AFT’s Weingarten on Judge’s Rejection of Wisconsin’s Act 10

WASHINGTON-AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after a Dane County Circuit Court ruled that a notorious Wisconsin statute, Act 10, that denied collective bargaining to tens of thousands of public service workers throughout the state-from educators and conservation wardens to sanitation workers and nurses-is unconstitutional:

"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.

"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.

"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 AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.