Posts tagged Bill Lee
Tennessee House Reinstates Critical Paycheck Protection Measure Previously Stripped from House Bill 329, Protecting Teachers’ Hard-Earned Money
April 19, 2023 // The Tennessee Education Association has bylaws that permit them to apply an “assessment” on teachers’ dues for salary increases granted by the state, effectively skimming teachers’ paychecks when they get raises above the cost of living. Because Tennessee has deducted union dues from teachers’ paychecks automatically, unions could in some cases access teachers’ pay increases before they do. Additionally, state resources are used to collect dues, not all of which stay in the Volunteer State or are fully reinvested in teachers and classrooms. Instead, portions of these dues are exported out of state to the National Education Association, which can use these dollars for purposes that can be at odds with Tennessee teachers’ values. We agree with the Tennessee legislature and Governor Lee in believing that this is fundamentally wrong. Not only should the state of Tennessee no longer act as the bills collector for a union to export dues for political purposes outside of the state, but Tennessee should also ensure that teachers have the opportunity to access their hard-earned salary increases first.
Tennessee House Committee Abandons Critical Protections for Teacher Salary Increase
April 12, 2023 // Taxpayers should not be the bills collector for union dues. Unions should collect their own dues and teachers should have the transparency of knowing how much they are paying. Union dues should not simply be another obscure deduction on their paycheck. Worse, teachers’ largest salary increase in Tennessee history could be skimmed by the union. The Tennessee Education Association’s bylaws allow the unions to implement artificial rate hikes for union dues when teachers get raises beyond standard cost of living increases. The unions then use that money to support causes that do not represent Tennessee values. The House Finance, Ways and Means Committee’s failure to safeguard Governor Bill Lee’s vision to get Tennessee teachers and taxpayers out of the business of financing union dues collection is disappointing.
Tennessee House Subcommittee Strips Critical Paycheck Protection Measures From Salary Increase for Teachers
April 5, 2023 // “Workers for Opportunity is grateful for passage of House Bill 329, but is disappointed by the failure of the subcommittee to protect teachers' paychecks from union politics and artificial rate hikes,” said Workers for Opportunity Senior Policy Advisor Vincent Vernuccio. “Tennesseans should never have to be the bills collector for unions that fail to represent Tennessee values. It's time unions collect their own dues. We hope the full committee adds these critical protections back into the bill and puts teachers back in charge of their own paychecks.” House Bill 329's Senate companion—Senate Bill 281—maintains paycheck protection measures and is on track to safeguard Tennessee teacher paychecks and taxpayer dollars from union politicking.
Taxpayer Resources Shouldn’t Be Spent on Union Politics
March 30, 2023 // Members of the Tennessee Education Association must also belong to the National Education Association. Studies show that in 2021, the National Education Association spent nearly $65 million on “political activities and lobbying” – more than double the amount it spent on representational activities. A review of political activities shows that the National Education Association spent its revenue, including Tennessee teachers’ dues, on: Supporting critical race theory Eliminating right-to-work laws Opposing school choice Supporting tax increases The government should not be the bills collector for union dues, especially when those unions are affiliated with national organizations that do not respect Tennessee values. SB 281 and HB 329 would increase minimum teacher pay to $50,000 over four years and end automatic payroll deduction of union dues.
Controversial Provision in TEA Bylaws Allows Union to Skim Teachers’ Pay Raise
March 30, 2023 // “The government should not be the bills collector for union dues,” Vernuccio said, “especially when those unions are affiliated with national organizations that do not respect Tennessee taxpayers’ values.”
Tennessee legislators moving bill to block incentives for companies that allow unions via ‘card check’
March 8, 2023 // Both companies that are going into the West Tennessee Site, Ford and SK Innovation, have agreed to the majority card check method, which the National Labor Relations Board allows. In that approach, a majority of workers sign a document or "card" agreeing they want the union to represent them. It's favored by unions, including the United Auto Workers. Union organizers can get workers' names, addresses, email and cellphone numbers to contact and seek their signature on a card, including go to a worker's home to discuss that. The legislation's aim is to prevent that.
Tennessee adds right-to-work to state constitution
November 10, 2022 // Tennessee sent a clear message around the country yesterday: Worker freedom is a constitutional right that must be protected. Voters approved Amendment 1 by a two to one margin, elevating right-to-work from law to a constitutionally protected right in Tennessee. The amendment swept all 95 counties in the Volunteer State. Gov. Frank Keating, Gov. Bill Haslam, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally,
Two states, two visions for the future of labor “Right-to-work” is on the ballot.
October 3, 2022 // Two economic papers published in the last year also reached different conclusions about the consequences of right-to-work laws. The first found right-to-work laws associated with increased manufacturing employment, increased employment, and greater upward mobility. The second found that right-to-work laws lower wages and unionization rates.
Tennessee’s Amendment 1 would add right-to-work to state’s constitution, unions oppose it
September 26, 2022 // "Through unions, employees can be forced to join something that they disagree with," said Justin Owen, the president of the Beacon Center of Tennessee, a conservative think tank. "That violates their freedom of association and should ultimately be left up to the individual. Tennessee has a complicated constitutional amendment process. For Amendment 1 to pass, it must receive more yes votes than no votes. In addition, the number of yes votes must also be greater than 50% of all the votes cast in the governor's election.
Exclusive: 16 GOP Governors Oppose Biden’s Executive Order Creating Monopoly On Federal Construction Contracts
April 26, 2022 // Reducing competition from some of the best union and nonunion construction firms and workers will exacerbate the construction industry’s skilled labor shortage, delay projects, and increase construction costs by estimates of 12% to 20% per project, which will result in fewer infrastructure improvements, less construction industry job creation, and higher taxes.