Madison, WI (September 11, 2013) – Today, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin upheld Governor Scott Walker’s 2011 public-sector unionism reform measures, also known as “Act 10,” which included giving most Wisconsin public workers the Right to Work.
With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, two Wisconsin public employees moved to intervene in the lawsuit in favor of the law after Laborers Local 236 union officials challenged the law in the federal court. The court permitted the two civil servants to file an amicus brief.
Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation, released the following statement in regards to the court’s decision:
“The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin has upheld the constitutionality of ‘Act 10.’ The court’s decision is a powerful victory for individual workers who do not want anything to do with an unwanted union in their workplace.
“We’re happy that the court rejected the empty arguments of union officials who have had a free ride on the backs of taxpayers and government workers for too long. The decision ensures that thousands of Wisconsin’s civil servants will continue to have the freedom to decide for themselves whether or not to join or financially support a union.
“No worker should ever be forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, which is why Wisconsin should guarantee that right for all Wisconsin workers, including private-sector employees and public safety workers, through a Right to Work law.”
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.