A Wisconsin appeals court refused last week to suspend a contempt-of-court finding against state labor-relations officials who continued enforcing parts of Gov. Scott Walker’s collective bargaining restrictions despite a prior ruling that the language is unconstitutional.
The latest ruling means certification elections for local public-worker unions remain on hold, and local municipalities and school districts must continue negotiating with their unions. It also shifts the focus to the state supreme court, which was expected to hear oral arguments this week on the constitutionality of the provisions.
The GOP-controlled legislature in 2011 stripped most public workers of their collective bargaining rights.