Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023
Did former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker stop automatic payments from teachers to their unions?
During former Gov. Scott Walker's tenure, the passage of Act 10 prohibited employers from deducting "labor organization dues from a general employee's earnings." Consequently, Wisconsin union members have to separately pay their union dues.
Enacted in 2011, the law limited collective bargaining for a majority of Wisconsin's public sector employees, including teachers. Those restrictions included eliminating dues check-off systems. Walker touted the measure as a way for employees who want to opt out of their unions to save money.
Several challenges were raised about the legality of the measure, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court ultimately upheld the entirety of Act 10 in a 2014 ruling.
Experts have pointed to the elimination of dues check-off systems as a contributing factor to shrinking union membership. Wisconsin's union membership decreased from 13.3% in 2011 when Act 10 was enacted to 7.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Wisconsin State Legislature Wisconsin Legislature: 2011 Wisconsin Act 10
- PolitiFact Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says government workers in Wisconsin pay $500 to $1,000 per year in union dues
- State Bar of Wisconsin Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Act 10, Ends Collective Bargaining Saga for Now
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers in Wisconsin, annual averages, 2011–2021
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Do recent studies link water fluoridation with less dental decay in children?
Friday, Feb. 14, 2025
Are airline flights the safest mode of transportation in the U.S.?
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025