ACLU of Wisconsin Reaffirms Workers' Rights to Collectively Bargain

Christopher Ahmuty, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin issued the following statement in response to Governor Scott Walker's proposal to restrict the collective bargaining rights of most public employees in Wisconsin. Ahmuty's statement may be quoted as follows:

"The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin urges the State Legislature to reject those portions of the budget repair bill that curtail government employees’ rights to organize and collectively bargain over the terms and conditions of their employment. These labor rights are aspects of the First Amendment rights of freedom of association and speech. Private and public employees alike, through their association with other persons in a labor union, must have the ability to seek compensation, benefits and other working conditions through collective bargaining with their employers."