Posted on 09/17/2012 7:09:42 PM PDT by Hunton Peck
Wisconsin school and government employee unions on Monday were considering whether to seek new contract talks after a state court threw out a controversial law that restricts public workers' collective bargaining rights.
At least one major union representing about 4,700 teachers in Madison said it will demand new contract negotiations, while others said they were weighing their options.
A Dane County judge ruled Friday that the law, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2011, violates the school and local employees' constitutional rights to free speech, free association and equal representation. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said he will ask a court on Tuesday to put the ruling on hold while he prepares an appeal.
The law, championed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker to address budget problems, has been the focal point of a broader clash between conservatives and unions over worker rights.
The ruling came in one of a number of lawsuits that are expected to determine the legality of curtailing employees' collective bargaining.
The law limits bargaining on wage increases to the rate of inflation. Other issues, such as workplace safety, vacation and health benefits, were excluded from collective bargaining.
Unions covered by contracts reached under the new law are considering whether to demand negotiations now that the law has been struck down. But the prospects for new action may remain unclear for some time as the appeals courts consider how to handle the legal challenges and lower court decisions.
"There are hundreds of questions about what this means for local school districts at this time and I don't think anybody has the answers," said Miles Turner, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators. "This is going to take some time."
John Matthews, the Madison teachers union's executive director, said the district should begin talks immediately...
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
The parasite gathers for an attack!
Dane county IIRC was the rat stronghold, the ruling is being appealed, they can wait for the high court to uphold the law.
Tell the unions to pound sand.
I think that’s why they jumped so fast; they’re hoping to lock up concessions before the near-inevitable overruling of the garbage decision by the lower court. This is consistent with the way some districts “negotiated” lavish contracts just before the law went into effect the first time.
I see this as a real advantage for us.. The Unions, already rejected by the people several times are re-racking the table for another IN-YOUR-FACE attempt to tell the public they don’t really count..
I can’t imagine they would actually do this AGAIN, but just look at the teachers in Chicago, and ask yourself could they really be this stupid, the answer has to be.. YES!
No problem. Tell the “teacher” and union a**holes that you will talk to them after the appeal is heard.
That’s the problem: In the Democrat-lousy districts they target, the teachers and the people they “negotiate” with are, in reality, on the same side.
The DNC wants to lose Wisconsin decisively.
Time to reopen old wounds!
Not a bad deal when you’re spending Other People’s Money (OPM).
And here’s the difference between Republicans and Democrats. The Rs lay down after a ruling and the D’s continue to beat their drum. They never sleep, never quit - they just keep munching and munching until they get their own way.
Why do Rs have to just give up all the time? I don’t expect Walker to do so, but here in Ohio, Kasich never brought up the issue of collective bargaining again after the voters voted to repeal it on the ballot. They, could have at least gone as far as making Ohio a right-to-work state after the defeat. Nope, they just rolled over and took it in the rear.
Only in a twisted liberal’s mind can the elimination of forced unionization be considered a limitation of a person’s right to free association.
Just reported tonight Milwaukee Public Schools retirement obligations have been reduced by one billion dollars due to Act 10.
Wisconsin Unions seeking new contracts ping
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
Here we go again....
OK, after the election...just take ‘em out.
Tout finis, ah-gone bye bye, hasta la vista, sianara, auf vieder sehen, see ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya!
Useless trough eaters
It seems almost useless to work for conservative candidates and issues; even when elected and given a mandate (Walker a prime example) their initiatives are eventually shot down.
Not trying to be negative, but it does seem at times that it's late in the fourth quarter, we're behind by three touchdowns, and the other team always gets the ball.
Wisc. AG files for stay of Act10 decision.MADISON — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have filed a Motion to Stay the September 14, 2012, decision by the Hon. Juan Colas, Dane County Circuit Court Branch 10, in the case of Madison Teachers, Inc., et al. v. Scott Walker, et al., which declared portions of 2011 Wis. Act 10 unconstitutional. The Motion, which was filed with the Dane County Circuit Court, asks that the decision be stayed pending an appeal to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
The motion argues that the decision is likely to be overturned on appeal and that a stay is needed to avoid confusion and to avoid other harm that might result if local governments are not able to take full advantage of Act 10 while an appeal is pending.
Regarding the motion, Van Hollen remarked, “Act 10 addressed real and significant financial problems faced by local governments. It makes no sense to force a return to a broken system before the appellate process is completed.”
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