Posts tagged UW Health
Unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks UW Health nurses’ unionization, backing Act 10
July 1, 2025 // The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that UW Health is not legally obligated to recognize its nurses' union or bargain collectively. Act 10, a 2011 law, effectively ended collective bargaining for most public employees in Wisconsin, including UW Health nurses. The ruling upholds previous decisions by lower courts and the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission. UW Health nurses argued the hospital operates like a private entity and should be subject to collective bargaining laws, but the court disagreed.
UW Health nurses argue for right to formally unionize
February 19, 2025 // The court urged the SEIU to consider the Act’s statutory history, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Act 10 reduced funding for Health Services in response to a projected $3 billion budget deficit in 2011, according to the Wisconsin Legislative Council. The Wisconsin Employment Peace Act still grants UW Health employees the right to self-organize, join and work with labor organizations and bargain collectively, SEIU attorneys told the Wisconsin State Journal.
Wisconsin Supreme Court hears lawsuit from UW Health nurses seeking to unionize
February 17, 2025 // The nurses argue that UW Health, which is governed by a public authority but otherwise operates similarly to a private health system, is required to recognize their union under the Wisconsin Employment Peace Act, which governs private sector labor negotiations. However, Act 10 explicitly removed references to UW Health from the Peace Act. A ruling in favor of the nurses would allow them to move forward with unionizing and chip away at the restrictions of Act 10.
UW Health reaches agreement with nurses and union leaders, averting strike
September 14, 2022 // UW Health CEO Dr. Alan Kaplan said he was pleased to reach an agreement. He said that the hospital previously was not able to recognize the union due to Act 10, but now that may change. The hospital did not formally recognize the union under the new agreement, Kaplan said, however, a pathway was been set up for the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission to decide if UW Health is covered under Wisconsin’s Employment Peace Act, which gives employees the right to form and join a union. Attorney General Josh Kaul
The year workers said ‘no’
May 16, 2022 // Signs of "waking up" don't always involve unionizing. Some workers are purposefully decreasing their productivity, known as a "slow up" in pursuit of better work-life balance.