The Catholic Church has a long, storied history, and it has changed quite a bit in that time. Pope Francis seems to be carrying on this tradition, according to one author, which could affect how the church operates in the future. We discuss the history of the Catholic Church, and where it’s going. We also review the latest headlines from Congress this week, and look at the lawsuit filed over Wisconsin’s new right-to-work law.
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Labor Law Professor Says Right-To-Work Legal Challenge Unlikely To Succeed
The lawsuit filed by three Wisconsin labor organizations challenging the recently passed right-to-work law faces an uphill battle and will likely not succeed, according to a Marquette University professor.
“I think that the leaders of the unions understand that they’re fighting an uphill battle because similar lawsuits have been brought in Michigan and Indiana where the right-to-work laws were upheld,” said Paul Secunda, a professor of labor and employment law.
Just one day after Gov. Scott Walker signed the bill into law, Machinists Local Lodge 1061, United Steelworkers District 2 and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO filed the lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court arguing that the law is unconstitutional and want a temporary injunction, in addition to a permanent stop to it. The case is expected to heard in the next couple of weeks
Even if the case is initially successful in the lower court, Secunda said it would likely be immediately appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court which features, as he characterized it, a more conservative-leaning bench.
“Given their previous forays into our labor law fights in this state going back to 2011, I think it’s highly unlikely that they would uphold any type of union challenge here,” he said.
Secunda said that, at the very least, the court filings allows the labor organization wants to keep the issue in front of the public.
“Even though it’s unlikely that they will prevail in this lawsuit, they want to keep the issue front and center — through the press and through their legal filings — that this law is not good for the middle-class people of Wisconsin,” Secunda said.
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Wisconsin Unions File Lawsuit Over Right-To-Work Law
Three Wisconsin labor organizations have filed a lawsuit over Wisconsin’s new right-to-work law. An expert on law and labor gives an overview of the case, and where things could go from here.
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This Week In Congress – March 11, 2015
The Justice Department is looking to file corruption charges against a U.S. Senator, and Hillary Clinton’s email practices are still under scrutiny. Plus, Secretary of State John Kerry is asking the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to consider updating the Military Use of Force Authorization, and 47 Senate Republicans attempts to school the leaders of Iran on the United State Constitution. We look at the week’s news out of Capitol Hill with USA Today‘s chief congressional reporter.
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Pope Francis And The Future Of The Catholic Church
Pope Francis is bringing a prospect for real and lasting change to his church, according to a long-time historian of Catholicism–who says change is a crucial part of Catholic history.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Paul Secunda Guest
- Susan Davis Guest
- Garry Wills Guest
- Chris Malina Producer
- Cynthia Schuster Producer
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