Assembly Democrats are planning to approve the state budget this week, effectively moving the spending bill to the upper chamber, and then, hopefully to Governor Jim Doyle for his signature. One of the provisions in the budget bill would repeal the QEO (Qualified Economic Offer), a part of state government inserted during the 1993 budget deliberations. This "provision" effectively eliminates state teachers' unions from truly exercising collective bargaining rights granted to every other state employee, as well as union members in the private sector. School district officials around the state are already decrying this as the beginning of the end of times.
Eau Claire Area School District superintendent Ron Heilman is reported by the Leader Telegram as having said, "I don't want to get too dramatic, but we spiral into the abyss." Wahahahahahahaha! Link for full story...
Without getting into the inherent unfairness of this rule (Thank Tommy Thompson), district representatives, state Republicans, and other selected "taxpayer watchdog" groups are going to blast, belittle, and impune state Democrats for simply providing teachers with the basic standard of a true collective bargaining right.
Will the repeal of the QEO without the subsequent repeal of revenue caps put pressure on school districts? The only honest answer is maybe...in the short term. If something is done about health care costs, and when the economy inevitably turns around, who is to say what improved economic conditions districts will find themselves in five years down the road. All that we will have achieved, then, is a true sense of negotiating fairness between local districts and their teachers.
Eau Claire Area School District superintendent Ron Heilman is reported by the Leader Telegram as having said, "I don't want to get too dramatic, but we spiral into the abyss." Wahahahahahahaha! Link for full story...
Without getting into the inherent unfairness of this rule (Thank Tommy Thompson), district representatives, state Republicans, and other selected "taxpayer watchdog" groups are going to blast, belittle, and impune state Democrats for simply providing teachers with the basic standard of a true collective bargaining right.
Will the repeal of the QEO without the subsequent repeal of revenue caps put pressure on school districts? The only honest answer is maybe...in the short term. If something is done about health care costs, and when the economy inevitably turns around, who is to say what improved economic conditions districts will find themselves in five years down the road. All that we will have achieved, then, is a true sense of negotiating fairness between local districts and their teachers.
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