The 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, also known as the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill,[1] was legislation proposed by Republican Governor Scott Walker[2] and passed by the Wisconsin Legislature to address a projected $3.6 billion budget deficit.[3] The legislation primarily impacted the following areas: collective bargaining, compensation, retirement, health insurance, and sick leave of public sector employees. In response, unions and other groups organized protests inside and around the state capitol. The bill was passed into law and became effective as of June 29, 2011. Public employees exempted from the changes to the collective bargaining law include firefighters and most law enforcement workers.[1] The bill was ruled to be constitutional by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in July 2014, after three years of litigation.
Act 10
David Michael Miller
The surprising survival of WEAC
WEAC has lost more than half of its dues-paying members, and lost clout in its elections. But teachers still value its union and it is far from dead. more
Selling out
A new documentary about the Wisconsin Uprising is not about nostalgia for the occupation of the State Capitol. It’s an honest, insightful look at the forces that moved the protesters toward capitulation. more
Linda Falkenstein
Memory cards
17.2 cubic feet of memories of the Act 10 protests are stored at the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society. more
Occupations from Madison to Oregon
As the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge enters its fourth week, it’s a good time to compare it to the takeover of the Wisconsin Capitol five years ago by protesters of Gov. Scott Walker’s policies. more
Playing the victim card
During Senate debate Sen. Van Wanggaard explained why the Legislature needed to end the rule that significant donors to state political candidates identify their primary employer. The public, he argued, is out-of-control and cannot be trusted. more
David Michael Miller
One-hit Walker
In 2011, Gov. Scott Walker had the political equivalent of a hit song with his Act 10 proposal. But his new anti-labor campaign is just a rehash of his old campaign, and his audience has moved on. more
Where was Scott Walker?
The Wisconsin governor didn’t make much of an impression in the first Republican presidential debate of the 2016 election cycle. more
Walkerland
Gov. Scott Walker announced Monday that he’s running for president. Nobody was surprised—he’s been playing this game for a while. Follow his moves on the board. Where will the game take him next? more
Madison Teachers Inc. going strong despite Act 10
In February 2011, Gov. Scott Walker "dropped the bomb" that was meant to cripple Wisconsin's public-sector unions. Act 10, which eliminated collective bargaining rights for most public worker unions, has taken a toll on Wisconsin's labor movement, bu more
Wisconsin loses: The GOP budget shows its contempt for citizens
Reporters were jammed into a stuffy room in the Capitol on the afternoon of June 14, waiting for debate on a bill that would deprive public employees of their collective bargaining rights in the state budget. The hearing kept getting postponed. A hea more
Wisconsin municipalities brace for 'budget repair' bill changes
Now that the state Supreme Court has validated Gov. Scott Walker's "budget repair" bill, what does that mean for local municipalities? "We're trying to figure that out too," says Curt Witynski, assistant director of the League of Wisconsin Municipali more
Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns Open Meetings ruling, upholds Act 10
The Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned Dane County circuit court Judge Maryann Sumi's ruling against the state legislature's procedure in passing Act 10, which eliminates collective bargaining for state employees, effectively making the controversial more
Bill Lueders
Wisconsin Republicans vow to add collective bargaining to budget bill
Unless the Wisconsin Supreme Court gets in the spirit and makes a definitive ruling that affirms sweeping changes to collective bargaining by Tuesday afternoon, legislative Republicans intend to introduce this as a budget amendment. more
Jenni Dye
Fifty days of Wisconsin labor solidarity have changed my life
Monday, April 4, marked the 50th day since protests started at the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison over a bill that would gut public employees' collective bargaining rights. Fifty days of Wisconsinites standing up and making their voices heard. more
This is what creativity looks like: Chad Vader covers the Wisconsin protests
Beloved local online celeb Chad Vader, the Sith sibling who works at Empire Market, a grocery store that looks remarkably like a certain co-op on Willy Street, weighs in on the nearly three weeks-long series of "insane, violent" protests. more
Alison Bauter
Student-run 'Information Station' crew keeps protesters organized and supplied
Thanks to several enterprising groups and a lot of cooperative individuals, the Capitol rotunda now boasts garbage collection, recycling, a community food bank, water supplies, lost and found, an information services station, and more. more
David Michael Miller
Rampage! All hell breaks loose as Gov. Scott Walker runs roughshod over public employees
The upheaval started last Friday. Gov. Scott Walker announced a "budget-repair bill" that would end nearly all collective bargaining rights for most of the state's public employees, as well as usher in changes to undermine union support. Walker also more
Live-blogging Day 4 of the labor demonstrations against Scott Walker at the Wisconsin Capitol
With several area school districts closed and teachers, along with those who support them, asked to head to the Capitol, Day 4 of the downtown Madison demonstrations promise to be the biggest of the week. Follow developments, and add your own, here. more
In the midst of the demonstrations, a young voice supports Scott Walker
"It's trendy to not like Scott Walker," says this Madison East student, who was spotted making a sign on Tuesday which he planned to carry into the thousands picketing inside the state Capitol. more
Jack Keating
Protesters wait to speak at Wisconsin Capitol hearing late Tuesday night
At 9 p.m. on Tuesday, the fourth floor of the Capitol is packed with people. Labor supporters are still waiting for their chance to address the Joint Finance Committee about Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill, which would end most collective barg more
