Tennessee Considers Limits to Collective Bargaining

Lindsey Burke / May 23, 2011

Tennessee could soon become the latest state to deal public-sector collective bargaining a major blow.

The Tennessee state House has just passed a measure that limits collective bargaining for teachers. Education employees would no longer be able to bargain over performance pay and school assignment policies, such as teacher compensation and layoffs. The Senate version of the bill eliminates collective bargaining altogether. The two bills will now have to be reconciled in conference committee before heading on to Governor Bill Haslam’s (R) desk for approval.

Tennessee is working to curb the power that public-sector unions have over education. Across the country, unions have successfully lobbied for nearly five decades to prevent public education employees from having to contribute to the cost of their own health insurance premiums, for increases in pensions and other benefits, and against provisions such as parental school choice. They have also fought against tenure reform and merit pay for teachers. (more…)