Collective bargaining rights have been restored to Wisconsin unions in a new ruling
About 700 guest service workers at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas who are members of the Culinary Union walked off the job at 5 a.m. Friday.
A Wisconsin judge gave Badger State public union workers a major victory Monday, restoring their collective bargaining rights after a 13-year-old law rejected them.
Dane County District Judge Jacob Frost ruled Monday that certain sections of Rule 10 violate the Wisconsin Constitution. Also known as the Wisconsin Budget Reform Bill, this law was signed by former Governor Scott Walker in 2011 with the goal of reducing state spending.
The law severely limited compensation for state workers and took away bargaining rights from state union workers, which caused controversy in the country at the time and fueled protests for weeks.
Wisconsin labor unions argued that Rule 10 limited their ability to organize and the right to free speech under the First Amendment. In his decision, Frost wrote that several parts of the law were created “without a rational basis.”
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A Wisconsin judge has ruled that certain parts of Act 10 are unconstitutional. (iStock | Getty Images / Getty Images)
“This goes to the heart of the Court’s July Decision – the illegal creation of the ‘public safety workers’ class and its differential treatment without a reasonable basis – so I am striking these sections,” Frost wrote, according to FOX 6 Milwaukee.
The decision was met with mixed reactions from members of the Wisconsin legislature. Democrats praised the move, while Republicans expressed financial concerns about the decision.
“This case came more than a decade after Act 10 became law and after dozens of courts rejected unfounded legal challenges,” a Wisconsin State Council speaker said. Robin Vos said, according to FOX 6. “Act 10 saved Wisconsin taxpayers more than $16 billion. We look forward to presenting our arguments on appeal.”
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A Wisconsin House Democrat holds up his microphone and a sign after the House voted to pass a controversial state budget bill at the Wisconsin state house March 10, 2011, in Madison, Wisconsin. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Wisconsin State Attorney Ryan Clancy told FOX 6 that he supports the measure as a former pastor.
“I was a teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools during Act 10 thirteen years ago,” Clancy said. “I saw firsthand the negative impact of the lack of collective dialogue not only on our teaching profession but also on schools, students and our communities.
“I am pleased that Judge Jacob Frost’s decision will restore power to workers and the greater community. This is an important step to ensure that all Wisconsin workers have access to fair and equitable working conditions.”
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Protesters gather in the Capitol rotunda as the State Assembly debates provisions of the federal budget reform bill March 10, 2011, in Madison, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The ruling came after Rule 10 endured years of controversy in state and federal courts. In 2014, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the law in a 5-2 decision.
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