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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Union rights in Wisconsin

 A look at collective bargaining in Wisconsin:

Q. What are the changes?

A: For most public sector workers, the bill will limit collective bargaining to base wages, not including overtime, performance and other supplemental pay. Wage increases will be capped based on the consumer price index, unless voters pass a referendum allowing greater increases.

 Some workers lose all their collective bargaining rights – child care and home health care workers, University of Wisconsin academic staff and faculty, and University of Wisconsin hospital and clinic employees.

Q. Are union dues affected?

A. Public employers will be prohibited from deducting union dues from employees’ paychecks, and public sector unions will not be allowed to compel members to pay dues.

Q. Who is exempted?

A. Public safety employees – defined as municipal or county law enforcement officers and firefighters and state traffic officers and motor vehicle inspectors – retain their current collective bargaining rights.

Q. When does this take effect?

A. The collective bargaining provisions are effective at the end of the public employees’ current contracts. Some contracts end as early as Sunday.

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