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Public sector unions contend with declining membership, reduced political power and restricted collective bargaining rights. //end headline wrapper ?>Wisconsin capitol protests during the passing of the controversial Act 10. Photo by Patti Wenzel
When tens of thousands of union members and supporters flocked to the state Capitol a decade ago, they warned that Gov.
Scott Walker‘s collective bargaining bill could redefine organized labor in Wisconsin. They were right.
Walker, a freshly sworn in Republican, formally introduced the plan on Feb. 11, 2011, describing it as a “modest” change aimed at shoring up the state budget. But the bill he introduced went well beyond financial concessions. It effectively eliminated long-held bargaining rights for a wide range of state and local government employees, from teachers to clerical workers to prison guards.