Unions file lawsuit to stop Wisconsin's right-to-work law

Source: The Capitol Times





Unions file lawsuit to stop Wisconsin's right-to-work law

3 hours ago • By Jessie Opoien | The Capital Times



............A hearing is scheduled for March 19 before Dane County Circuit Judge C. William Foust. Unions are also asking the court to permanently prevent the implementation of the law.

The unions' argument hinges on a concept called "duty of fair representation." Under federal labor law, if a union is the exclusive bargaining representative of workers in a particular group, it is required to represent all employees in a workplace, whether or not they belong to the union.

Under state statutes, employers may not bargain with a minority union, meaning that all legal collective bargaining in the state must be done with a union that represents a majority of employees as an exclusive representative.

Right-to-work laws prevent businesses from entering into contracts with unions requiring all workers to pay union fees. Without right-to-work, in addition to the dues paid by members, nonmembers are charged a "fair share" fee for the benefits they may reap from union representation.

Unions say that creates a "free rider" problem, while right-to-work proponents say it gives workers the freedom to work somewhere without being subjected to payments or pressured to join a union.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/unions-file-lawsuit-to-stop-wisconsin-s-right-to-work/article_4c4a5004-8cfd-58ad-bfb4-7791b9c377b0.html#ixzz3U1vOg31S







Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/unions-file-lawsuit-to-stop-wisconsin-s-right-to-work/article_4c4a5004-8cfd-58ad-bfb4-7791b9c377b0.html#ixzz3U1uefWwq

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Good for them.

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Protesters listen to speakers at a rally against the proposed Right to Work legislation at the State Capitol in Madison, Thursday, Mar. 5, 2015. Photo by Mike DeVries - The Capital Times