University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics employees, with the support of local leaders, petitioned to the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Authority Board Wednesday for “meet and confer” rights to replace collective bargaining rights previously stripped away by the controversial Act 10 in 2011.
With roughly 1,800 signatures, organizers hope the delivered petitions will lay the groundwork for UWHC employees to maintain an independent voice from UWHC management, according to a press release by Madison’s Common Council.
“Act 10 essentially said that the existing public and civic employee unions no longer have collective bargaining power on anything but the wages,” Ald. Lisa Subeck, District 1, said.
Under Act 10, approximately 5,000 UWHC employees will lose the majority of their union bargaining power once existing contracts expire, provided that UWHC leaders choose not to renegotiate with pro-union representatives, according to the press release.
If UWHC management members chose to ignore the petitions, many work rules that were explicitly resolved via collective bargaining will instead be replaced by an informal employee handbook that would lack contract stability and be decided under the sole discretion of the UWHCA board, according to Subeck.
As the UWHCA board has yet to reach a conclusion regarding how to protect employee bargaining, the petition and decision process is expected to be lengthy as community members and elected officials alike remain worried, according to Subeck.
“Folks are looking to still be able to have a place at the tables,” Subeck said. “The workers continue to be very concerned that their voices aren’t going to be heard.”
