Collective bargaining has taken a hit in Wisconsin, and with it the Wisconsin Education Association Council which recently laid off 40 percent of its staff.  Under Wisconsin Act 10, limited salary increases are the only item open to collective bargaining and union dues can no longer be automatically deducted from employee paychecks.   WEAC was previously one of the most powerful unions in the state.  Lobbying reports indicate that in 2009 and 2010, WEAC spent $2.5 million wining and dining lawmakers in Madison, twice as much as any other Wisconsin lobbying effort.


Susan Douglas