Court Rules Wisconsin's Act 10 Unconstitutional, Restoring Worker Rights

Wisconsin's Act 10 Deemed Unconstitutional by Court

WASHINGTON—A recent ruling by a Dane County Circuit Court has declared Wisconsin's Act 10, a statute that restricted collective bargaining rights for numerous public service employees across the state, unconstitutional. This significant decision has been met with reactions from various stakeholders, including AFT President Randi Weingarten.

Weingarten remarked, “This decision is a big deal. Act 10 stripped workers of the freedom and power to have a voice on the job to bargain wages, benefits and working conditions. It’s about the dignity of work. And when workers have a voice, they have a vehicle to improve the quality of the services they provide to students, patients and communities.”

Act 10, introduced during the tenure of former Governor Scott Walker, significantly limited the ability of public sector workers, from educators to sanitation workers, to negotiate for wages, benefits, and working conditions. Weingarten further commented, “Former Gov. Scott Walker tried to eliminate all of that, and it hurt Wisconsin. Now, many years later, the courts have found his actions unconstitutional.”

The decision is seen as a pivotal moment for public employees in Wisconsin, potentially improving the conditions for a wide array of workers including educators and healthcare professionals. Weingarten noted, “There are many fights still to come, but this decision stands to make a huge difference for educators, nurses and public service workers and the people they help each and every day.”

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which Weingarten represents, encompasses 1.8 million members including pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals, higher education faculty, government employees, and healthcare workers.

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