Governor Walker says "timing was just right" for Right-to-Work bill

MADISON (WITI) -- The Wisconsin Senate on Wednesday night, February 25th voted 17-15 to pass "Right-to-Work" legislation, and the bill now heads to the Assembly Labor Committee. For the first time since lawmakers put this legislation on the fast track, Governor Scott Walker on Thursday spoke extensively about Right-to-Work.

Following a speech at a manufacturing conference in Milwaukee Thursday, Governor Walker explained why, for years, he would not say whether he would sign Right-to-Work legislation.

"First term -- was really not interested in having a repeat of what we saw four years ago. Really, that employers needed to have the stability of knowing going forward they weren`t going to see that," Walker said.

Walker says once it became clear to him Right-to-Work would not lead to protests as large as the ones that we saw during the debate over Act 10, he committed to signing the bill -- especially if Republicans could pass it before debate over the state budget begins.

"Timing wise, it doesn`t create a separate issue that detracts from the work we have to do, so the timing was just right and again, it`s just one option," Governor Walker said.

The controversial legislation states "No person may require, as a condition or obtaining or continuing employment..." that a worker "pay any dues...to a labor organization." A violation, by businesses or unions, would carry criminal penalties of nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Right-to-Work supporters have framed the debate as one over freedom -- whether it's fair for workers to be required to join a union.

Dan Bukiewicz with the Building and Construction Trades Council says that freedom already exists.

"You always have the choice not to be union. You can simply work somewhere else and quite frankly, when it comes to part of the dues, they have the option to opt out if they don`t agree with some of their dues going to political action," Bukiewicz said.

Dave Somerscales with the SEIU says his union already details its benefits for members, but he says if Right-to-Work becomes law, it is all but guaranteed some will opt out regardless of how well the union performs.

"I imagine there will be some loss of members who don`t want to pay dues. There`s always some folks who want to get something for nothing, no matter how persuasive the argument is," Somerscales said.

Somerscales says another effect of Right-to-Work would be unions having less time to help organize non-unionized workers because they'll be spending more time convincing current members to stay. He says members of his union will be in Madison for a protest Saturday, February 28th.

The Assembly Labor Committee has scheduled a 10-hour hearing on the measure for Monday and the full Assembly is expected to take it up next Thursday.



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