(The Center Square) – The National Right to Work Foundation has filed an amicus brief in support of an appeal of a ruling that overturned Wisconsin’s Act 10.
The brief contends that Wisconsin “can define and limit the parameters of exclusive representation as it sees fit” and union monopoly bargaining power is not a “right” allowed by the Wisconsin or U.S. Constitution.
The brief also states that the Dane County Circuit Court did not consider if it could expanded the pro-employee liberty provisions to cover all public departments in the law as a solution to correct the alleged imbalances the court said it saw.
Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty client Kristi Koschkee previously filed a motion to intervene in the appeal.
Act 10 limited most public sector union contract negotiations to salaries only and capped those salary increases to the rate of inflation after being signed into law in 2011 by then-Gov. Scott Walker.
The law, however, was overturned in December and an appeal of that ruling was filed.
Act 10’s biggest impact was on teachers’ unions and law supporters say those limits, along with other reforms, have saved Wisconsin taxpayers between $18 billion and $31 billion since 2011.
“Act 10 is a simple recognition that voters and taxpayers – not unelected union bosses – should be in control of how the public services Wisconsinites fund are managed,” National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix said in a statement. “But the union boss attempt to nix it is an even more egregious attack on Wisconsin public workers, who under union officials’ proposed regime would be forced to sacrifice to unions the right to freely choose who will speak for them on workplace matters.
“Even convicted felons have the right to choose their own representation, but union officials seek to deny this right to dissenting public employees.”
