Supreme Court upholds Scott Walker Act 10 union law

[brooklynite]

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Madison — The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld Gov. Scott Walker's signature labor legislation Thursday,delivering an election-year affirmation to the governor in just one of the three major rulings issued by the court on union bargaining, election law and same-sex couples.

...snip...

The state court's decisions on the voter ID and domestic partner registry could still be overtaken by decisions in separate but related cases in federal court. But after more than three years of litigation, the court's seven justices on Thursday put to rest the last of the major legal disputes over Act 10, the 2011 law repealing most union bargaining for most public employees.

The decision was 5-2, with Justice Michael Gableman writing the lead opinion, which found that collective bargaining is not a fundamental right under the constitution but rather a benefit that lawmakers can extend or restrict as they see fit.

"No matter the limitations or 'burdens' a legislative enactment places on the collective bargaining process, collective bargaining remains a creation of legislative grace and not constitutional obligation. The First Amendment cannot be used as a vehicle to expand the parameters of a benefit that it does not itself protect," Gableman wrote.

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/supreme-court-to-rule-thursday-on-union-law-voter-id-b99321110z1-269292661.html

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Latest polling has Walker up only 1 pt ahead of Mary Burke.

[sybylla]

1. Not really a surprise.

With so many of these justices being bought and paid for by Kock, et al, it would have been a surprise if it had gone the other way.


Edited to say that actually a really good poll has Mary Burke up over Walker by one point. The conservative media just like a question in that poll that goes the other way.

[cstanleytech]

8. Partly that but they are also right as far as the constitution and unions go.

Sucks though because a well run union can be an asset both for the employee and the employer like for example the union for costco.

[a kennedy]

2. I posted this also in the "Wisconsin" forum....and you're right, no surprise....

but it still makes me sick. Ugh... hate the wanker, and I hope to gawd he is voted out this go around. Ugh.

[blkmusclmachine]

11. Question is, who owns those secret black box vote "counters"???

[WI_DEM]

3. No surprise since our once progressive

Supreme Court has also moved to the right.

Actually latest polling has Walker ahead by 1 point among registered voters with Burke ahead by 1 point among 'likely' voters.

[dembotoz]

4. maybe the unions need to form as a church

republocourts will give them all kinds of shit thern

[valerief]

5. WI whore court. nt

[bobthedrummer]

10. Few outside WI know of Gableman, Ziegler and our strangling judge-Prosser who did throttle Ann Walsh

Bradley over Act 10 and he's still sitting

[EEO]

6. Blatantly corrupt POS. That prank phone call when he thought he was talking to David Koch...

[greiner3]

7. "...which found that collective bargaining is not a fundamental right under the constitution..."

Excuse my ignorance, but didn't SCOTUS rule that collective bargaining IS such a right?

Feds trump WI, right?

[former9thward]

9. No, they haven't.

They have upheld the National Labor Relations Act but that only applies to private employers.