A Wisconsin judge has struck down the state law championed by Gov. Scott Walker that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers
Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas ruled Friday the law violates both the state and U.S. Constitution and is null and void. The ruling comes after a lawsuit brought by the Madison teachers union and a union for Milwaukee city employees.
Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said he is confident the decision will be overturned on appeal.
It was not clear if the ruling means the law is immediately suspended. The law took away nearly all collective bargaining rights from most workers and has been in effect for more than a year.
- Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
From JSONLINE:
The ruling means that, unless it is overturned on appeal, school districts and local officials will have to return to the bargaining table with their workers in a much more significant way. The decision raises a host of questions about changes in pay, benefits and work rules that have taken place in the meantime while bargaining was essentially dead.
"The decision essentially creates the (2011) status quo for municipal employees and school district employees because it declared that the essential provisions of Act 10 to be unconstitutional," said Lester Pines, an attorney for the Madison teachers and city of Milwaukee employees who are plaintiffs.
Posts
Oh no skippy will have double duty now. Try to prop up illegal Act 10 while also keeping himself out of jail due to Walkergate.Skippy's world is crumbling around him and the look on his face tearing up during Paul Ryan's speech at the RNC's convention will be seen more often as that piece of #*=# tries to convince his lemmings of his innocence and competence.
ReplyDeleteI'm imagining all the recently retired state workers and laid-off teachers and municipal workers rising Zombie-like from their public servant exile and marching forward to reclaim their jobs...Scotty, we're coming for YOU!
ReplyDeleteThat is the perfect description of the people who voted for Walker for Gov. Marching Zombie-like to the polls to vote for someone who will take away benefits from teachers and municipal workers.
ReplyDeleteNo, state workers -- retired or still working for Walker -- are not happy about this ruling that does not cover us.
ReplyDeleteWhy not? Why do we still have to pay the exorbitant health insurance increase and worse? Why are we not able to unionize (for UW faculty, who just were starting to do so when Walker stopped them) or have union bargaining power again?
It didn't include state workers because they weren't part of the lawsuit. But it does give the state workers to file their own suit and win, because the same principles apply.
Deleteif your upset about the exorbitant health care costs better call your congressman and tell them how much you support Obamacare!
Deleteid highly recommend voting for President obama also because if Rmoney/rAyn et in your health care costs will be through the roof.
Jeff Simpson, you do not at all understand the impact of Act 10 on state workers' costs for health insurance and pensions. Not. At. All.
DeleteIt's really Not All About Obama All of the Time.
Actually unlike most people, I understand it from both sides of the table and know that it is probably the single worst piece of legislation written in my lifetime
DeleteThis idea that an "activist" judge shot down the teeth of Act 10 is bizarre. Act 10 took away the rights people had that was a standard for 50 years in Wisconsin. Wasn't what Act 10 did an activist law for the worse?
ReplyDeleteSo who is going to appeal the Judge Colas ruling? Why is Cullen Werwie so confident, other than he's Scott Walker's PR flack?
Why not make the same lawsuit covering State employees and send it to a court--just for the 2012 campaign season?