Court Restores Collective Bargaining Rights to Public Unions in Wisconsin

A ruling on Monday restored the collective bargaining rights of Wisconsin teachers unions and public workers that were revoked under a 2011 state law. 

For Context: The 2011 law, Act 10, restricted collective bargaining for public unions to only bargaining over base wage increases no greater than inflation, with the goal of cutting state costs. It required public workers to pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits, disallowed the automatic withdrawal of union dues, and required annual recertification votes for unions. The law sparked weeks of protests and led to a decrease in union membership. It also accomplished the goal of saving the state money.  

The Ruling: Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost ruled that parts of the Act 10 violated the state constitution and that public unions should have their bargaining power restored to what it was prior to 2011. "Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he looked forward to appealing the ruling," The Associated Press (Left bias) said.

How the Media Covered It: Both the Associated Press and Fox Business (Lean Right) quoted those for and against the ruling, but the Associated Press emphasized that Act 10 limited worker wages and increased the cost of benefits, while Fox Business included a quote from Vos that the Act had saved taxpayers "more than $16 billion."