Opinion

The collective bargaining double standard

In late March, a federal judge ruled that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker had treated public employees inequitably when he carved out an exemption for cops and firefighters from some collective bargaining restrictions.

It was a narrow ruling, not affecting all the restrictions, but the judge's concern over the double standard was clear. Exempted were those unions that supported Walker — who is now facing a recall election.

Now consider what occurs in right-to-work Texas. Cops and firefighters are allowed to collectively bargain.

Teachers? Nope. No way. Not even close. Nyet. Forbidden. If ever allowed, the apocalypse is nigh.

Of course, there are strings in Texas on those public employees special enough to be allowed to bargain their wages and benefits.

The legislation that gave cops and firefighters this restricts their ability to strike and to stage work slow-downs. Local voters have to approve the ability to bargain. San Antonians have.

And as befitting a right-to-work state, no one can be compelled to join a union and pay dues, though all benefit from a negotiated contract. (Free-riders, in my book).

City employees can get something different. It's called “meet and confer.”

The big difference is that “meet and confer” is “permissive” — neither side is required to meet or to talk and if they agree to meet, they talk about issues they've agreed to talk about. Collective bargaining is far broader, with mandates for good faith bargaining.

This meeting and conferring occurs in Houston and elsewhere. State legislation allowing it broadly for San Antonio foundered in 2007, though park and airport police have it.

School boards can offer something called “exclusive consultation.” But consultation is not the same as collective bargaining.

A natural takeaway: The folks to whom we entrust our children to educate and help groom into successful, functioning adults, are somehow viewed as lesser public servants.

Right. Legislation allowing cops and firefighters the ability to do more than “consult” also erected a hurdle in that requirement for local voter approval.

OK. Give teachers the same hurdle. And prevent them from striking, too, if you'd like.

You might be able to guess at the arguments for withholding collective bargaining from teachers.

They will use newfound clout to elect school board members of their choosing.

This will give them more power to stymie reform.

We can't afford negotiated pay raises in this budget climate.

But Texas teacher unions are already quite active in school board elections. As are police and firefighter associations. Anyone detect the apocalypse approaching as a result?

Unions as obstructionists? Shelley Potter, president of the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel, notes that if powerful teachers unions with the ability to collectively bargain were the main obstacle to quality education, Texas schools would be soaring.

Can't afford the raises? You mean as opposed to how rich city budgets are?

Wisconsin has a rich union history. Texas, not so much. But that exemption about who gets to collectively bargain is now present in both.

And, yes, we absolutely need cops and firefighters. Just as we absolutely need teachers.

If some public employees deserve collective bargaining, they all do.

o.ricardo.pimentel@express-news.net