Matt Rothschild, former editor of the Progressive Magazine and former Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss a significant legal victory for labor in Wisconsin as a recent ruling declared Wisconsin’s Act 10 unconstitutional. Rothschild provided insights into the long battle against this anti-union legislation and what the future holds for workers in Wisconsin.

Act 10, enacted in 2011, was a devastating blow to public-sector unions in Wisconsin. Rothschild recalled the massive protests at the state capitol, where over 100,000 people gathered to oppose the law. The legislation restricted public-sector unions from bargaining on anything but wages, which were capped at the inflation rate. Act 10 also imposed recertification requirements and increased healthcare costs for union members. As a result, union membership in the state plummeted by nearly 50 percent over the past decade, Rothschild said.

The recent court ruling declared Act 10 unconstitutional, citing a violation of the equal protection clause due to its arbitrary exemptions for certain public safety workers. Rothschild explained that the legislation’s attempt to divide and conquer the labor movement backfired, as the law's inconsistencies ultimately led to its downfall in court. The decision is currently under appeal, and the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election may determine its fate.

Looking ahead, Rothschild emphasized the importance of the upcoming April 1 election, which will play a critical role in shaping the future of labor rights in Wisconsin. With the Wisconsin Supreme Court currently holding a narrow liberal majority, the outcome of this election could determine what happens with Act 10, he said. Rothschild urged progressives and union supporters in the state to mobilize and ensure their voices are heard at the polls.

Listen to the full episode to hear more from Rothschild about the fight against Act 10 and the ongoing struggle for workers' rights in Wisconsin.

America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

Hope for workers as Wisconsin court declares Act 10 unconstitutional

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