Approximately 700 Virgin Hotels Las Vegas hospitality employees who are members of the Culinary Union left work at 5 a.m. Friday.
A Wisconsin judge handed down a landslide victory Monday for public union employees in the Badger State, restoring collective bargaining rights that had been waived under a 13-year-old law.
Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Frost said Monday that certain sections. Act 10 Violated the Wisconsin Constitution. The law, also known as the Wisconsin Budget Amendment Act, was signed by then-Governor Scott Walker in 2011 with the goal of reducing state costs.
The law, which severely limited compensation for state employees and stripped state union workers of collective bargaining rights, sparked national controversy at the time and fueled weeks of protests.
Wisconsin unions argued that Section 10 of the law limited their ability to organize and speak under the First Amendment. In his ruling, Frost wrote that several parts of the law were created “without a reasonable basis.”
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A Wisconsin judge has ruled that certain parts of Section 10 of the law are unconstitutional. (Image | Getty Images / Getty Images)
“This touches on the heart of the court's July ruling, which was the unconstitutional creation of a group of 'public safety personnel' and discriminatory treatment without a reasonable basis,” Frost said, according to FOX 6 Milwaukee. strike these provisions.”
Wisconsin lawmakers had mixed reactions to the decision. Democrats praised the move, but Republicans expressed financial concerns about the decision.
“This lawsuit comes more than a decade after Act 10 became law and after numerous courts have rejected similar frivolous legal challenges,” said Wisconsin Assembly Speaker. Robin Vos said, according to FOX 6. ”Act 10 saved Wisconsin taxpayers more than $16 billion. We look forward to presenting our arguments in the appellate court. ”
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Wisconsin House Democrats hold microphones and signs after the House voted to pass a controversial state budget bill in the Wisconsin Capitol chamber on March 10, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Wisconsin Congressman Ryan Clancy told FOX 6 that as a former educator he supports the move.
“I was a teacher in the Milwaukee Public Schools during the Act 10 era 13 years ago,” Ms. Clancy said. “I have seen the negative impact that the lack of collective bargaining not only has on our teaching profession, but also on our schools, students, and communities.
“We are excited that Judge Jacob Frost’s ruling puts power back in the hands of workers and the greater community. This is an important step.”
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Protesters gather in the Capitol Rotunda as the state Legislature considers provisions in a state budget amendment bill on March 10, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The decision comes after Section 10 endured years of litigation in both state and federal courts. In 2014, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the law in a 5-2 decision.
