By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel
June 5, 2012
Madison - Voters dealt a blow to the nation’s public sector unions Tuesday in the state that first granted them broad bargaining power more than a half century ago.
In the first recall in U.S. history in which an incumbent governor retained office, Wisconsin chose to keep the governor who sparked the recall by eliminating most collective bargaining for most public employees as well as their ability to collect dues through payroll deductions.
Though public unions will not disappear as a result, they were the clear losers in a race that confirmed Gov. Scott Walker as a national star for Republicans. They now have no prospects for recovering what they lost, with neither the money nor manpower they had when Walker rose to office.
