-year-olds get parental permission before obtaining a work permit. 

He also has opposed raising the minimum wage, arguing that such a mandate would hurt local businesses and consumers.

As a congressman, Tiffany voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act, which was designed to strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963.  The Act would have closed gender wage gaps by eliminating loopholes, preventing retaliation against workers who discuss their pay, and prohibiting employers from using prior salary history.

David Crowley, who is in his second term as the Milwaukee County Executive, pledges to roll back Act 10, as well as repeal the Right-to-Work law. He also advocates restoring state prevailing-wage laws and protecting labor agreements for public construction and infrastructure projects. He is campaigning, in part, on expanding worker power, collective bargaining rights, and economic security for working families. 

Crowley has called the state's current $7.25 rate "mind-blowing,” and calls for immediately raising the wage floor to at least $15 an hour, scaling it up to $20 an hour by 2030, indexing it to inflation, and ending state pre-emption laws that block local municipalities from setting higher wage floors.

Crowley’s labor policy is a central plank in his "Badger Basics" platform and has earned him endorsements from major trade unions, including the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Laborers' District Council, Operating Engineers Local 139, IBEW Wisconsin State Conference, Plumbers Union Local 75, and Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters

“Wisconsin needs leaders who will stand up for working families, support unions and deliver real solutions that improve the lives of the people of our state,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. “David Crowley will provide that leadership. His opponent, Tom Tiffany, voted to support Scott Walker’s union-busting bills again and again, and in Congress has voted with Trump 100% of the time. David Crowley understands the important role strong unions and collective bargaining play in building and sustaining a healthy economy that provides all working Wisconsinites with an opportunity to succeed.”

Labor Day is on Sept. 7. The Fox Valley Area Labor Council AFL-CIO celebration starts in Menasha with a 10 a.m. parade and ends in Neenah. Festivities will continue throughout the afternoon at the Neenah Labor Temple with live music, children’s activities, raffles and lots of food.

Tiffany, Crowley bring starkly different labor policies into campaign as Labor Day nears © 2026 by Carol Lenz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0