Legislators and governors in several states are proposing to limit or eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees including teachers. Limiting collective bargaining rights for teachers will likely strengthen the decision-making authority of school managers with regard to matters such as teachers’ pay, evaluations, retention and tenure. A February 22, 2011 New York Times article reported that thousands of pro-union protesters marched on capitol buildings in Madison, Columbus and Indianapolis to protest legislative attacks on union rights in their respective states. A February 24th Education Week article online reported that approximately 200 union supporters rallied at the State Capitol in Nashville to denounce legislative proposals to dismantle Tennessee’s labor laws, and a February 23rd article in the New York Times reported that Oklahoma legislators are also considering legislation that would ban collective bargaining with municipal unions.
In Wisconsin and Indiana, Republican legislators are pressing forward with their respective proposals to restrict collective bargaining even though Democrats in those states have attempted to block those efforts by fleeing to other states, preventing the quorum necessary for voting. The Wisconsin State Assembly reportedly has sufficient Republican votes to pass its proposed legislation and, according to a February 24th article published by Huffington Post, Wisconsin State troopers have been dispatched to try to find at least one of the 14 missing Wisconsin Democrats – as only one is needed to establish a quorum in the Senate. In a show of support for Wisconsin workers, pro-union rallies have been organized at state capitols around the country, including Rhode Island and Minnesota, according to February 22nd and 23rd articles in Education Week. The Huffington Post reported that the Wisconsin Assembly passed the proposed legislation early on February 25th, but the Senate Democrats remain absent, stalling a final vote in the Senate.
About Patsy Crawford
Patsy Crawford, Director of Legal Services, PCG Education, has over 30 years of legal experience and is responsible for providing legal and regulatory compliance support to the PCG Education management team. Since joining the firm in 1997, Patsy has worked closely with school district administrators and PCG Education managers and consultants to coordinate with state and federal Medicaid agencies to protect and improve billing programs for school districts. She has provided direct legal support to PCG Education projects in multiple states across the country.
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