Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
{{pp-pc1}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
| logo = Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce logo.png
| type = Private
| genre =
| foundation = 1975
| founder =
| location_city = Madison, Wisconsin
| location_country =
| location =
}}
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) is an association of manufacturers, service businesses and chambers of commerce located in Madison, Wisconsin. WMC was formed from what was the Wisconsin State Chamber of Commerce, the Wisconsin Manufacturers Association, and the Wisconsin Council of Safety in 1975. WMC engages in earned media, advocacy, and business development. WMC came under fire in 1996 for an issue ad aimed at Democrats in the state. Initially, the ad was forced off the air but WMC sued to have the ad reinstated, citing free speech rights. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel referred to WMC as "the state's most influential business lobbying group".
{{cite news
| last = Roesslein
| title = First Amendment no defense
| work = Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
| date = 1999-01-22
| url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-6698087.html
| access-date = 2008-06-18}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
{{dead link|date=February 2014}}
History and composition
File:Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Building.jpg
The Wisconsin Manufacturers Association, which merged with two other Wisconsin business organizations in 1975 to form Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, was founded in 1911.{{cite web|title=Frank Sensenbrenner - Paper Industry Hall of Fame Inductee |work=Paper Industry Hall of Fame |url=http://www.paperhall.org/inductees/bios/1998/frank_sensenbrenner.php |access-date=2008-06-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111052337/http://www.paperhall.org/inductees/bios/1998/frank_sensenbrenner.php |archive-date=November 11, 2007 }}
Paul Hassett was the first president of the newly formed organization, which had approximately 2,500 charter members.
{{cite news
| title = Joanis. Stevens officials of merged group
| work = Stevens Point Daily Journal
| date = 1976-01-16
| url = https://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=7644734&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=0
| access-date = 2009-06-18
|url-access=registration }}
Since its inception, WMC has lobbied for the passage of business-friendly legislation in the Wisconsin Legislature.
{{cite news
| last = Shultze
| first = Steve
| title = Spending spree shapes up in capital
| work = Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
| date = 1993-03-14
| url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MWSB&p_theme=mwsb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB827B8E5F337AB&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
| access-date = 2008-06-18}}
As of 2008, WMC claims over 4,000 charter members among the business community in Wisconsin. It publishes two annual directories: one of state manufacturers and the other a directory of service companies. It also claims to represent 500 000 employees.
{{cite web
| title = About Us
| publisher = Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
| year = 2006
| url = http://www.wmc.org/about/?category=7
| access-date = 2014-02-03}}
= 1996 election =
During the 1996 election, WMC sponsored a series of 'issue ads' against state democrats. The Wisconsin State Election Board blocked the ads, arguing that WMC violated state and federal election laws by running an election ad as group whose donor base was not divulged to the FEC and state election boards.
{{cite web
| title = WMC History
| work = WMCwatch
| publisher = Institute for One Wisconsin
| url = http://www.instituteforonewisconsin.org/page/content/WMChronology/history/
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304132308/http://www.instituteforonewisconsin.org/page/content/WMChronology/history/
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 2016-03-04
| access-date = 2008-06-19}}
WMC sued, citing free speech concerns. After two appellate court rulings against WMC, the State Supreme Court ruled narrowly in WMC's favor.Wis. Mfrs. & Commerce v. State of Wis. Elecs. Bd., 978 F.Supp. 1200 (W.D. Wis., 1997)
{{cite news
| last = Price
| first = Jenny
| title = Ruling: WMC Didn't Break Campaign Finance Laws
| pages = 1B
| publisher = St. Paul Pioneer Press
| date = 1999-07-08
| url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PD&s_site=twincities&p_multi=SP&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB5E3EA426C73BD&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
| access-date = 2008-06-19}}
State political leaders cited this supreme court case when preparing legislation in later years.
{{cite news
| last = Jones
| first = Richard
| title = Senate passes bill regulating issue ads
| work = Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
| date = 2001-01-13
| url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MWSB&p_theme=mwsb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB82E648A3E4337&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
| access-date = 2008-06-19}}
= 2008 election =
{{main|2008 Wisconsin state elections#Spring nonpartisan election}}
WMC spent more than 1.2 million dollars in support of Michael Gableman's campaign for State Supreme Court Justice, successfully ousting sitting Justice Louis Butler.
{{cite news
| title = Report shows special interests dominate Wis. Supreme Court race
| work = Wausau Daily Herald
| date = 2008-04-09
| url = http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080409/WDH0101/80409126/1981
| access-date =2008-06-19 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
Justice Louis Butler subsequently asserted that three cases in particular caused WMC to target him. One favored the families of three men killed when a giant crane collapsed during construction of Miller Park; another struck down the cap on medical malpractice damages for pain and suffering, and the third expanded the liability of paint manufacturers in cases of lead poisoning.{{cite news |title=Butler gets to break code of silence |date=August 10, 2008 |newspaper=Green Bay Press Gazette |url=http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080810/GPG0602/808100701/1270}} This spending and subsequent advertisement were criticized by members of the Madison press, the state bar and the Brennan Center, a non-partisan policy center at New York University.
