Labor & Employment Law

Scott Walker?s Union-Busting Bill Passed Illegally in the Dead of Night

By admin

Today, Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi issued a temporary restraining order blocking the implementation of the bill that strips hundreds of thousands of hard working Wisconsinites of their voice on the job.

?Judge Sumi confirmed today what we knew all along ? that the bill stripping hundreds of thousands of hard working Wisconsinites of their voice on the job was rammed through illegally in the dark of the night,? said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.

?Today justice prevailed,? explained Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. ?In Wisconsin and in America, we have a democratic process for passing legislation. Judge Sumi has ruled that Scott Walker?s underhanded attempts to harm Wisconsin?s middle class will not stand.?

Judge Sumi ruled that the bill was pushed through in an illegal manner. Conference Committee meetings must be called with an advanced notice of 24 hours unless there is an emergency. The Conference Committee in which the bill was passed was called with less than two hours notice. No emergency could be proven.

“State employees believe that nobody is above the law. We are gratified to see some of our so-called ‘leaders’ finally held accountable for their illegal actions. They may think they can get away with ignoring the vast majority of Wisconsin citizens by attacking worker freedoms, but they simply cannot continue ignoring the law if we want to continue calling our state a democracy,” said Marty Beil, executive director of the Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24.

Judge Sumi was appointed by Republican Governor Tommy Thompson.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on March 18, 2011 (boomark / email).