Kansas Bill Could Overhaul Collective Bargaining For State Educators
A bill currently before the Kansas legislature would curb teacher union power in that state. Although Kansas has a Right to Work Law, teacher union officials still retain the power to become the exclusive representative and bargain for every teacher in a school district, even though they may have been elected by only 49% of those same teachers. While the bill, if passed, would not completely eradicate forced unionism, it would be a step in the right direction.
John Celock at the Huffington Post has the story.
Under the terms of the legislation, teachers could negotiate contracts individually with local school districts, while other issues would be deemed non-negotiable, including classroom time, class size and evaluation practices.
“Everyone should have the right to negotiate the terms of their employment,” state Rep. J.R. Claeys (R-Salina), who supports the bill, told The Huffington Post.
Claeys stressed that the legislation, which was introduced by the committee late Thursday, would allow local school districts greater “flexibility” in negotiating contracts. He said the proposal would allow for school board members to set certain terms of employment, including the number and length of class periods that teachers can teach.