The Implementation of Wisconsin Acts 10 and 32

October 25th, 2011

For those in the public sector there is much uncertainty because of the implementation of Wisconsin Acts 10 and 32. The only thing we can negotiate is a base wage rate, and we are limited to one year agreements.

The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission has not published the Certified CPI yet, but they have relayed to us that for contracts that expire on December 31, 2011, the CPI will be 2%. Any base wage increase over that rate would have to go out to a public referendum. With that said the employer is free to unilaterally increase (or decrease) all other forms of compensation. The Act also requires an annual union certification, but not until your current contract expires. For the bargaining units whose contracts expire on December 31, 2011, the Union is required to file an election petition on or before January 30, 2012, with the members voting prior to May 1, 2012.

Remember, none of these new rules take effect until after the expiration of your current contracts. If your employer tries to implement any changes prior to the expiration dates in your contract, please notify the Union Hall immediately.