Some late-breaking news out of Wisconsin: A state judge has struck down the state law passed last year that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers.
The Associated Press with the details:
“Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas ruled Friday that 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.”
Gov. Scott Walker, who championed the law and later faced a voter recall over it, can and almost certainly will appeal to overturn Colas’ ruing. According to the AP, it’s not clear whether the ruling means the law is suspended immediately or if the appeal process will first need to play out.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel with more on what the ruling will mean in practice:
“The law remains largely in force for state workers, though a federal judge struck down part of that section of the law as well earlier this year. But for city, county, and school workers the decision by Dane County Judge Juan Colas returns the law to its status before Walker signed his law in March 2011.
“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 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.”
