Assembly Bill 593 proposes significant changes to collective bargaining laws for employees of the University of Wisconsin System. The bill allows most employees, including faculty and academic staff, to engage in collective bargaining regarding wages, hours, and working conditions, which is a shift from current law that restricts collective bargaining to specific provisions. The bill amends various sections of the statutes to include new provisions for collective bargaining under subchapter VI of chapter 111, alongside existing provisions in subchapter V. Key amendments include the recognition of collective bargaining units, the establishment of duties for the joint committee on employment relations, and the inclusion of collective bargaining agreements in various employment-related statutes.

In addition to the new provisions, the bill also makes several deletions and modifications to existing legal language. For instance, it removes references to collective bargaining under subchapters I, IV, and V in favor of including subchapter VI, thereby expanding the scope of collective bargaining rights. The bill also clarifies that certain provisions related to employee benefits, salary setting, and grievance arbitrations will apply to employees represented by collective bargaining units under the newly created subchapter VI. Overall, the bill aims to enhance the rights of University of Wisconsin System employees in negotiating their employment terms.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 7.33(4), 7.33, 13.111(2), 13.111, 16.50(3)(e), 16.50, 19.82(1), 19.82, 19.85(3), 19.85, 19.86, 20.425(1)(a), 20.425, 20.425(1)(i), 20.505(1)(ks), 20.505, 20.505(1)(kz), 20.917(3)(b), 20.917, 20.921(1)(a)2, 20.921, 20.923(6)(intro.), 20.923, 36.09(1)(j), 36.09, 40.02(25)(b)8, 40.02, 40.05(4g)(a)4, 40.05, 40.80(3), 40.80, 40.81(3), 40.81, 111.81(1), 111.81, 111.81(9g), 111.81(12m), 111.81(16), 111.825(5), 111.825