Bills threaten working families, teachers say

Sally Tpping, president of the American Federation of Teachers Local 420 in St. Louis adresses reporters Wednesday in the Capitol during a press availability regarding public unions and legislative actions.
Sally Tpping, president of the American Federation of Teachers Local 420 in St. Louis adresses reporters Wednesday in the Capitol during a press availability regarding public unions and legislative actions.

Missouri teachers said Wednesday two bills aimed at weakening unions would further harm the state's students.

A group of teachers held a news conference Wednesday morning at the Capitol to call on legislators to block passage of House Bill 1413 and Senate Bill 602.

HB 1413 and SB 602 would, among other things, prevent unions from using dues or fees for political campaign contributions without authorization from the member within the previous 12 months.

Critics of the bills said they also would force unions to hold annual bureaucratic de-certification processes and force public employees, teachers and others to take time away from their jobs - at taxpayer expense.

They also said the bills would give the governor the power to hire and fire state workers for any reason.

The bills' text states: "Every labor agreement shall include a provision reserving to the public body the right to hire, promote, assign, direct, transfer, schedule, discipline and discharge employees. Every labor agreement shall also include a provision reserving to management the right to make, amend, and rescind reasonable work rules and standard operating procedures."

The next line in the bills prohibits labor unions from picketing or holding strikes.

Sally Topping, president of the American Federation of Teachers union, Local 420, in St. Louis, said the bills show "just how out of touch Republicans are with the mood across the country, especially with regard to education."

She said she testified during the committee hearing on HB 1413.

"I was amazed at how ignorant the legislators were about what a union rally is," Topping said. "Some didn't realize that you don't have to belong to a union to work in St. Louis Public Schools."

If lawmakers really cared about the students, they'd be in the classrooms - walking around, talking to the students and talking to the teachers, she said.

The bills, like some introduced in Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Oklahoma and Washington, would take away public service workers' freedom to join unions, the critics said.

They would force unions to hold expensive recertification elections every two years. If only 10 percent of union members wish to decertify, they could call for a vote.

Andrea Flinders, president of AFT 691 in Kansas City, said the bills go further, stating what should be placed in public employees' contracts.

As part of their contracts, teachers commonly work in committees with school districts to resolve issues they face.

"This offsets the balance," Flinders said. "Where management has the power and the people doing the work have no voice."

School districts already have a difficult time attracting and keeping good teachers, she said.

Many work two jobs to make ends meet. They said they wouldn't do so if they didn't care deeply about their students.

"We perceive it," Flinders said, "as a direct attack against people who are working with our kids."