A Bold Leap Forward At Improved Business Climate
MADISON – The Wisconsin Assembly has voted to improve our state’s business climate and to expand workplace freedom by passing Right to Work legislation after a lengthy floor debate, WMC said Friday. WMC is the state’s chamber of commerce.
“By passing Right to Work reform, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and his team of pro-business lawmakers took a bold leap forward to make Wisconsin a better place to do business,” said WMC Vice President of Government Relations Scott Manley. “Now, Governor Walker can sign this needed reform into law.”
Right to Work laws prohibit firing workers who opt out of paying union dues.
The Right to Work bill now goes to Governor Scott Walker, who has said he will sign it. In late February, the state Senate passed Right to Work as part of an extraordinary session. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald led the drive to pass Right to Work in the Senate.
“The Assembly is sending a signal from Main Street to Wall Street that Wisconsin is open for business,” Manley said. “We are very fortunate to have a Legislature that is pro-growth, and pro-freedom.”
In late February, Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Vos (R-Rochester) announced that they would bring the Legislature into extraordinary session to pass the workplace freedom reform. In 2011, the Legislature and the Governor enacted Right to Work for government unions in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin would become the 25th state in the nation to pass private sector Right to Work legislation. In recent years, Indiana and Michigan passed Right to Work laws.
“Our neighbors in Indiana and Michigan have passed Right to Work, and we need to compete,” Manley said. WMC’s survey of voters found 69 percent support for the measure, including 51 percent support among union households.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Scott Manley, (608) 258-3400
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