NASHVILLE – The Republican-controlled House Education Subcommittee moved Wednesday to restrict collective bargaining rights for teachers.
But members adopted a compromise backed by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam that stops considerably short of Senate Republican leaders’ proposal to completely ban negotiations by teachers’ unions with local school boards.
Subcommittee members voted 8-5 along partisan lines to change the bill by Rep. Debra Maggart, R-Hendersonville, which originally mirrored Senate Republican attempts to strip Tennessee Education Association affiliates from being able to bargain collectively.
Teachers’ unions still could negotiate basic pay and fringe benefits, but the compromise blocks them from negotiating with school boards over merit pay and similar compensation incentives.
Other provisions remove principals, assistant principals and supervisors from the bargaining unit. School boards would no longer be required to negotiate over automatic payroll deductions for Tennessee Education Association dues. And it would make it easier for teachers to move to try and decertify local unions.