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Non-profit

Wisconsin Jobs Now

Website:

wisconsinjobsnow.org/
Location:

Milwaukee, WI
Tax ID:

45-2043069
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Formation:

2010
Type:

Labor advocacy group
Executive Director:

Martha De La Rosa

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

Wisconsin Jobs Now (WJN) was a “liberal labor group” 1 2 that was active in efforts to raise the minimum wage in Wisconsin and oppose the policies of former Governor Scott Walker (R). 3 4 WJN supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement and the critical race theory-influenced concepts of social justice, economic justice, and education justice. 5 6

The organization may be defunct and has not filed a publicly disclosed tax return since 2015. 7

History and Activities

Wisconsin Jobs Now was founded in 2010. 8 9 Wisconsin Jobs Now is a “liberal labor group” 10 and a coalition of 40 organizations 11 that is best-known for its efforts to oppose the labor reforms of then-Governor Scott Walker. 12 13 WJN supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement and the critical race theory-influenced concepts of social justice, economic justice, and education justice. 14 15

In 2012, WJN participated in rallies supporting the critical theory-influenced concept of “transit justice” with Occupy Milwaukee and local chapters of the Amalgamated Transit Union in 2012. 16 WJN also shared the same address as the left-of-center Wisconsin Jobs Now Organizing Foundation. 17

WJN was one of the main supporters of a Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, program to require a “living wage” of at least $11.33 per hour. 18 In 2014, WJN filed complaints on behalf of 100 low-wage workers to challenge Wisconsin’s minimum wage as a part of Raise Wisconsin’s complaints to Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development. 19 20

That same year, WJN was named “organization of the year” by the Milwaukee Democratic Party 21 and worked to “bring out as many Obama voters as possible” in an unsuccessful effort to defeat then-Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) in the 2014 gubernatorial election. 22

In 2016, WJN’s political action committee (PAC) 23 spent $117,206 on the 2016 federal election cycle, which included $58,603 in support of the 2016 presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton (D) and $0 in support of Republicans. 24 25 WJN also worked with the SEIU labor union as a part of the Fight for $15 campaign to raise the minimum wage until their relationship ended in 2016. 26

As of August 2022, WJN’s website only displays an image of the SEIU labor union logo. 27

Funding

According to the most recently released public filings with the IRS, Wisconsin Jobs Now reported revenue of $2,292,051 and expenses of $2,250,627 in 2014. 28

WJN previously accepted individual donations and is listed on the directory of left-of-center passthrough organization ActBlue. 29

WJN received $40,000 from the left-of-center Center for Popular Democracy in 2015 and also received $100,000 from CPD in 2014. 30 31 WJN also received $180,000 from the left-of-center Center for Popular Democracy Action Fund in 2014. 32

In 2014, WJN gave $10,000 each to the left-of-center Citizen Action of Wisconsin, We Are Milwaukee, and the Interfaith Coalition for Workers. 33

WJN received $125,000 from the National Education Association 2013 34 and also received $583,700 from the SEIU labor union in 2012. 35

People

Martha De La Rosa became WJN’s executive director in April 2016. Prior to joining WJN, Johnson spent nearly two decades working on critical race theory-influenced social and economic justice issues. Before joining WJN, De La Rosa worked as state coordinator of 9to5 (National Association of Working Women) Wisconsin and previously worked at the left-of-center Center for Progressive Leadership. De La Rosa is a board member of the left-wing Working Families Party. In 2013, she received “grassroots activist of the year” award from Citizen Action of Wisconsin for her work on the Fight for $15 campaign. 36

Left-of-center political activist Jennifer Epps-Addison was the executive director of Wisconsin Jobs Now from 2013 to 2016. 37 Epps-Addison received discretionary support from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations for the first two years of her leadership at WJN. 38 She has also worked as the president and co-CEO of the left-of-center Center for Popular Democracy from 2017 to 2022 and the chief program officer of the left-of-center Liberty Hill Foundation from 2015 to 2016. 39

