The state’s largest union forwarded a video to its members last week criticizing Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s stance on collective bargaining, despite Barrett’s campaign calling the video inaccurate.

The 24th Wisconsin chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, sent out an email last week to members criticizing Barrett’s politics and included a video portraying Barrett as supportive of Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican who Barrett is aiming to run against if he wins the Democratic primary. 

Although the video was not produced by AFSCME, it implied that Barrett agreed with Walker’s plan to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public workers.

Barrett, who is running against Walker in the upcoming recall election, and his campaign office have consistently denied such support. 

However, AFSCME Local 24 said it will not back down from its original assertions and will continue to endorse the video.

According to a statement, AFSCME Local 24 said while the group used poor judgment in directing the union members’ attention to an Internet video that went over the top to make its point, the union believes it is essential to bring attention to Barrett’s record on collective bargaining.

Barrett campaign spokesperson Phil Walzak said Barrett was portrayed inaccurately in the video. 

“It is a recklessly unfair depiction that has been confirmed by fact-checking organizations and the media reports. This is a great disservice to everyone in Wisconsin,” Walzak said. 

After several union leaders apologized through email this week, Walzak said he expected voters to see through the video’s false claims and recognize it as misleading.

AFSCME Local 24’s refusal to admit what several groups view as false accusations toward Barrett has led to other unions criticizing the union for not being upfront enough about the union’s political agenda.

Executive Director Jim Palmer of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association said in a statement that this election is an opportunity for Wisconsinites to reclaim control of the government, but the video interferes with this vision. 

“If we can’t allow our candidates to campaign for themselves without taking pot-shots or deceiving the people we represent, we are in severe trouble,” Palmer said in the statement. 

Palmer also said the AFSCME Local 24’s promoted video did not tell Barrett’s position in its entirety because it was edited. The full audio showed that Barrett was only referencing Gov. Walker’s proposal, which he later said he was against, Palmer said in the statement. 

Falk declined to comment on the effects of the video on Barrett’s campaign, choosing to instead focus on her supporters. In an email to The Badger Herald, Falk’s spokesperson Scot Ross said Falk wants to run a positive campaign focused on her own credentials and vision for Wisconsin’s future.  

Falk’s campaign released her first television ad of the Democratic recall election primary Monday, emphasizing how Walker has “failed us” and promising to bring the state together.

The primary for all six recall elections will be held May 8, and the general election will be held June 5.