Monthly Archives: September 2017

Wisconsin’s Right to Work Law Upheld

By: Thomas W. Mackenzie and Kristofor L. Hanson

In a decision issued September 19, 2017, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals upheld as constitutional Wisconsin’s so-called “Right to Work” law (Act 1), which outlawed mandatory union membership as a condition of employment.

Prior to the law becoming effective on March 11, 2015, the International Association of Machinists District 10, the United Steelworkers District 2, and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO filed an action in Dane County challenging the constitutionality of Act 1.  The Unions’ theory was that because unions are required to fairly represent all employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement, a law prohibiting unions from receiving just compensation for those services constitutes an unlawful “taking” under the Wisconsin constitution.  Dane County Circuit Court Judge C. William Foust agreed with the Unions, concluding that requiring Unions to represent non-members without compensation constituted a “taking” and threatened the Unions’ “very economic viability.”

The State Attorney General’s Office appealed Judge Foust’s decision to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals reversed Judge Foust’s decision, concluding that Unions have no constitutional entitlement to the fees of non-members.  The Court found that Act 1 did not preclude Unions from receiving just compensation for the services provided to non-members; it merely precluded the Union from collecting those fees from the non-members themselves.  In other words, Unions will have to look to other sources (e.g. union members) to fund the duty of fair representation owed to members and non-members alike.

The Court’s decision is not surprising.  Wisconsin became the 25th state with a “Right to Work” statute.  That number has climbed to 28 states since Wisconsin’s enactment of the law.  These provisions have withstood similar constitutional challenges in other forums.  The Unions have the right to appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court but, given the current composition of that Court, success will be hard to find.

To view the Court of Appeals decision clicks here.

 

UPDATE ON STATUS OF CHANGES TO OVERTIME SALARY THRESHOLDS

By Laurie A. Petersen

On August 31, a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas struck down the controversial high salary threshold hikes that the Department of Labor under President Obama set for overtime exemptions putting to rest employer concerns about their obligations when or if the Rule was ever implemented.  The Rule was to have gone into effect on December 1, 2016, but Judge Amos L. Mazzant III entered a nationwide injunction about a week prior to the effective date of the rule.  The Final Rule more than doubled the minimum salary necessary for an employer to consider a particular job (executive, administrative, professional, outside sales) exempt from overtime and significantly increased the salary threshold exemption for highly compensated employees.

While the Obama Administration appealed Judge Mazzant’s injunction to the Fifth Circuit, the Department of Justice under President Trump decided not to pursue the appeal.  Instead, the Trump Administration’s Department of Labor is seeking information from the public regarding the exemptions and salary levels and published a Request for Information in late July 2017.  Submissions are due on or before September 25, 2017 and request information regarding salary thresholds and the duties test.  Details of the request for information and links to submit comments can be found at www.federalregister.gov.

It appears likely that the Trump Administration will still modify the overtime rule, potentially increasing the salary threshold, but the result is not expected to be as generous for workers or as costly to employers.

Lindner & Marsack, S.C. will continue to keep you posted on further developments with changes to the overtime exemptions. For more information about the DOL’s overtime exemption rules or your general employment law needs, please contact Attorney Laurie Petersen at (414) 226-4804 or by email at lpetersen@lindner-marsack.com or any of the other attorneys you work with at Lindner & Marsack, S.C.