Federal Court Upholds Wisconsin Limits on Public Unions

Big setback for organized labor

MADISON – A federal appeals court on Friday upheld Act 10, Wisconsin's controversial reform law that guts collective bargaining for most public employees in the state.

The decision strikes a blow to public-sector unions that gained a temporary victory in September, when a Dane County Circuit Court Judge ruled parts of the law unconstitutional.

The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals struck down key provisions of a separate federal court's ruling, writing, "The district court invalidated Act 10?s recertification and payroll deduction provisions, but upheld the statute's limitation on collective bargaining. We now uphold Act 10 in its entirety."