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RILEY VETTERKIND

THE GREAT DIVIDE | 10 YEARS SINCE ACT 10

10 years later: Wisconsin's Act 10 has produced labor savings, but at a cost

From the The Great Divide: The legacy of Wisconsin's Act 10 series

RILEY VETTERKIND
Feb 7, 2021
Feb 7, 2021 Updated Feb 18, 2024
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Ten years ago, in the aftermath of the Great Recession, a newly elected Gov. Scott Walker and the Republicans who held the majority in the Legislature ushered in a new era of politics in Wisconsin with the passage of Act 10 — decimating public sector labor unions, delivering taxpayers a windfall and forever altering the relationship between government workers and their employers.

Massive turnout — Nearly a month's worth of protests peak on March 12, 2011, in Madison with as many as 100,000 people turning out to protest Gov. Scott Walker's collective bargaining law.
STEVE APPS, STATE JOURNAL ARCHIVES

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Pull up a sleeping bag — Opponents of Gov. Scott Walker's collective bargaining bill started sleeping at the Capitol to ensure a spot at public hearings, but the campouts became a mainstay. Pictured here on Feb. 21, 2011.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL ARCHIVES

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Pouring into Capitol — Thousands of protesters enter the Capitol on Feb. 16, 2011, after a rally against Gov. Scott Walker's collective bargaining proposal.
CRAIG SCHREINER, STATE JOURNAL ARCHIVES

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Boiling point — Protesters deride Republican legislators with shouts of "Shame!" after the the Assembly passes the governor's collective bargaining bill on March 10, 2011.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL ARCHIVES

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Shouts of shame — Assembly Democrats, in orange shirts, shout "Shame!" after GOP leaders cut off debate, move to abruptly pass the bill and walk out on Feb. 25, 2011.
M.P. KING, STATE JOURNAL ARCHIVES

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Notes of support — The legislative office entryway of Rep. Brett Hulsey, D-Madison, is covered in notes of support from opponents of Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill on Feb. 26, 2011.
JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL ARCHIVES

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Share your Act 10 memories

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