Wisconsin Supreme Court hearing arguments to allow UW Health employees to collectively bargain

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case that could require UW Health to recognize their nurses’ union and collectively bargain. A lawyer for UW Health, James Goldschmidt, argued before the seven judge panel that the system is not required to collectively bargain with its workers because it is covered by Act 10, a controversial 2011 law that effectively banned many state workers from collectively bargaining. The nurses are organizing under the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Wisconsin. Tamara Packard, the attorney representing SEIU Wisconsin, asserted UW Health is more akin to a private employer and thus not covered by Act 10, and instead falls under a different portion of Wisconsin labor law.