Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker defined his career by fighting organized labor, and he’s now touting his most notable labor reform five years after it was implemented.
Act 10 was a landmark measure that garnered vast support and opposition since it passed in 2011. The measure allowed state employees to choose whether they wanted to pay union dues, and required public unions hold a renewal vote every couple of years to determine if workers still wanted them. Unions have since called it a failure, but Walker argued Tuesday it was a success.
“When we passed Act 10, we rightly put our taxpayers back in charge and turned a significant budget deficit into a surplus while giving local governments and school districts the tools to manage their budgets,” Walker declared at Brown Deer High School. “We will continue to look out for the best interests of our citizens and create a more free and prosperous Wisconsin for all.”
His office estimated the measure has saved state taxpayers over $5 billion — public-sector pensions were a huge part of the savings with unions now unable to request massive retirement funds. Wisconsin agencies and schools were also able to save money since their decision making processes were no longer tied up in union bureaucracy.
The labor movement, however, has since attacked the measure as a failure on a multitude of occasions. Unions have claimed the measure undermines workers rights, and note it was morally and ethically wrong to outlaw workers from joining together to advocate for workplace rights. In truth, no part of the law actually prevented workers from joining a union if they so wanted.
Nevertheless, the labor movement did all it could to oppose the law. Thousands of union protesters descended on the Wisconsin capital in 2011 to rally against the act. Afterwards, opponents even tried to get Walker thrown out of office with a recall election in 2012.
Walker was able to overcome the attack and even won reelection during the 2014 midterm. He limited union power even more in 2015 by signing a bill that outlawed mandatory union dues altogether. His successes brought him national attention and even drove him to pursue the presidency. Walker officially announced his run July 13, but eventually ended it Sept. 21 in response to weak polling.
The labor movement and top Democrats were particularly opposed to his campaign — President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders all condemned him for reining in union power.
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