Tennessee Senate votes to end collective bargaining by teachers

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NASHVILLE – The state Senate voted 18-14 Monday night to end 33 years of collective bargaining by teachers in Tennessee.

The House Finance Committee is scheduled to consider the bill at 3 p.m. today, likely the Tennessee Education Association’s last hope at stopping the bill. Republicans hold a 64-34 House majority but more moderate Republicans in the House had been more reluctant to back a total repeal of collective bargaining, at least until House GOP leaders signed off on the Senate bill last week.

The bill, SB113, will repeal the Education Professional Negotiations Act of 1978, which allows teachers’ associations in each school district to decide by majority vote whether to engage in collective bargaining over salaries, benefits and workplace issues with their local school boards.

Teachers in 92 of Tennessee’s 136 school districts currently engage in negotiations, including Memphis City Schools. Teachers in the Shelby County school system have opted not to negotiate.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/may/02/senate-votes-end-collective-bargaining-teachers/

[demosincebirth]

1. I wonder how many Tenn. teachers voted republican last year?