Federal appeals court upholds Wisconsin right-to-work law

MADISON — A federal appeals court panel has upheld Wisconsin's right-to-work law.

The law prohibits businesses and unions from reaching agreements that require all workers to pay union dues. Unions maintain the law enables nonunion members to receive free representation. Two chapters of the International Union of Operating Engineers filed a lawsuit last year alleging that amounts to an unconstitutional taking.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller upheld the law in September, citing a 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling upholding Indiana's nearly identical right-to-work law.

A three-judge 7th Circuit panel upheld Stadtmueller on Wednesday. The panel noted that the 7th Circuit has upheld Indiana's law and the union didn't show a reason to revisit that decision.

Scott Kronland, one of IUOE's attorneys, says the unions are considering their next steps.