Seven Wisconsin unions have joined forces and filed a lawsuit seeking to be made whole by ending the failed right wing experiment of Act 10, Scott Walker's legacy of attacking public sector workers by forbidding their collective bargaining rights::
The lawsuit, filed by the teachers and other public workers on Thursday, alleges that the law's exemption of some police, firefighters and other public safety workers from the bargaining restrictions violates the Wisconsin Constitution’s equal protection guarantee. The complaint notes that those exempted from the restrictions endorsed Walker in the 2010 gubernatorial election, while those subject to the restrictions did not.
Plaintiffs include the Abbotsford Education Association, AFSCME Local 47, AFSCME Local 1215, Beaver Dam Education Association, SEIU Wisconsin, Teaching Assistants Association Local 3220 and Teamsters Local 695.
The groups said they are filing the lawsuit now because of the "dire situation that exists in our workplaces."
"Low pay, staffing shortages and worsening working conditions are hurting our ability to deliver public services to the communities that count on us every day," the unions said in a press release. "With worker organizing on the rise, and public support for unions growing, workers are calling out Wisconsin law for what it is — blatant discrimination that limits workers’ freedom to earn a fair wage, provide for their families, advocate for safety on the job and enjoy a secure retirement."
The detrimental effects of Act 10 have been seen every year and keep growing more pronounced.
Just days before the lawsuit, a report came out showing that the median teacher salary is down by 12% since 2009. The report further shows that there was a sharp decline in 2012 as teachers retired or quit right after the passage of Act 10.
Likewise, corrections on both the state and county level have reached crisis level staff shortages this year. Some prisons have had to go on lockdowns for weeks and months for safety reasons due to such severe shortages. The Milwaukee County Jail had a prison riot involving at least 27 inmates at the end of August this year.
Shortages and the effect of those shortages have been seen in other places across the board including delays in processing license applications, unemployment benefits, road maintenance and repair to even a shortage of life guards at beaches and public aquatic centers.
in the interest of full disclosure, I should inform the gentle reader that I was a social worker for Milwaukee County until I retired four years ago. I have been a member of AFSCME in good standing for almost 29 years and remain so even though I am retired. So yes, I'm hella excited about the possiblity of our rights being restored.
