The Wisconsin AFL-CIO, Machinists District 10, Machinists Local 1061 and United Steelworkers District 2 filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Scott Walker’s Right to Work law.
“Not only will Right to Work lower wages, weaken safety standards and hurt all Wisconsin families, but we believe this law is unconstitutional,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. “All workers deserve the right to join together through their union and have a voice at work. Allowing some workers to get fair representation for nothing is unfair, un-American and not our Wisconsin.”
IAM District 10 Directing Business Representative Russ Krings commented on the lawsuit saying, “If you were an attorney in Wisconsin and wanted to represent someone in a court of law you would be required to belong to the State Bar Association. You would have to pay your dues to belong. What is so different about a person working in a union shop or facality having to pay dues to enjoy the benefits a union contract brings.”
The complaint says the law “deprives the unions of their property without just compensation by prohibiting the unions from charging non-members who refuse to pay for representative services which unions continue to be obligated to provide.”
