Wisconsin Becomes ‘Right to Work’ State

Gov. Scott Walker signed Wisconsin’s “right to work” bill into law Monday, making it the 25th state to gut labor unions. The law makes it illegal for unions to force workers to pay dues or fees, allowing people to work at businesses with unions but not contribute to the unions. Walker is known for cracking down on collective barganing for public-employee unions but he previously called the right-to-work bill a “distraction.” Wisconsin joins Michigan and Indiana among Midwestern states that have enacted right-to-work legislation under Republicans who swept into office during the 2010 election.