MADISON (WSAU) Many of Wisconsin’s public employee groups promise to take their cases to the public instead of the negotiating table, now that they can no longer bargain for anything but wages. The state’s limits on collective bargaining took effect yesterday for all state employees, plus local-and-school workers without contract extensions.
Rick Badger of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees says his 600 chapters around the state won’t be silent. He says they’ll express their concerns about working conditions at public meetings of the various government bodies they work for – even if they no longer decide to unionize. The new law requires unions to hold certification votes once-a-year, and a larger majority – 51-percent – will have to agree to keep the unions going. Badger says some of his local groups won’t even try to certify, but he says they’ll still be a strong voice for labor. Badger heads Council 40 of the government employees’ union. He says about 4,000 members are now without contracts – and 9,000 more will lose their bargaining powers at the end of the year. Other local government and school extensions will expire in the next one-to-two years – and bargaining privileges continue until those contracts expire.
