Repost from the MEA:
Senate passes anti-collective bargaining, anti-tenure bills
Posted on 06/30/11 at 8:51pm
Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to sign legislation that passed this evening to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights and dismantle teacher tenure.
With many teachers and education support professionals looking on from the gallery above the legislative chamber, the GOP-led Senate passed the four-bill package. House Bills 4625-4628 previously passed in the House.
“This is a shameful day in Michigan,” said Sen. John Gleason, D-Flushing, who opposed the bills.
House Bill 4626 allows schools to fire teachers for almost any reason that is not arbitrary and capricious, a much lower standard than current reasonable and just cause protections.
Under House Bill 4628, public employees will lose the right to collectively bargain many new subjects, including evaluation, job placement, merit pay, and more.
The changes are the most sweeping revisions to the state’s Public Employment Relations Act since 1994, when lawmakers and then-Gov. John Engler banned strikes by public school employees.
The final votes on the bills were: House Bill 4625 passed 25-13; House Bill 4626 passed 25-13;House Bill 4627 passed 20-17; and, House Bill 4628 passed 20-18.
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About Me
- Tfitzjake
- I wrote this introduction 6 years ago, and it is even more important today than ever. The voices of educational employees need to be heard above the roar of public school attacks in this country. We are on the front line; we are highly educated and trained professionals. Why are we being ignored? I am an educator. I was the president of the Walled Lake Education Association for over 6 years, and before that, the treasurer for 8 years. I have been on the bargaining team for 15 years. I am now the MEA UniServ Director for 7K and parts of IJ. I want our voice to be heard! Today's educational climate requires that we all stay informed regarding the issues affecting our chosen profession!