Judge restores collective bargaining rights to unions in Wisconsin in landmark decision

A Wisconsin judge handed a major legal win to Badger State public union workers on Monday, restoring their collective bargaining rights after a 13-year-old law renounced them.

Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost ruled on Monday that certain sections of Act 10 violated the Wisconsin Constitution. Also known as the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, the law was signed by then-Governor Scott Walker in 2011 with the goal of cutting state costs.

The legislation strictly limited compensation for state employees and took away collective bargaining rights from state union workers, causing national controversy at the time and fueling protests for weeks.