Idaho passes Republican bill to curb union rights (for teachers)

[highplainsdem]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/09/us-usa-unions-states-idUSTRE7280BS20110309

By Mary Wisniewski

CHICAGO | Tue Mar 8, 2011 9:02pm EST

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Idaho state legislature approved a bill on Tuesday to strip public school teachers of many of their collective bargaining rights while protesters in five 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.

The bill also eliminates teacher tenure, limits the duration of teacher labor contracts to one year and removes seniority as a factor in determining the order of layoffs.

-snip-

[gordianot]

1. Everyone needs a scapegoat the GOP has settled on teachers.

Coming to a legislature near you if they have if the pukes have the vote.

[Generic Other]

2. This was a rightwing ambush on teachers!

Did all these GOP governors go to Rancho Mirage and the Koch shindig to get their marching orders?

[Lorien]

6. I'm guessing "Yes" on that

:grr:

[intheflow]

9. I can see it now:

Koch family conversation: "We'll use that obnoxious snot-nosed Walker as a diversion ..." "...then we'll smack 'em upside the head in other, redder states!"

Stayed tuned. I'm sure this isn't the last union ambush we'll see in those Republican-controlled states.

[highplainsdem]

11. No, but they did get model legislation from the group described here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x591230

[tavalon]

3. And the hits just keep on coming.

[Lorien]

4. At this rate, what sane young person will WANT to get into the teaching profession?

I teach Master's programs, where the student want to be there. I can only imagine how huge a challenge it is for public school teachers who deal with masses of students who DON'T want to be there, and whose parents are often disengaged. And I know that they aren't making any more in salary than I am...which means just enough to get by on, but not enough for a vacation away from home or more than a couple of new outfits per year.

[bindelh]

8. What will they do if they have a school year....

and no one shows up to teach.

At this rate no one will be able to afford the cost of going to college to become a teacher and who would want to work for these wages and working conditions?

[tavalon]

5. But it could have been nurses, firefighters, police

But usually they pick the predominantly female professions. As a union nurse, I am watching very, very closely.

[gordianot]

12. Exactly they view teachers as easy targets in a predominantly female profession.

The real target is ultimately retirement systems, most teachers in this country belong to professional organizations without collective bargaining.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. This is getting crazy

There is an absolutely horrible bill in MO. Worst I have ever seen. Not only takes tenure away but also changes salaries. Mine would be reduced by $20K.

[Major Hogwash]

10. They hate unions in Idaho. The "reddest" state in the nation almost every year.

This is why Idaho is the Asshole state of the United States.

In fact, we ought to just change the motto on our license plates from "Famous Potatoes" to "Fucking Ignorant Azzholes" because that what the majority of the legislature is made up of.
The Governor is a retarded moron. A complete azzhole.

They blamed unions for the high price of housing back in the 1980s, so they passed the "Right to Work" law in 1986.
And we can't get it changed even though we get it on the ballot every other year.