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As the 2011 legislative session draws to an end, state legislatures across the country are proceeding with bills that seeks to curb union power and implement sweeping education reform. While Wisconsin and Ohio have received the bulk of the media attention, nearly the entire country will see historic changes in the coming year.
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Ohio has been one of the most talked about states in the nation as Governor John Kasich and the Ohio legislature worked together to pass Senate Bill 5, a move that would end forced unionism, close budget shortfalls and curb union power. While the union has already begun a referendum campaign to maintain their stronghold on teacher paychecks, the governor is not backing down and is now working together with teachers to establish criteria for the performance pay portion of the law.
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The union watchdog group Education Intelligence Agency released an analysis of the National Education Association’s most recent IRS documents this week, shedding light on the astronomical amount the NEA and its state affiliates collect from teachers each year. According to tax documents, the NEA amassed more than $1.5 billion in revenue in 2008-09, more than 90 percent of it in the form of union dues from teachers.
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As the 2011 legislative session continues, states across the country are proceeding with legislation that seeks to curb union power and implement sweeping education reform. While the developments in Wisconsin and Ohio have seen the most media attention, there are a total of 729 bills currently pending in 48 states dealing with unions and union power, according to a database compiled by the non-partisan National Conference of State Legislatures. While not every state is making national headlines, the enormous amount of legislation is a sign of what will undoubtedly be the largest shift in union power in generations.
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As the legislative session moves full steam ahead, states across the country are proceeding with legislation that seeks to curb union power and implement broad education reform. While the developments in Wisconsin and Ohio have seen the most heated debate, there are a total of 729 bills currently pending in 48 states dealing with unions and collective bargaining, according to a database compiled by the non-partisan National Conference of State Legislatures. While not every state is making national headlines, the sheer volume proves that we are witnessing a monumental shift in union power that we haven't seen in generations.
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Slashed budgets and threats of teacher lay-offs have been dominating headlines in most states. The economic climate and labor battles have had an obvious effect on teachers across the country; however, not much has been said about the thousands of teachers who leave these states for teaching jobs in bordering states often times in search of higher pay or choice in membership affiliation.
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Beginning in Wisconsin, legislation aimed at curbing union power, advancing education reform policy, and ending forced unionism has spread across the country. Currently states in every part of the country are in various stages of passing their own laws as the protests and debates rage on. The national unions and their state counterparts are on the defensive, organizing large ballot initiative campaigns and considering increasing their dues to pay for their efforts to preserve their monopolies. Make sure to follow the news in your state by reading AAE's daily blog posts.
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This has been a big week for the state of New Jersey in education, again centered on outspoken Governor Chris Christie. In an interview with ABC News that aired Wednesday, Christie said he puts blame on the unions for resisting change that he thinks will benefit students in the long run. He was both revered and attacked for calling NJEA officials "union thugs". Not only did Governor Christie again make headlines for his harsh words for the union, but a new and long awaited plan to evaluate teachers in the state.
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Last week as Ohio Governor John Kasich was signing Senate Bill 5 into law, the Ohio NEA affiliate, the Ohio Education Association, was already mobilizing their efforts to repeal the measure that would end forced unionism, makes strikes illegal and close major budget shortfalls via a ballot referendum. In a current forced unionism state, the OEA already collects at least $63 million in dues per year. Apparently that figure isn't enough to advance their agenda as they are now considering extracting an additional $50 per member for the referendum campaign in November.
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Since the news in Wisconsin broke, more than 12 states have adopted similar legislation aimed at curbing union power, advancing education reform policy, and ending forced unionism. The national unions and their state counterparts have proven that regardless of outcomes in the legislature, they will fight on in court- spending countless dollars on organizing ballot initiatives and recalls. Make sure to follow the news in your state by reading AAE's daily blog posts.
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It has been a busy few months for AAE and our state affiliates. More than 12 states are in various stages of advancing laws that deal with curbing union power, advancing education reform, and ending forced unionism. The unions have proved that regardless of whether or not they win battles in the legislature, they will take the fight to the courts and potential ballot initiatives in the next election cycle.
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Performance pay continues to be one of the most hot-button education reform policies being proposed by reformers and lawmakers across the country. Last week, Senate Bill 736 passed in Florida and it is now awaiting Governor Scott's signature. Among other broad reforms, the Florida bill is one of the most progressive in terms of performance pay, also known as merit pay. It requires 50 percent of a teacher's evaluation to be based on state standardized tests or other national, local, or industry measures for those subjects not gauged at the state level and evaluations are based on four distinct levels of teacher performance.
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The fight in Wisconsin is far from over. Last week, Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi issued a temporary restraining order barring the new law until she can rule whether Republicans violated Wisconsin's open meetings law. While this is a setback for the Wisconsin legislation, other states are following Governor Walker's lead and are in various stages of pushing labor reform legislation.
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Since the labor battle broke in Wisconsin we have been hearing from teachers across the country in forced union states who take issue with paying forced dues. Teachers who don’t see value in a one-size-fits-all system to teachers who do not want to support certain union-funded political causes have all been speaking out. Recently a teacher in the compulsory union state of California penned an op-ed that has resonated with the thousands of other teachers who do not want to support the union in their state.
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In July 2009, the National Education Association's General Counsel, Bob Chanin delivered a shocking speech that outlined the true priorities of the NEA: money and power. The claims were met by thunderous applause by the union leadership and members in attendance and these revelations generated significant commentary throughout the blogosphere. Continue Reading...After a month of union led protests, national media attention, walk-outs, and closed schools, Republicans in the Wisconsin state Senate and Assembly have finally approved Governor Scott Walker’s budget repair bill. The Governor is expected to sign it imminently. Continue Reading...
The battle over state budgets and union power rages on as Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee, and Indiana lawmakers are in various stages of passing landmark legislation. Despite lingering protests, weeks of media coverage, attempted filibusters and walk-outs, experts are speculating that we could see concessions from both sides beginning this week.
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