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July 8, 2011

Workers File New Suit Against Wisconsin Anti-Union Law; Prison Labor Could Replace Public Employees 
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Wisconsin’s public unions have filed a new lawsuit against Republican
Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-collective bargaining law. The lawsuit from
two Madison chapters of the AFL-CIO alleges the law is unconstitutional
because it exempts public employees such as police and firefighters,
thereby violating equal protection rights. This week, opponents of the
law have raised alarm over public workers could lose their jobs to
Wisconsin prisoners because of the gutting of collective bargaining.
Wisconsin prisoners have previously been used for a limited number of
state projects, but officials will now have greater leeway to assign
them to jobs previously reserved for unionized employees.



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