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Labor Union

Wisconsin State AFL-CIO

Website:

wisaflcio.org/
Location:

Milwaukee, WI
Tax ID:

39-0941964
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(5)

Budget (2023):

Revenue: $1,621,146
Expenses: $1,366,972
Assets: $2,909,654
Type:

State Labor Federation
President:

Stephanie Bloomingdale
President's Compensation (2024):

$199,054 6

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The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO is the Wisconsin state-level affiliate branch of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in the United States. 1 Since the term of former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), the branch has focused its advocacy towards repealing Walker-backed labor-law changes as well as advocacy towards changing the composition of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court to a liberal majority.  2  3  4

Background

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO is a state-level chapter of the national AFL-CIO labor federation. As a result, instead of representing workers directly, 1  it coordinates local labor unions and union members towards supporting left-of-center policies, Democratic political candidates, anti-business regulations, and other pro-union advocacy. 1

Leadership

Stephanie Bloomingdale is the president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. She previously worked as the group’s secretary-treasurer and was also the director of public policy for the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). 5 In 2024, the branch reported Bloomingdale’s total compensation was $199,054. 6

Activism

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO has previously promoted left-of-center policies in Wisconsin 7 towards areas including criminal justice, the environment, the economy, and infrastructure. 8

Second Trump Administration

It criticized labor policies proposed by the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, or “Project 2025,” that was developed by a coalition of over 70 right-of-center organizations organized by the Heritage Foundation. 9

During the second Trump administration, the state chapter opposed budgetary cuts and reforms proposed by the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 10

The chapter is a member of the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, a left-of-center network of similar left-of-center groups that supports adding a state constitutional amendment which transfers the Wisconsin legislature’s power over redistricting to independent redistricting commissions. 11

Administration of Gov. Scott Walker

During the administration of former Governor Scott Walker (R), which ran from January 2011 through January 2019, the Wisconsin AFL-CIO began focusing its advocacy efforts towards changing labor policies enacted under Walker.  4 These included Wisconsin’s Act 10, passed in 2011, which limited collective bargaining for most state government and public school district employees, as well as right-to-work legislation adopted in 2015 that ended the requirement that certain private-sector workers pay union fees. 12  13  14

The Wisconsin AFL-CIO was one of several local unions that opposed Act 10, specifically local union Teaching Assistants’ Association (TAA) Local 3220. Members of the union, including local members and national union members, protested the passage by occupying the Wisconsin state capitol building in an attempt to block its passage along with similar labor law reforms proposed by then-Gov. Walker.  15 TAA’s former president, David Newby, was previously president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO from 1993 until 2010, as was also a member of the national AFL-CIO Executive Council at that time.. 16 Despite the occupation by the Wisconsin AFL-CIO and its member unions, it was unsuccessful in blocking the bill’s passage. 17

Following Act 10’s passage, the Wisconsin AFL-CIO led efforts in 2011 to recall Republican state legislators who had supported Act 10 as well as a recall against Gov. Walker in 2012. The chapter worked with the national AFL-CIO federation along with local organizations including We Are Wisconsin. 18  19 A 2012 analysis of recall election spending by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign found that We Are Wisconsin spent $14,435,234 on the 2011 elections and $3,043,286 on the 2012 Walker recall. 19

Following Act 10’s passage and the unsuccessful recall campaign against Gov. Walker, the Wisconsin AFL-CIO supported for Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Judge Janet Protasiewicz in 2023 to affect the Wisconsin State Supreme Court composition.  3  20 Protasiewicz later defeated Republican state Supreme Court candidate Judge Daniel Kelly and led to a liberal majority on the court.  3

During the 2025 Wisconsin state Supreme Court election, the Wisconsin AFL-CIO endorsed Susan Crawford, who would later defeated former state attorney general Brad Schimel (R), keeping the liberal-leaning majority on the court. 2

Activities

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO has advocated that its members support Democratic candidates for office as well as the campaigns of nonpartisan left-of-center candidates and ballot initiatives. 21 It has previously endorsed political candidates, produced voter guides, and operated get-out-the-vote efforts for local and state-wide elections. 22

In 2025, it supported the successful reelection campaign of Jill Underly as the Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction. 23  24  25  26

Finances

The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO receives most of its funding from dues paid by its member unions, which remit a portion of each of their members’ dues to the federation. In 2024, it received $1,334,466 in dues, $687,000 in grants and other contributions, $22,800 in revenues from its annual convention, $89,944 in investment income, and $46,800 in rental income. 6

