Introduction
Wisconsin is a right-to-work state. Wisconsin is one of 28 states that has a right-to-work law.[1] This law prevents unions from requiring employees to join or financially support the union as a condition of employment.
Under the Wisconsin Statutes 103.53(6), the term “right to work” means that no person may be denied employment or discharged from employment because he or she refuses to join, does not belong, or does not pay dues, fees, assessments, fines, or other charges for the benefit of any labor organization…For purposes of this subsection (6), “right” includes an affirmative defense against any claim brought under this subsection (6).
Takeaway: The state’s right-to-work law makes it illegal for an employer to fire someone because they refuse membership in a union. In addition, unions cannot require employees to pay dues for representation unless those employees choose that option on their own volition.
Wisconsin became a right-to-work state on Monday
Wisconsin became a right-to-work state on Monday, March 11, 2015. The law was passed by the Wisconsin state legislature in 2015 and signed by Governor Scott Walker in 2015.
The law went into effect that day and applies only to private sector employees in Wisconsin.
What is right-to-work?
Right-to-work laws are in place in 26 states, including Wisconsin. Right-to-work laws mean that employees cannot be required to join a union or pay dues in exchange for bargaining on their behalf. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has consistently upheld the right of states to enact such statutes. In January 2016, the Supreme Court declined to take up an appeal of a case challenging Louisiana’s right-to-work law.
Supporters say the law gives workers more freedom and prevents unions from forcing nonmembers to pay dues
Supporters of right-to-work laws say they give workers more freedom, allow them to choose whether or not they want to join a union, and prevent unions from forcing nonmembers to pay dues. They also argue that the laws boost economic growth by expanding employment opportunities in states that adopt them.
Right-to-work states typically have lower unemployment rates and higher incomes than states without such laws, according to recent research by economists Barry Hirsch of Georgia State University and David MacPherson of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. When right-to-work legislation was introduced in Michigan in 2012, it led to an increase of 0.3% in private sector employment over two years compared with neighboring Ohio (which remains nonright-to-work), according to a study by economists Wayne Vroman at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Robert Thornton at Michigan State University
The new law means employees at unionized workplaces cannot be required to join a union or pay dues in exchange for bargaining on their behalf
The law means employees at unionized workplaces cannot be required to join the union or pay dues in exchange for bargaining on their behalf.
Employees can opt out of paying union dues and still receive the benefits of a collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the union. They can also still be represented by unions, participate in grievances and other labor disputes, and join unions altogether.
Proponents also argue that the change will make Wisconsin more attractive to employers, while opponents say it will weaken the middle class by enabling workers to benefit from unions without paying for them
In recent years, right to work has become a hotly debated topic in state legislatures across the U.S. and around the world. Proponents of these laws argue that they help boost job growth by attracting businesses from other states with established labor standards, while opponents say they undermine worker protections by allowing employees to benefit from union representation without paying dues or fees for it.
In Wisconsin, where Republicans have control of both houses and the governorship for the first time since 2009, lawmakers are expected to pass a bill making Wisconsin a right-to-work state before their legislative session ends in late June 2019. The move would change long-standing laws requiring all workers within a given bargaining unit be represented by unions or other employee associations if those workers have not opted out through what’s known as an “exclusive representation election.”
Right-to-work laws are in place in 26 states. Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin were the most recent states to pass the laws.
Right-to-work laws are in place in 26 states. Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin were the most recent states to pass the laws.
The laws allow employees who work under union contracts not to pay union dues. Some argue that this allows them more freedom when it comes time to negotiate salaries with their employers while others say it gives employees less power to improve their workplace conditions because they have less support from unions.
Change to Right To Work Laws
Right-to-work laws make it illegal for employers to require employees to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. They are controversial because they reduce the power of unions, whose membership is often essential to negotiating higher wages and better working conditions in states with such laws.
Wisconsin became a right-to-work state on Monday when Gov. Tony Evers signed into law a bill that prohibits unions from imposing fees on nonmembers who work in labor organizations’ jurisdictions, including payments for union representation during collective bargaining sessions. The legislation also requires employees who do not want to join their company’s union to affirmatively opt out each year instead of remaining nonmembers without further action by management. This procedure makes it easier for workers who object strongly enough against joining organizations like United Auto Workers (UAW) or Teamsters Local 648 — which represent many autoworkers throughout southeastern Wisconsin — from paying any fees at all
Conclusion
As a result of the new law, employees in Wisconsin are now able to choose whether or not to join a union and pay dues. The change may affect the state’s economy and its workers in both positive and negative ways. However, it’s clear that right-to-work is here to stay and will continue being implemented across the country as long as there are groups advocating for it.
