From the MEA
Urgent MEA member activism is needed to stop a package of anti-strike bills that passed the Senate Education Committee yesterday -- in even more extreme versions than originally proposed.
Members are urged to call their state senators and representatives to fight back against this latest attack on school employees and their unions.
The bills were introduced to stifle the voices of Detroit teachers participating in alleged "sick-outs" to call attention to unsafe, unhealthy, and unacceptable conditions in Detroit Public Schools.
The provisions would affect school employees statewide.
Among the more far-reaching provisions in the substitute versions of Senate Bills 713, 714, and 715:
· Teachers involved in alleged "strike activities" would face fines and loss of their certification.
· To be considered a strike action, only one school employee must be found to be engaging in the activity.
· Once a strike is declared, the school's bargaining unit would be dissolved and prohibited from representing the unit for five years, whether or not it agreed to the strike and regardless of whether the school employee(s) involved in the action belong to the unit.
· School districts that fail to enforce strike-related sanctions against employees would face a fine of 5 percent of their total state school aid.
The bills' sponsor, Sen. Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair) tried to say in a press conference after the committee vote that the bills have nothing to do with the situation in Detroit. However, it's clear this is an attempt to muzzle educators and their representatives at the bargaining table.
The full Senate may vote on the measures this week, so urgent action is needed. Contact your legislators today!
Full directory of Michigan state legislators can be found here:
http://capwiz.com/nea/mi/directory/statedir.tt?state=MI&lvl=state