Just a few days after leaving office as mayor of Madison, Sue Bauman received an appointment to a state employment board.
Gov. Jim Doyle announced Friday that Bauman would become one of the three members of the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission, which deals with collective bargaining and promotes peaceful labor relations.
Doyle said that Bauman’s eclectic experience would be beneficial to her work on the Commission.
“I am pleased that Sue Bauman will be serving our state as a member of the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission,” Doyle said in a statement Friday. “Having served six years as mayor, 12 years on the Common Council, and 16 years as a lawyer on employment and labor issues, Sue is uniquely qualified for this job. She will bring valuable expertise to the commission and make an important contribution to our state.”
Bauman served as mayor of Madison from 1997 until earlier this month. In February, she finished fourth out of six candidates in Madison’s mayoral primary election and left office, being replaced by the newly elected Dave Cieslewicz.
Before serving as mayor, Bauman spent 12 years as a member of the Madison Common Council. Bauman received a law degree and a master’s in industrial relations from the University of Wisconsin in 1981, and before that she was a teacher for Madison Public Schools.
Employment and labor relations were the emphasis of Bauman’s 16 years of private practice law, which she said makes her an excellent choice for the position.
“It’s a perfect fit, really,” Bauman said.
Bauman said she had known Doyle and supported him during the competitive Democratic primary election for governor and subsequent gubernatorial election in November 2002.
“I’ve known the governor for years and years and I supported from when he decided to enter the race for governor,” Bauman said.
Bauman said she was excited to start the position and knew exactly what her new job would entail.
“The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission is the state equivalent of the National Labor Relations Board,” Bauman said. “It acts in a similar way, only within the state of Wisconsin, and deals with contract negotiations of teachers and state, city, and county employees.”
Bauman will finish an unfinished six-year term, which ends March 1, 2005, and be paid $78,000 a year for her work, after making $101,324 as mayor.
Doyle named Paul Gordon, a former city attorney for Chippewa Falls, to the commission April 10. Bauman and Gordon will complete the terms of Stephen Bohrer and Paul Hahn, respectively, who announced their resignations in March to pursue legal careers. Judith Neuman currently chairs the three-person commission.
Doyle also announced Friday the appointment of Bob Glaser to the Labor and Industry Review Commission and Terry Craney to the Work-Based Learning Board.
The Work-Based Learning Board administers the state’s youth apprenticeships, tech prep and work-based learning programs. The Labor and Industry Review Commission is an independent agency, which decides appeals in legal cases involving unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation and equal rights.
Craney will earn $80,000 and Glaser will receive $70,000 a year.
