NASHVILLE-Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said Friday he doesn’t see public unions as a huge threat in Tennessee and thus his priorities don’t include “trying to destroy” the main one – the Tennessee Education Association.
“I don’t think it’s that big of a factor to us in Tennessee, so that is why I haven’t spent that much time on it,” Haslam said, noting the small presence of public unions. “The situation’s not the same as it is in Wisconsin. Everything from pension liabilities to the role that public sector unions play. And so, I tend to address and spend time on those things that I think matter, that are a big deal to us.”
The new governor’s comments, his fullest yet on the issue, come as Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and his GOP allies stand firm in their effort to strip local affiliates of the 52,000-member Tennessee Education Association of their collective bargaining rights.
Earlier this week, House Republicans led by Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, a Haslam ally, began moving a compromise version. It would restrict sharply TEA members’ ability to negotiate with school boards on merit pay and other issues such as how things such as layoffs should occur. But it doesn’t ban collective bargaining.
Haslam, who has been pushing for tougher teacher tenure laws and expansion of charter schools, had until this week remained neutral on the Senate Republican effort. But when the compromise began moving in the House on Wednesday, he quickly jumped on board.