7/24/2019 Attack on union rights letter to editor
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Senate Bill 280
Dear Editor
I would like to inform our community of pending state
legislation that will sharply reduce the ability of an employer
and
employee organization to bargain a mutually agreed upon
contract
Senate Bill 280 prohibits public employers from paying or
contributing to payment for union lea!e e!en if both parties
agree upon the pro!ision of lea!e time "s a result# bargaining
representati!es would be prohibited from conducting
business during work hours In addition# employee representati!es
would be prohibited from in!estigating or handling
grie!ances$issues that arise during work hours
%assage of Senate Bill 280 will create hardships for employees
of the public sector# including but not limited to&management#
school district employees# state# county# and local go!ernment
employees# public medical professionals# and
others
'he facts not recognized by the authors of this legislation
include(
)* +ost employee representation time in!ol!es workers who are
released during the workday to assist in the
resolution of issues identified by management , not issues
employees raise
2* Employee representation time is used to assist in problem
sol!ing with management and make the workplace
more cost-effecti!e and efficient 'he system works and creates
sa!ings
. +ember representation on the /ob corrects small workplace
problems# and identifies inefficiencies
'here is a reason employee representation time has been agreed
to by both epublican and Democratic
"dministration1s management for decades , it identifies and
sol!es workplace problems and fies inefficiencies
that in the end sa!es tapayer money and benefits the public
'here is no etra cost because when determining the 3total labor
cost4 of workers1 representation time has alwaysbeen included in
the computation
Employee representation is /ust that , for employee matters
'here is no employee representation time for
political purposes 5such acti!ity is already prohibited 'he
irony is the non-union employees ha!e the right to
address grie!ances at work and are e!en allowed to address
legislators 6hy would we pass a law that lets non-union employees
do this# but prohibit union employees from ha!ing the same rights7
abor management eperts
agree that Employee representation time is important in
resol!ing workplace problems in a collaborati!e manner
9pponents of employee representation time seem to be doing so
for political reasons to weaken the employee
:nions but in fact they are attacking a management tool that
makes go!ernment efficient and sa!es tapayers in
the long run
