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One of the correct steps for organized labor to resurrect itself back in Wisconsin would be to successfully unionize Foxconn once the Mount Pleasant plant opens for business in 2020. I mean, think about it, the Governor, President & House Speaker all endorsed and are so proud of this new project believing that with its mere go ahead, that alone will solidify their respective self-images as advocates of creating jobs, being pro-middle class & such. Let’s push the GOP (whoever is still in office by then) by seeing how they’ll react publicly with their beloved “baby” to have unionized workers.

They talk about a “blue wave” that could be on the horizon and that certainly has some of the red worried, Congressman Paul Ryan for one. But a “UNION wave” could also create a large amount of momentum. The left needs a shot in the arm. Sure, a blue wave in this year’s election would certainly be a building block, it could possibly result in repealing “right-to-work” in our state. By unionizing Foxconn, an example and a drive could be made by encouraging the type of organization of other non-union companies that has sat dormant for decades! Don’t think that the Taiwanese company has a track record of constantly being fair to their workers (did anyone ever research this?), hardly. Just go online, some of their employees have attempted & succeeded at committing suicide in which caused accusations that they were a direct result of the company’s harsh working conditions. They’re already under investigation for breaking labor laws in China, those include benefits being stripped as well as lower than promised wages. If Foxconn were to pull this here in Wisconsin, such a labor movement likely wouldn’t be viewed by the general public as merely a way for unions to make noise, but rather could be viewed as an absolute necessity! How many of you heard your parents once tell you, “Unions were good back in the thirties & forties, but…”? Those days could be back.

In a nutshell, it all starts with the employee itself. Don’t try to convince yourself that things are good when they’re not. Be strong and unionize!

 

Ahh! Finally, as the ballgame lets out a little after 10pm last night, a certain group of local fans already in a good mood after the team’s 5-1 victory look forward to getting to do something they haven’t been able to do since the 2014 baseball season. That is take the southbound ramp on to I-894 from westbound I-94 via the Zoo Interchange. It’s that sense of relief, no more “back roads”, stop & go traffic, frustration of the years that have gone by without taking your’ regular route home. You never got used to it. The media even acknowledged the Zoo Interchange’s long awaited ramp opening last week. But wait.

You heard a mention of “certain group of local fans”, above. That’s because this certain group had to endure then the unacceptable closing of the westbound ramp of I-43 at the Hale Interchange! Yes, the DoT had the nerve to go ahead and close the “next leg” of many commuter’s standard route home last night with an overnight closure of that ramp that began at 10pm thru 5am the next day. The available detour redirected commuters back eastbound I-894 to the crowded off ramp on 84th street where they would’ve had to have driven about a half mile south to Layton Ave then turn westbound on that stretch of road and head 40 blocks all the way to the Milw/Wauk County line in order to get back on to I-43 westbound. Sure, there were portable matrix signs that may’ve warned motorists prior, by reading “ Ramp Closed Tuesday 10p – 5a” blah, blah, blah…” and that. But to be honest, people are always sick of seeing that type of bad news that by now during these highway rebuilds that one must zone those signs out while driving a high speed and by trying to convince themselves on the brink of that Zoo ramp finally opening and saying to themselves “Oh they’re not going to close the HALE INTERCHANGE ramp now after what they’re doing by reopening the Zoo Interchange ramp!”. But, arrogantly, they did. Our solution, leave the ramp open after city events like for baseball games & city festivals, and give the union workers work elsewhere!

The next known closure for this (Hale) ramp will be Tuesday, July 3rd. Go to https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/wi.htm for updates on this particular ramp and other ramps on Wisconsin highways to see if they’re open or not.

Go to Timeline for our latest plans as to what we are doing at City Hall.

Milwaukee Alderman, Michael Murphy unfortunately has refused to endorse our objections to the Milwaukee Baseball Stadium Concessionaire’s alcohol establishment license which will include proposals to limit all alcoholic beverages served under the license to be of no more than 17 ounces each, as well as to limiting in-concourse concession stands that sell the same brands of alcohol served in common containers which the in-seat vendors sell.

With the stadium located right in Alderman Murphy’s district, his support would’ve been beneficial to us but not needed. Sadly, he appears to side with team owners and a corporation contracted there rather than “go to bat” for it’s in-seat vendors whom most are there to supplement their income and who are unionized. Alderman Murphy has made some poor decisions in the past involving everyday people who not only enjoy working at the ballpark, but fans (as well as players) who enjoy an alternative to smoking. First, in 2014, he was quoted in a WISN Ch 12 interview that he was in favor of two automated Self-Serve Beer Machines despite over 70 union members signing a petition to block them. Then, beginning with last season, he pioneered a movement that eventually passed in the common council that did indeed ban chewing tobacco at the stadium and was quoted in the WTMJ Ch 4 interview, that he’s in favor of banning smoking on that property as well! Links to both stories:

http://www.wisn.com/article/beer-vendors-cry-foul-over-self-serve-machines/6322987

https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/alderman-seeks-to-ban-chewing-tobacco-at-local-stadiums

Alderman Murphy should realize that he should be working hard for jobs and people’s pay in his’ district and NOT concerned about trying to play “hero” on a property where there are no residential voters. Call Alderman Murphy at (414) 286-2221 (or at Milwaukee City Hall) and remind him, no one lives at a ballpark!

