Wisconsin Act 10 Still Stands After Legal Challenges

Joy Pullman of the Heartland Institute, examines benefits arising from the passage of Wisconsin’s Act 10. three years after its passage and many failed legal challenges.  The law severely curtailed the subjects of monopoly bargaining, and gave teachers Right to Work protections.

The law that brought labor unions nearly to riot through the Wisconsin capitol continues to benefit students even now, three years after its passage. Teachers union contracts are not subject to the law until they expire, so the measure will continue to have rolling effects as that happens. Recently, the law’s effects in two of Wisconsin’s largest districts, Madison and Kenosha, were in the news.

In Madison, the district used Act 10 to bargain its union into allowing the district to hire the best teacher for the job rather than having to hire the in-district teachers who had been laid off. Ryan Ekvall at Wisconsin Reporter has the story:

Madison Teachers Inc. agreed to a contract Wednesday that backed down from its longstanding insistence the district consider only internal candidates until openings couldn’t be filled.

“What we’re trying to do is see what we can do to raise achievement for all kids in the Madison school district,” said James Howard, vice president of the school board. “We want to make sure we have the ability to hire the best possible candidates.”