References

  1. Price, Lilly. “Judge dismisses attempt to raise state minimum wage.” Madison.com. December 1, 2015. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://madison.com/daily-cardinal/judge-dismisses-attempt-to-raise-state-minimum-wage/article_0d16a0a0-989e-11e5-b18b-a396f3104231.html.
  2. DePillis, Lydia. “Why fast-food workers are suing Scott Walker for a raise.” Washington Post. October 30, 2014. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/10/30/why-fast-food-workers-are-suing-scott-walker-for-a-raise/.
  3. Clark, Meredith. “In Milwaukee, a final push to boost turnout.” MSNBC. November 3, 2014. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/wisconsin-final-push-scott-walker-mary-burke-msna450316.
  4. “Wisconsin Jobs Now.” LinkedIn Organization Profile Page. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/wisconsin-jobs-now/about/.
  5. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted August 15, 2016. Accessed August 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/WiscJobsNow/status/765276606579482624?cxt=HHwWgICxoZzB554VAAAA.
  6. “Black Lives Mater.” For Our Future WI Action Fund. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/black-lives-matter.
  7. “Wisconsin Jobs Now – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/452043069.
  8. “Wisconsin Jobs Now.” LinkedIn Organization Profile Page. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/wisconsin-jobs-now/about/.
  9. “Wisconsin Jobs Now.” Open 990. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://www.open990.org/org/452043069/wisconsin-jobs-now/.
  10. Price, Lilly. “Judge dismisses attempt to raise state minimum wage.” Madison.com. December 1, 2015. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://madison.com/daily-cardinal/judge-dismisses-attempt-to-raise-state-minimum-wage/article_0d16a0a0-989e-11e5-b18b-a396f3104231.html.
  11. “Balm in Gilead: Jennifer Epps Addison.” New York Foundation. January 22, 2015. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://nyf.org/balm-in-gilead/jennifer-epps-addison/.
  12. Clark, Meredith. “In Milwaukee, a final push to boost turnout.” MSNBC. November 3, 2014. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/wisconsin-final-push-scott-walker-mary-burke-msna450316.
  13. “Wisconsin Jobs Now.” LinkedIn Organization Profile Page. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/wisconsin-jobs-now/about/.
  14. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted August 15, 2016. Accessed August 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/WiscJobsNow/status/765276606579482624?cxt=HHwWgICxoZzB554VAAAA.
  15. “Black Lives Mater.” For Our Future WI Action Fund. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/black-lives-matter.
  16. Crum, Keith. “Jobs Not Cuts! Rally for full funding to transit April 19, 2012.” Milwaukee Transit Riders Union. April 15, 2012. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://twitter.com/WiscJobsNow/status/765276606579482624.
  17. “Wisconsin Jobs Now Organizing Foundation.” Internal Revenue Service. July 22, 2014. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/dl/FinalLetter_46-3403009_WISCONSINJOBSNOWORGANIZINGFOUNDATION_08142013_01.tif.
  18. Tapscott, Mark. “Wisconsin SEIU’s message: Nice job you go there, be a shame if you lost it.” Washington Examiner. February 19, 2014. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wisconsin-seius-message-nice-job-you-got-there-be-a-shame-if-you-lost-it.
  19. Zillman, Claire. “101-year-old law puts minimum wage at heart of Wisconsin governor’s race.” Fortune. September 25, 2014. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://fortune.com/2014/09/25/minimum-wage-wisconsin/.
  20. Johnson, M.L. “Labor group sues Walker over minimum wage.” Green Bay Press Gazette. October 27, 2014. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/politics/elections/2014/10/27/labor-group-sues-walker-minimum-wage/18039421/.
  21. “Farewell from Jennifer Epps-Addison.” Wisconsin Jobs Now. September 9, 2015. Accessed via Web Archive August 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20181123225042/http://wisconsinjobsnow.org/2015/09/farewell-from-jennifer-epps-addison/.
  22. Clark, Meredith. “In Milwaukee, a final push to boost turnout.” MSNBC. Posted November 3, 2014. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/wisconsin-final-push-scott-walker-mary-burke-msna450316.
  23. “Wisconsin Jobs Now!” Federal Election Commission. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/wisconsin-jobs-now/C90016411/summary/2016.
  24. “Wisconsin Jobs Now! Outside Spending.” Open Secrets. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C90016411.
  25. “Wisconsin Jobs Now! Independent Expenditures.” Open Secrets. Accessed August 1, 2022. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/wisconsin-jobs-now/C90016411/independent-expenditures/2016.
  26. Wisconsin Jobs Now. “Wisconsin Jobs Now Discontinues Fight for $15 Affiliation.” Urban Milwaukee. August 31, 2016. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/wisconsin-jobs-now-discontinues-fight-for-15-affiliation/.
  27. “Home.” Wisconsin Jobs Now. Accessed July 29, 2022. http://wisconsinjobsnow.org/.
  28. “Wisconsin Jobs Now.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2014. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/452043069/2016_02_EO%2F45-2043069_990O_201412.
  29. “Wisconsin Jobs Now. Actblue. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://secure.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/43871.
  30. “Center for Popular Democracy.” Form of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2015. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/453813436/201643129349302149/full.
  31. “Center for Popular Democracy Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2014. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/453813436/201533209349314938/full.
  32. “Center for Popular Democracy Action Fund Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2014. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/453860271/201543209349311684/full.
  33. “Wisconsin Jobs Now.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2014. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/452043069/2016_02_EO%2F45-2043069_990O_201412.
  34. “National Education Association of the United States.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2013. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/530115260/201531819349301268/full.
  35. Lueders, Bill. “Wisconsin Jobs Now! takes aim at low-wage service employment.” Isthmus. September 25, 2013. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://isthmus.com/news/news/wisconsin-jobs-now-takes-aim-at-low-wage-service-employment/.
  36. Wisconsin Jobs Now. “Martha De La Rosa Joins Wisconsin Jobs Now as Executive Director.” Urban Milwaukee. June 9, 2016. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/martha-de-la-rosa-joins-wisconsin-jobs-now-as-executive-director/.
  37. Stempel, Jonathan. “Labor group suing Wisconsin Governor Walker to raise minimum wage.” Reuters. October 14, 2014. Accessed July 29, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wisconsin-minimumwage-lawsuit/labor-group-suing-wisconsin-governor-walker-to-raise-minimum-wage-idUSKBN0IG23A20141027.
  38. “New Executives Fund.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/new-executives-fund?filter_year=2019&filter_past_year=2014&past=1.
  39. “Jennifer Epps-Addison, J.D.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 31, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-epps-addison-j-d-6aa03862/.

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Jennifer Epps-Addison
    Former Executive Director
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Nonprofit Information


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Additional Filings (PDFs)

Wisconsin Jobs Now

1862 West Fond Du Lac Avenue
Milwaukee, WI