April 8, 2016
WKOW27 Madison (ABC Affiliate)
[Madison, Wisc…] A ruling that finds the state’s Right to Work law unconstitutional has reignited a debate over laws that focus on organized labor.
The law, which prevents private sector unions from requiring workers to join or pay dues, was struck down Friday by a Dane County judge after three unions filed a lawsuit claiming Right to Work is unconstitutional because it takes property from unions without providing compensation.
The judge’s decision is a good sign for union leaders, like Lisa Goodman, business agent for the local chapter of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. She says they’ve been worried how the law, passed last year, would affect their efforts to support workers.
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Other groups that support open competition among businesses see the ruling as a small setback. Nick Novak, spokesperson for Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin, says the law offers a freedom for workers to choose what they do with their money.
“We would not ask workers to join a political party or any other organization and make them pay for it just to get a job,” Novak tells 27 News. “They shouldn’t be forced to pay dues into an organization they may not support and so we believe Right to Work is a fundamental right of every single citizen in this state and we’ll continue to fight for not only workers in the construction industry, but for workers all across Wisconsin.”
Watch the interview here: