Dane County judge overturns anti-collective bargaining law

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A Dane County circuit court judge on Friday, Sept. 14, ruled that the controversial law effectively ending collective bargaining for Wisconsin teachers and public workers are unconstitutional.

Judge Juan B. Colas said the year-old law infringes on the unions’ rights to free speech and association, and violates constitutional clauses for equal protection under the law.

Under Wisconsin Act 10, non-union workers don’t have the same limits on pay raises and benefits as union workers.

Colas also said the law violates Milwaukee’s home rule rights.

Milwaukee’s unionized sanitation workers and Madison public school teachers filed the lawsuit in which Colas ruled.

Judge Colas ruled the law is null and void because it is unconstitutional, both on the state and federal levels.

The law made Gov. Scott Walker a national star for the conservative movement. His administration is promising an appeal of the ruling.

The governor’s office issued a statement calling the Judge Colas a “liberal activist.”

Attorney general asks for delay

Wisconsin’s attorney general said that he’ll try as soon he can to hold up the restoration of most public union bargaining for Wisconsin’s municipal and school employees.

J.B. Van Hollen said he’ll ask that the Dane County Circuit Court ruling be delayed until the appellate courts can review the decision.

Madison teachers’ lawyer Lester Pines said unions did not prevail in their effort to overturn a ban on unions for University of Wisconsin employees and workers at University of Wisconsin Hospital.

Observers said the new ruling does not affect state employees. Still, State Sen. Glenn Grothman of West Bend, a Republican, calls it a “disaster” for local governments and schools. He said it’s possible those officials would have to reverse the extra payments for health insurance and retirement that all public workers faced under the union law.

Grothman told WIBA Radio in Madison it’s an expense that’s not built in local budgets. He said it would be a financial disaster unless a restraining order can be approved in the next week.

Pines said it might take a while for a restraining order to be issued. He expects the injunction request to go to the Supreme Court before the ruling itself is considered.

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