Dive Brief:
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Wisconsin's right-to-work law lost in court on Friday, as it was deemed a violation of the state constitution by a state judge, according to ABC News.
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In right-to-work states (there are 25 currently), employers and unions are barred from reaching agreements that require all workers, not just union members, to pay union dues. Three unions filed the lawsuit last year when Walker signed the bill into law. The unions argued that Wisconsin's law was an unconstitutional seizure of union property since they now must extend benefits to workers who don't pay dues, according to ABC News.
- Despite the courtroom defeat, Wisconsin attorney General Brad Schimel expects to appeal the decision, telling ABC News that no similar law has been struck down in any other state so it would pass muster in an appeal.
Dive Insight:
Dane County Circuit Judge William Foust wrote that the law is the same as the government taking union funds without compensation, presenting an "existential threat" to unions, Foust wrote.
"While (union) losses today could be characterized by some as minor, they are not isolated and the impact of (the law) over time is threatening to the unions' very economic viability," he wrote.
Foust noted that no other state court had struck down a right-to-work law on those grounds, but said he wasn't obligated to follow other states. Republicans who backed the law dismissed the ruling, saying it will be reversed.
Frederick Perillo, lead attorney for the unions, said the judge's decision was based on well-established Wisconsin law and should stand on appeal.
