Letter to Walker: Initiate Bargaining Immediately

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Following the March 30, 2012, federal court ruling striking down parts of Wisconsin Act 10, ruling that the state cannot prevent public employee unions from collecting dues and cannot require they recertify annually, the TAA joined other American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin locals in demanding that Gov. Walker initiate bargaining immediately.

Below is the letter sent by AFT-Wisconsin-affiliated locals to Walker on April 2, 2012.

I write on behalf the members of the AFT-Wisconsin-affiliated locals listed below. These locals are the certified bargaining agents for employees throughout state employment.

Wisconsin Science Professionals, Local 3732
Wisconsin State Public Defenders Association, Local 4822
Wisconsin Professional Employees Council, Local 4848
Wisconsin Physician and Dentist Association, Local 4893
Milwaukee Graduate Assistants Association, Local 2169
Teaching Assistants Association, Local 3220

As directed by the elected leadership of the locals listed above, I demand that you promptly provide us with dates and times to meet for the purpose of negotiating with regard to “total base wages” and such other matters as may be within the lawful scope of mandatory collective bargaining for collective bargaining agreements to encompass the period between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.   Our union grounds this demand on the holding of the District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin which ordered that you, as Defendants in the case before the court, “are enjoined from enforcing Wis. Act 10′s recertification requirement for general employee unions”.  As a result, our certification as the exclusive bargaining agent for the members of the bargaining units that we represent remains fully effective.  We will exercise those rights fully and expect that you will comply with the law and the Court’s order.

Additionally the members and leadership in the Professional Employees in Research, Statistics & Analysis, Local 4999, who successfully re-certified under the new standard set as part of Act 10 last fall but who have yet to receive a response from OSER from their earlier demand to bargain, once again are demanding bargaining dates as well.

Please reply by Wednesday, April 4, 2012 with reasonable dates, times and places to negotiate.

Doug Swanson
AFT-Wisconsin Staff Representative

Read the federal court ruling here.