References

  1. “Home.” Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://wisaflcio.org/.
  2. “Wisconsin Supreme Court Elections, 2025.” Ballotpedia. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Supreme_Court_elections,_2025.
  3. “Wisconsin Supreme Court Elections, 2023.” Ballotpedia. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Supreme_Court_elections,_2023.
  4. Kroll, Andy. “Inside Labor’s Epic Battle in Wisconsin.” Mother Jones, March 4, 2011. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/wisconsin-protest-scott-walker-labor/.
  5. “Stephanie Bloomingdale.” Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://wisaflcio.org/about-us/stephanie-bloomingdale-1.
  6. “Wisconsin State Afl Cio.” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/390941964.
  7. “News.” Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://wisaflcio.org/news.
  8. “About Us.” Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://wisaflcio.org/about-us.
  9. “Project 2025 and Unions.” Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, August 6, 2024. https://wisaflcio.org/news/project-2025-and-unions.
  10. “100 Days of Speaking Truth to Power.” Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, April 30, 2025. https://wisaflcio.org/news/100-days-speaking-truth-power.
  11. Gunn, Erik. “The Court ordered fairer maps. Now reformers want to change how they’re drawn in the future.” Wisconsin Examiner. July 16, 2025. https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2025/07/16/the-court-ordered-fairer-maps-now-reformers-want-to-change-how-theyre-drawn-in-the-future/
  12. Bauer, Scott. “What to Know about Wisconsin’s Act 10 and the 2024 Court Battle over the Law.” PBS Wisconsin, December 3, 2024. https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/what-to-know-about-wisconsins-act-10-and-the-2024-court-battle-over-the-law/.
  13. Bauer, Scott. “Wisconsin Governor Signs Bill Ending Mandatory Union Dues.” AP News, December 6, 2023. https://apnews.com/general-news-ac98419e5c6d47d9bf015a55dcfe7f7d.
  14. Bauer, Scott. “About 2,000 Protest against Right-to-Work at Wisconsin Capitol.” PBS, February 24, 2015. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/2000-rally-right-work-bill-wisconsin.
  15. Tarleton, John. “Inside the Wisconsin Uprising: Teaching Assistants Help Spark a New Movement in Labor.” PSC CUNY, November 9, 2022. https://psc-cuny.org/clarion/2011/april/inside-wisconsin-uprising-teaching-assistants-help-spark-new-movement-labor/.
  16. Nichols, John. “In Solidarity with Labor’s David Newby.” The Cap Times, October 17, 2010. https://captimes.com/news/opinion/column/john_nichols/john-nichols-in-solidarity-with-labor-s-david-newby/article_0384bfd2-64cb-553d-953b-a3ce703fc3a2.html.
  17. Wojcik, John. “Angry Wisconsin Workers Occupy Capitol.” People’s World, February 16, 2011. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/angry-wisconsin-workers-occupy-capitol/.
  18. “We Are Wisconsin.” Ballotpedia. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://ballotpedia.org/We_Are_Wisconsin.
  19. “Recall Race for Governor Cost $81 Million.” Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, July 25, 2012. https://www.wisdc.org/news/press-releases/73-press-release-2012/4112-recall-race-for-governor-cost-81-million.
  20. Herken, Olivia. “What to Know about Act 10 and the Legal Battle over the Controversial Law.” The Wisconsin Independent, February 20, 2025. https://wisconsinindependent.com/politics/what-to-know-about-act-10-legal-battle-controversial-labor-law/.
  21. “Wisconsin Workers Mobilize to Elect Harris-Walz, Tammy Baldwin, Pro-Worker down Ballot Candidates in Final Days of Campaign.” Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, November 4, 2024. https://wisaflcio.org/news/wisconsin-workers-mobilize-elect-harris-walz-tammy-baldwin-pro-worker.
  22. “Get out the Vote.” Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, March 31, 2025. https://wisaflcio.org/news/get-out-vote.
  23. “Dr. Jill Underly Re-Elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction.” Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, April 1, 2025. https://wisaflcio.org/news/dr-jill-underly-re-elected-state-superintendent-public-instruction.
  24. “Jill Underly.” Ballotpedia. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://ballotpedia.org/Jill_Underly.
  25. “Democratic Party of Wisconsin Endorses Dr. Jill Underly for Reelection as Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction.” Democratic Party of Wisconsin, December 3, 2024. https://wisdems.org/wisdems-news/wisdems-endorses-dr-jill-underly-for-reelection-as-wisconsin-superintendent-of-public-instruction/.
  26. Spears, Baylor. “State Superintendent Jill Underly Wins Second Term in Office, Defeating GOP-Backed Candidate .” Wisconsin Examiner, April 1, 2025. https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2025/04/01/state-superintendent-jill-underly-wins-second-term-in-office-defeating-gop-backed-candidate/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1959

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2023 Dec Form 990 $1,621,146 $1,366,972 $2,909,654 $679,321 N $1,531,047 $8,250 $35,049 $380,397
    2022 Dec Form 990 $1,878,343 $1,763,582 $2,893,609 $917,450 N $1,800,529 $32,100 $4,914 $328,387 PDF
    2021 Dec Form 990 $1,516,978 $1,416,110 $3,051,878 $1,190,480 N $1,474,975 $0 $2,803 $305,234
    2020 Dec Form 990 $2,001,501 $1,713,322 $2,749,873 $989,343 N $1,967,578 $6,700 $4,300 $305,608
    2019 Dec Form 990 $1,516,423 $1,273,200 $2,470,497 $998,146 N $1,457,850 $7,100 $8,515 $293,832 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $2,001,615 $1,598,979 $2,255,788 $1,031,639 N $1,899,533 $33,385 $7,067 $322,344 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $1,713,784 $1,566,265 $2,271,945 $1,426,232 N $1,674,483 $7,050 $7,656 $288,601
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,962,443 $2,001,951 $2,140,297 $1,517,420 N $1,890,519 $28,843 $9,314 $312,420 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $1,893,606 $1,863,191 $2,169,390 $1,622,410 N $1,859,921 $6,000 $10,802 $307,883 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,943,009 $2,095,746 $2,818,873 $1,455,519 N $1,893,700 $23,565 $11,515 $300,410 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,997,517 $1,708,754 $3,158,430 $1,324,426 N $1,966,328 $5,925 $8,530 $301,432 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $3,146,878 $2,787,886 $2,679,441 $1,334,548 N $3,079,373 $29,288 $11,399 $325,222 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $3,968,568 $2,879,381 $2,774,513 $1,293,859 N $3,922,608 $6,020 $11,465 $319,602 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Wisconsin State AFL-CIO

    6333 W BLUEMOUND RD
    Milwaukee, WI 53213-4103