Governor Scott Walker (R- WI) is perhaps best known for signing Act 10 into law. This law restricts unions’ power to bargain to only cover wage increases that match the rate of inflation. It also created a very controversial rule that in order to maintain its certification, a union must allow its members to vote every year on whether or not to reinstate it.

Act 10 proved to be a very controversial action taken by Walker and his fellow Republicans in Wisconsin. It angered progressives, and even led to an unsuccessful recall election to remove the Republican governor from office.

Regardless of the apparent outcry over Act 10, it seems to be working.

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According to a report by Right Wing News, “Workers rejected over 70 of 408 school district unions during the annual recertification elections that ended on Thursday, according to a preliminary analysis of the results.”

These are huge results, indicative of the apparent distrust of public sector unions that exist in the state. When given the opportunity to opt out of union membership, many workers in Wisconsin do just that.

The number 70 does not just include teacher unions though, as the majority of the unions that lost certification were support staff.

“There were 19 actual teachers unions that decertified. The largest included New Berlin, Menomonee Falls, Pewaukee, Berlin, Waterford,” continues Right Wing News.

The more than 70 unions that lost certification were associated with school districts though, and workers were able to cast their votes via telephone between November 29th and December 19th.

“AFSCME Local 60 Council 40, including support staff in the Sun Prairie School District, was the largest union to be decertified. Only 135 of the 367 members voted to recertify,” reports Right Wing News.

The decertification of large unions such as the AFSCME Local 60 Council 40, as well as the decertification of so many other unions, displays the fact that many workers involved in the unionization process fail to see any tangible benefits resulting from the collective bargaining process.

Another major provision of Act 10 that has brought change to the landscape of unionization in Wisconsin is the fact that it is now illegal for union dues to be involuntarily deducted from the paychecks of employees.

Unions in Wisconsin are left scrambling to find new ways to raise funds, as forced withdrawals from paychecks were a major method of receiving monetary backing.

These union certification elections show that when workers are given the freedom to choose whether or not they want to be in a union, many will decide not to join.