{{cite news
| last = Garvey
| first = Ed
| title = Curtail WMC's Influence Before it owns Court.
| work = Capital Times
| date = 2008-01-29
| url = http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/-/images/WMC%20Watch/The%20Capital%20Times%20-%20Archives_2.pdf
| archive-url = https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090325073232/http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/-/images/WMC%20Watch/The%20Capital%20Times%20-%20Archives_2.pdf
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 2009-03-25
| access-date = 2008-06-19}}
| title = Special Interests Dominate Wisconsin Airways in High Court Race
| publisher = Brennan Center for Justice
| date = 2008-03-20
| url = http://brennan.3cdn.net/6dd3e14a629d0584f3_d3m6bhjqu.pdf
| access-date = 2008-06-19
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080511194454/http://brennan.3cdn.net/6dd3e14a629d0584f3_d3m6bhjqu.pdf
| archive-date = 2008-05-11
| url-status = dead
Activities
WMC does not disclose their issue advocacy donors list to the public.
{{cite news
| title = Business Group's Donor List Remains Secret
| work = St. Paul Pioneer Press
| pages = 3B
| date = 1998-01-07
| url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PD&s_site=twincities&p_multi=SP&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB5E26E5DA3F812&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
| access-date = 2008-06-19}}
WMC describes itself as lobbying on behalf of its members "whenever the state legislature is in session." According to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, WMC was responsible for 1.1 million dollars in lobbying efforts during the 2007-2009 session of the state legislature.
{{cite web
| title = Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce: Lobbying by Organization
| work = Government Accountability Board
| url = http://ethics.state.wi.us/scripts/2007Session/LEOEL.asp?PrinID=2750
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130421175732/http://ethics.state.wi.us/scripts/2007Session/LEOEL.asp?PrinID=2750
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 2013-04-21
| access-date = 2008-06-19}}
WMC also publishes ratings of Wisconsin legislators on a scale of 0 to 100.
{{cite web
| title = Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce Ratings
| work = Project Votesmart
| date = 2006
| url = http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3704&sort=party
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110521041216/http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3704&sort=party
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 2011-05-21
| access-date = 2008-06-19}}
Beyond lobbying efforts, WMC commissions annual surveys of business owners, directories and information, and—through their non-profit Wisconsin Council of Safety—workplace safety compliance information.{{cite web|title=WMC Products and Services |work=wmc.org |year=2006 |url=http://www.wmc.org/superpage.cfm?Category=4 |access-date=2008-06-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323180309/http://www.wmc.org/superpage.cfm?category=4 |archive-date=March 23, 2008 }}
WMC works with the state [http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/ Department of Workforce Development] to secure federal grants to train workers in Wisconsin.
{{cite web
| last = Klein
| first = Mike
| title = WTN Interview: Roberta Gassman
| work = WTN News
| publisher = Wisconsin Technology Network
| date = 2003-12-15
| url = http://wtnnews.com/articles/436/
| access-date = 2014-02-03}}
Advocacy
= Opposition to parental leave legislation =
In 1989, WMC helped block passage of Wisconsin's family leave act on behalf of their members.
{{cite journal |last=Wisensale |first=Steven K. |author2=Allison, Michael D. |date=April 1989 |title=Family Leave Legislation: State and Federal Initiatives |journal=Family Relations |publisher=National Council on Family Relations |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=185 |doi=10.2307/583673 |jstor=583673}}
= Opposition to military right-to-repair legislation =
In July 2024, WMC signed a [https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25075327/signedfy25ndaasection828letter.pdf letter] to members of both the House Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Armed Services opposing Section 828 of S. 4628, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, entitled "Requirement for Contractors to Provide Reasonable Access to Repair Materials," which would require contractors doing business with the US military to agree "to provide the Department of Defense fair and reasonable access to all the repair materials, including parts, tools, and information, used by the manufacturer or provider or their authorized partners to diagnose, maintain, or repair the good or service."{{Cite web |last=Koebler |first=Jason |date=2024-08-28 |title=Appliance and Tractor Companies Lobby Against Giving the Military the Right to Repair |url=https://www.404media.co/appliance-and-tractor-companies-lobby-against-giving-the-military-the-right-to-repair/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829115850/https://www.404media.co/appliance-and-tractor-companies-lobby-against-giving-the-military-the-right-to-repair/ |archive-date=2024-08-29 |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=404 Media |language=en}}
Criticism
In August 2008 the outgoing Chancellor of UW-Madison, John Wiley, described the WMC as being "hijacked by highly partisan ideologically driven staff," stating that "WMC routinely opposes most measures favored by labor unions, and most measures aimed at improving the lot of entry-level and low-income workers who are essential to our economy. But this opposition is not a business or an economic position; it is a political position based on an era and an economy that no longer exist."
{{Cite web |title=From Crossroads to Crisis :: Madison Magazine |url=http://www.madisonmagazine.com/article.php?section_id=918&xstate=view_story&story_id=235966 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917223413/http://www.madisonmagazine.com/article.php?section_id=918&xstate=view_story&story_id=235966 |archive-date=2008-09-17 |access-date=2008-08-25}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.wmc.org/ Home Page] at wmc.org
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce}}
Category:Companies based in Madison, Wisconsin