New State
Chiefs to Employees: Goodbye Bargaining Rights
January 24, 2005
 Newly
elected Republican governors in Indiana and Missouri eliminated
the collective bargaining rights of some 50,000 workers Jan.
11 when they signed executive orders unilaterally rescinding
workers' bargaining rights and contracts.
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, President Bush's former Office
of Management and Budget director, issued an executive order that
repealed 15 years of collective bargaining rights supported by
the state's past three governors. His actions affected some 25,000
members of AFSCME, Unity Team--an AFT-UAW alliance--and International
Union of Police Associations. He also rescinded contracts set to
run through 2007.
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's executive order took away the bargaining
rights of about 25,000 AFSCME and SEIU members, including some
9,000 who had reached contracts with the state. Blunt told reporters
he believes his action also canceled those contracts, most of which
were set to run through 2006.
The unions may seek legal action.
"We often say in political campaigns that collective bargaining
rights can be taken away at the stroke of a politicians pen, and
this is an example of how that can happen," said International
President Edwin D. Hill. "If the governors are allowed to
get away with this, what will be next?"
|
IBEW Local 1212
IBEW Local 45 |
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