Idaho teacher union may ask voters to overturn curbs
SALMON, Idaho |
SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - The Idaho state teachers union said on Friday it may ask voters to overturn a just-passed law that curtails public school teachers' collective bargaining rights.
The law ends tenure and removes issues like workload and class size from contract negotiations between school administrators and the 12,000 teachers represented by the Idaho Education Association.
The association on Friday filed petitions with the Idaho elections office in an early move to take to the 2012 ballot the question of whether the law should be repealed.
It is one of two laws, both signed Thursday by Idaho's Republican governor, affecting school teachers in public schools for kindergarten through high school. The other measure ties teacher pay raises and bonuses to factors like student performance instead of seniority.
The teachers union is taking aim at both laws, saying one muzzles teachers while the other will unnecessarily cost the state tens of millions of dollars. The legislature's Republican leaders gave final approval this month to the bills, claiming the measures would improve education and save money.
Union officials said Friday's action is preliminary.
"We're in the exploratory phase and no final decisions have been made," union president Sherri Wood said in a statement about the campaign to roll back the laws.
To take the repeal to the ballot, the union must gather the signatures of 47,432 Idaho voters within 60 days of the close of the current legislative session.
(Reporting by Laura Zuckerman, Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Greg McCune)
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Retirement benefits are paid out of the employees paycheck. Employees give up pay raises in lieu of benefits. An example is the union may ask for a 3 % pay increase to keep up with inflation. The employer agrees , but offers 2 % in a pay increase and 1 % in retirement funding- both sides win.
Public employee retirement systems are cost effective because a lot of people belong to the same pool. These are responsible, hard working citizens and taxpaying voters who are planning for their future.
Supporting labor, raising the minimum wage, and linking minimum wage and other pay raises to inflation will increase tax revenues, giving relief to state and national budgets and aid to the economic recovery- everyone wins.
We all pays taxes. The government takes a big chunk out of our paychecks
Being an American is bigger than political affiliations and doing the right thing goes beyond those affiliations. We are all created equal. No one taxpayer is any more equal that another. Nor is one political party any better than another.
As we are seeing in the Middle East, a government that does not afford its citizens a voice is not a legitimate government. Impeach and recall our political leaders that do not support the peoples right to be heard.
Thank you for your time, Mike
“An example is the union may ask for a 3 % pay increase to keep up with inflation. The employer agrees , but offers 2 % in a pay increase and 1 % in retirement funding- both sides win.”
Do you think we are so stupid? The unions ask and then receive with nothing given back and that is a ‘win-win’? Are you that confused or are you just not as smart as you think you are?
If you pay more – YOU PAY MORE! It does not matter what packet you put it in or what employers pocket you take it out of, it costs the employer. You sound like it is asking for an increase in your allowance!
judge for yourself and click commentors names.. then wonder if you actutally agree with their logic and thought process.
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