Labor leaders in Wisconsin’s Marathon County have announced that Republican politicians are not invited to participate in the annual Labor Day parade in Wausau.

County Labor Council President Randy Radtke banned GOP politicians because they “openly attacked workers’ rights” or “stood idly by while their political party fought to strip public workers of their right to collectively bargain.”

But Wausau Mayor Jim Tipple stood up for Republicans. He said the city — the long-standing locale for the Labor Day event — would not pay to help stage the parade unless the ban was reversed. So when it comes to standing up for Wisconsin labor unions, it looks like they’re on their own again. –BF

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

“Usually they’ve been in the parade, but it seems like they only want to stand with us one day a year, and the other 364 days they don’t really care,” said Randy Radtke, president of the council.

The council is made up of about 30 local unions from the Marathon County area.

In a statement, Radtke added that the parade is intended to celebrate working men and women and what the labor movement has given them: weekends, a 40-hour workweek, child labor protection and a safe working environment.

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