Federal judge overturns two parts of Wisconsin's collective bargaining law

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A federal judge has thrown out two parts of Wisconsin’s controversial collective bargaining law.

U.S. District Judge William Conley ruled Friday, March 30, that union dues could be automatically withheld from public workers’ paychecks. He also ruled against requirements that all union members would have to approve maintaining the union by a vote every year.

Seven unions banded together as plaintiffs in the suit. They will discuss possible appeals on the issues they lost. The lawsuit was filed last summer after the governor’s plan was passed by the Legislature.

Wisconsin Education Council Association President Mary Bell reacted to the ruling by saying the judge found what the teachers’ union had been saying – that Act 10 isn’t about addressing the fiscal needs of the state.

“Act 10 eliminated workers’ rights to have a voice through their union. The two provisions found unlawful were specifically intended to attack the operations and viability of unions that didn’t support Scott Walker by requiring us to go through excessive hoops in order to maintain basic operations,” Bell said in a statement.

“It never made sense to us why an educator could have payroll deduction for health club dues or United Way contributions – and not their union dues. The judge agreed with our position, saying this restriction is unlawful – even going as far as calling it an example of political favoritism."

Under the ruling, if a union member elects to be part of the union, they can have their dues deducted from their paychecks as they had for the last few decades, Bell said.