Idaho passes Republican bill to curb union rights

On Tuesday, the Idaho state legislature approved a bill to strip public school teachers of many of their collective bargaining rights while protesters in six states rallied against Republican efforts to curb union power. The Idaho bill, which excludes issues like class size and workloads from negotiations for the state’s 12,000 unionized teachers, was given final approval by the Republican-led House and is expected to be signed by Republican Governor Butch Otter.

Also in the bill is a provision that would eliminate teacher tenure and limits the duration of teacher labor contracts to one year and removes seniority as a factor in determining the order of layoffs. Idaho is just one of many Republican led states that have plans for sweeping restrictions on public sector unions in what has become a growing national debate over labor union power.

Republicans say the proposals are needed to rescue recession-battered budgets from deficits, but Democrats and union supporters say they are an attack on organized labor that could linger as an issue into the 2012 presidential elections, and the main case drawing national attention is between Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and Democrats in his state legislature. Wisconsin Democrats fled the state over three weeks ago, in protest of Walker’s plan to remove collective bargaining from the table. E-mails released on Tuesday showed Walker has indicated he may be willing to compromise on elements of his plan.

These emails that were released, were from a Freedom of Information Act request from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper, show Senate Democrats and a senior Walker aide discussed some flexibility on issues such as his demand for annual votes to keep unions in existence.

Meanwhile, similar Republican plans to curb public union rights and benefits sparked new protests in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa and Florida.

And in Indiana, the Democrats there, too, have fled in protest of the proposals to curb union power. The Democrats say the bill is anti-worker, union protesters staged a mock “funeral” for the middle class with a New Orleans-style musical procession in honor of Mardi Gras.

Reuters

And in Ohio, Republican Governor John Kasich touted a plan that passed the state Senate last week to curb collective bargaining rights of public employees and ban them from going on strike.

“Frankly, folks, the provisions of collective bargaining reform are examples of what we want to do to allow people to control their costs,” said Kasich, setting off cat-calls from the gallery in the legislative chamber.

Reuters

And in Lansing Michigan, hundreds of pro-union protesters jammed the rotunda and gathered outside the Capitol to oppose a bill to give emergency authority to break labor contracts to revive failing schools and cities. The state’s largest school district of Detroit is under emergency management. The Michigan House approved the measure in February. A final vote in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 26-12 majority, is expected on Wednesday.

Hundreds of union workers protested in Iowa, to protest a bill that would prevent negotiations on healthcare benefits for government workers and forbid union workers from negotiating layoff schedules. Although it may pass in the Republican led state House, it will run into trouble with the Democrat controlled Senate.

Florida faces a $3.6 billion budget deficit, union supporters held events in a number of cities as lawmakers returned to state capital Tallahassee to begin the 2001 legislative session. Republican Governor Rick Scott has called for significant tax cuts on businesses and property owners while asking lawmakers to require state employees to pay 5 percent of their salaries toward their retirement plan. Florida now does not require an employee contribution.

And Scott also would like new employees funneled into a 401(k)-type retirement plan instead of the traditional pension now offered to members of the Florida Retirement System.