MADISON, Wis. — In a unanimous decision Friday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled UW Health is not required to recognize a nurses’ union or engage in collective bargaining.

In the opinion released June 27, Justice Brian Hagedorn said that Act 10, a 2011 law passed under former Republican Gov. Scott Walker, ended those requirements.

It comes after the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission made the same ruling in 2022, that said Act 10 eliminated UW Health coverage under the Wisconsin Peace Act. In March 2024, the Dane County Circuit Court upheld that decision.

After the WERC decision, UW Health vowed it would bring a petition to the state’s highest court for an opinion, which came down Friday.

“UW Health appreciates the court’s deliberate, diligent and final review,” UW Health officials said in a statement.

UW Nurses United said in a statement that it was “disappointed” by the decision, but that it’s “not deterred.”

“Working people across Wisconsin have been fighting to rewrite the rules that have prioritized corporations and billionaires over working people for decades, and while the fight has not been easy, we continue to make progress. Our fight at UW is no exception,” it said in a statement.

“Our fight to restore collective bargaining rights doesn’t end in the courtroom. We will continue to explore all possible pathways to restoring our full collective bargaining rights, including seeking voluntary recognition and passing legislation, to ensure that all of us, no matter who we are or where we work, have a seat at the table and a voice in our workplace,” the statement continued.

The hospital system is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and employs 21,000 people at seven hospitals and more than 80 clinics.

Read the full decision below:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.