Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Union Sues Monona Library Board Over Use of Collective Bargaining Law


Union sues Monona Library Board over use of collective bargaining law. (Wisconsin State Journal, 3/26/2012)

Excerpt:   At least three similar disputes are pending before the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission and the contract arrangement that led to the Monona lawsuit is also in place for employees of Dane County, McFarland, Fitchburg and an unknown number of other communities across the state. 

All have consecutive, back-to-back contracts that were signed before Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-dominated Legislature enacted Act 10 last year, removing most legal union rights from almost all public employees. 

The law prohibits public administrators from negotiating with unions, paying the employees' share of pension premiums or collecting union dues through payroll withholding, but bargaining units aren't affected until their existing contracts expire. 

Monona officials ended dues collections and increased employee pension payments after a two-year contract ran out on Dec. 31, even though both sides in 2010 signed a second two-year contract that was to take effect Jan. 1.

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