Disclaimer: Links are provided & intended solely for the understanding of our webpage viewers. Drinks In The Seats PAC is responsible for the content of the above post and is not affiliated by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

 

Fans like to drink, fans like a winning team, a winning team almost always increases it’s in-house attendance numbers. Not only good players can make a team good, but so can a superstar player which a team recently acquires. Quite often, that such an acquisition happens through free agency.

Yes, free agency, of course! That’s where the big money not just happens but becomes an ignitor. Take for instance last week when Yu Darvish officially left behind his Los Angeles team and signed with Chicago’s north side team for $126 million over the next 6 six years! OK, so what about this “ignitor” part? Well the ignitor part is where not only this flashy superstar now comes to play for your’ team, that’s what starts the demand for more season ticket sales during the winter months, casual fans making a point to attend a game early in the season in order to see this “new guy” pitch (or play), and hey, if this star free agent comes through with those same big numbers he was known for on his “other team”, then that will likely generate sellouts and possibly playoff games!

In-Seat Beer Vendors (who make money only on how much they sell) love sell out crowds. With the job market currently in good shape, some stadiums are unable to hire enough Beer Vendors to accommodate sell out crowds, plus, fans who choose to purchase their alcohol from a concourse concession stand (a practice we highly discourage) may opt to buy from the In-Seat Vendors when they realize how long those concession stand lines have became.

What happens on the field DOES have a lot to say on how much an In-Seat Beer Vendor will make. Seems like when the home team is winning a key game, or a grand slam occurs, fans may be more willing to pull out more green earmarked for the next passing Beer Vendor for another round. But, if it’s late in the season and playoffs are out of the question, then money is back to being an issue. The same effect can happen for the following season when a superstar player LEAVES a team? Ouch!

 

Ryan Strnad, Managing Member and Lobbyist for Drinks In The Seats,LLC , Political Action Committee & Political Conduit issues the following statement for the current attempt to lower the drinking age in Wisconsin.

“Wisconsin should’ve never went to 21 years of age to drink alcohol in the first place. Us being the first state to lower it would reiterate that Wisconsin really is the drinking capital of America. The draw from outside populous regions such as Chicago & the Twin Cities would offset any unfair freeway forfeitures that would incur.”

Ryan Strnad – Managing Member/Lobbyist for Drinks In The Seats,LLC, Political Action Committee & Political Conduit
(414) 412-0606

www.DrinksInTheSeats.org Drinks In The Seats is located at 825 N Rochester St. #209 Mukwonago,WI 53149

Drinks In The Seats has  sponsored it’s first event!

A charity golf outing benefiting the Joel Zelinski Memorial Scholarship Fund and Whitnall High School Football, Wrestling & Golf teams. Unfortunately, with this being posted (after the details were learned), no links would be relevant to getting involved in this particular event as it took place on Sunday Sept. 24, 2017. But Drinks In The Seats was happy to be a hole sponsor, and would look forward to the prospect of hosting more local events (SE Wisconsin & beyond) in the foreseeable future. Go to Let us help!

We also gladly accept donations. Send them too:

Drinks In The Seats, 825 N Rochester St. #209, Mukwonago, WI 53149

 

Do you have any gripes or problems involving alcohol that could be addressed at the legislative level? We’re all ears right now! Just fill out the attached form, include what the issue is, and we’ll see if we can be of help.

Are you looking for a sponsor? We like to sponsor, though we can’t guarantee we will say “yes”,  let us know what you would like us to sponsor and we will give you serious consideration.

Remember, we lobby for better conditions in the drinking industry that would in-turn benefit the working class, so contact us now!

We plan on returning to Mukwonago Maxwell Street Days for 2018! Please return to this page as we get closer to summer to find out as to exactly when we will be there.

Maxwell Street Days is located at Field Park in Mukwonago, WI. On the SW corner of the intersection of HWY 83 & Co. Hwy NN. Our booth will be located at the extreme SouthEAST corner of Field Park/Flea Market right by the walk-in entrance off HWY 83. Go to maxwellstreetdays.net for more info about the monthly summer flea market.

SEE YOU THERE!