Watch now: The Great Divide | 10 stories about Act 10
From the The Great Divide: The legacy of Wisconsin's Act 10 series
The most seismic political story of the last decade in Wisconsin began on Feb. 7, 2011, when Republican Gov. Scott Walker informed a gathering of cabinet members of plans to unilaterally roll back the power of public sector unions in the state. He "dropped the bomb," as Walker would describe it afterward, four days later.
The audacious proposal, to be known forever after as Act 10, required public employees to pay more for pension and health insurance benefits, but also banned most subjects of collective bargaining and placed obstacles to maintaining union membership.
Act 10: The Great Divide preview
Act 10: 'They didn’t want their rights taken away'
Act 10: 'It’s working'
Act 10: 'Are you a teacher?'
Act 10: 'The end of bipartisanship'
Act 10: 'A happy employee is a better employee'
Act 10: 'As different as daylight and dark'
Act 10: 'Here comes Ian’s Pizza'
Act 10: 'The people had their voices heard'
Act 10: 'This is what needed to happen'
Act 10: 'If Act 10 had not passed'
Susan Cohen wondered if the Capitol dome would come crumbling down from the cacophonous vibrations during the Act 10 protests.
Michele Ritt remembered her son Josef Rademacher wearing a hole in the soles of his snow boots during the protests.
Dale Schultz believes the state's ability to solve people's problems was greatly diminished by Act 10.
Sen. Joan Ballweg saw the recall elections that resulted from Act 10 as the people getting a chance to have their say.
Former Sen. Mark Miller and Rep. Peter Barca tried to slow down passage of the legislation to force a compromise.
Longtime Madison Teachers Inc. leader John Matthews explains why collective bargaining still matters.
A decade later, former Gov. Scott Walker said he views Act 10 as one of the best things he's done for the state.
Charles Tubbs said his mission was communicating with protesters and voluntary compliance.
During the peak of the Act 10 protests, Ian's Pizza was delivering 1,200 pizzas a day to protesters.Â
Jason Stein was amazed to find himself in the midst of the No. 2 story on the New York Times home page.
A decade after the debate and protests over the anti-union law known as Act 10 convulsed the state, Wisconsin remains firmly divided on the law.
The most seismic political story of the last decade in Wisconsin began on Feb. 7, 2011, when Republican Gov. Scott Walker informed a gathering…
