LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Senate Committee on Labor will consider a package of bills that are altering which entities will have sway in school staffing decisions and permits automatic teacher union deductions from paychecks after the House voted the bills through.
By a margin of merely three votes, one of the main bills in the package, House Bill 4354 passed with 56 yes votes.
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Advocates of the bills maintain that they would help in addressing the teacher shortage in the state.
“Today’s action by State Representatives passing bills that restore respect for our profession will make a difference in addressing our state’s educator shortage,” Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart said, “Restoring fundamental workplace rights ensures local school employees’ voices are heard in their schools to continue improving the quality of education our kids receive. After all, educators’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions.”
House Bill 4820, would not remove seniority as a tiebreaker when considering which teachers to maintain on staff and which to consider letting go, if all “other factors distinguishing those employees from each other are equal.”
“The board of directors of a public school academy shall not adopt, implement, maintain, or comply with a policy or collective bargaining agreement that provides seniority as the sole factor in personnel decisions,” the bill reads.
On the fiscal side of education, a bill tie barred with HB 4354, House Bill 4355, would amend the State School Aid Act in several ways according to a House Fiscal Agency Report “to remove the current prohibitions on collective bargaining agreements entered into by a school district or intermediate school district that include automatic payroll deductions for union dues or methods of compensation that do not comply with section 1250 of the Revised School Code.”
Those opposing the bills fear that they would allot too much power to unions.
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“The most worrying thing to me about these bills is the fact that they allow the unions to determine how teachers in Michigan will be evaluated and placed in the classroom. That’s like asking the kids in those classrooms to grade themselves. Do you think they will ask for tough, surprising tests that require them to be at the top of their game? I don’t,” Representative Bryan Posthumus (R-Posthumus) said.
Rather he supports other means to evaluate teachers and others in the classroom.
“Independent, non-union, non-biased evaluations are critical to measuring and improving our education systems here in Michigan,” Rep. Posthumus said, “These bills put all that power with one party: the union. To me, that’s simply too dangerous to allow. Do you think it’s in the best interest of our kids that a union in Lansing will be determining how teachers are placed in classrooms instead of that decision being handled locally? I don’t.”
Furthermore, Rep. Posthumus voiced his concerns about how certain outcomes would be prioritized, which may make it harder for new teachers to enter the workforce.
“I agree that teachers should be rewarded for showing dedication and commitment over the long-run, but we need to first prioritize quality educators for our kids. New teachers already know how hard it is to compete against those with tenure,” he said. “These bills, if passed, would make us the last option on the list for new graduates both within and outside the state. That’s why I voted no and will continue to do so until I see laws that prioritize the best interest of our kids.”
Other opponents include House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland) and Representative Jaimie Greene (R-Richmond).
“We invest public tax dollars in Michigan schools to educate children and teach them the skills they need to succeed in life,” she said, “Using school resources to collect dues on behalf of labor unions is inappropriate. It does absolutely nothing to benefit our students.”
The House Bills 4233, and those that passed in 4354-4357 and 4820 are likely to be considered later this week.
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