Proposed legislation affecting public school labor relations has been filed in the Maryland General Assembly. The bill, known as the Fairness in Negotiations Act (SB 673) is co-sponsored by State Senator Barry Glassman.
Speculation as to the provisions of the bill had prompted strong reactions from members of the Harford County Board of Education in recent weeks.
Senator Glassman said Thursday in an email to The Dagger:
The bill addresses a long-standing problem in the current collective bargaining process that operates between teachers and our local boards. The current system is weighted inequitably in favor of the local boards. If the two sides cannot reach agreement, negotiations are ultimately decided by the State Board of Education which acts presumptively on the employer’s side, the local boards. The current system sidesteps real collective bargaining and thwarts the fairness of the process.
This bill refines things so that a neutral third party arbitrator will resolve labor disputes within a specific timeline and issue a decision that is binding on both parties. The arbitrator would decide labor issues only, leaving all education policy to the State Board. It does not create a labor relations board and maintains a County’s right to fund in compliance with their budget and maintains the no strike clause.
The bill’s progress through the Maryland General Assembly can be tracked from here:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/billfile/SB0673.htm
The full text of the proposed legislation can be found here:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/sb/sb0673f.pdf
So Barry is now a pro-union Republican? Watch the GOP slowly get angry about Glassman. He truly is wishy washy.
Has our distinguished Senator from the north lost his mind? This pretty much amounts to collective bargaining for teachers! This stinks of a dirty deal being cut somewhere. What is our Senator getting in return for this?
This can’t be right. If Glassman is really doing this, he is asking for a primary battle. Why give a fellow Republican such glorious ammunition. Makes no sense. I understand that Glassman never raises much money to begin with. Also, bigtime Democrat Bob Hockaday is Glassman’s biggest supporter. WIth that unsavory connection and being pro union, Glassman is just begging for trouble.
So Harford Republicans are supposed to be against third-party negotiators instead of a democrat-appointed board in deciding labor disputes? This has nothing to do with the Teacher’s Union. I have seen a labor dispute case go through the current process, and it is unbelievably weighted in favor of the board.
Harfordboy:
Glassman has never raised much money and always been reelected, almost always as the highest vote getter. Looks like he raised as much as he ever needed. 2010 will be his first run as a Senator, so the dollar picture will be interesting. Co-sponsoring this bill doesn’t do much, and it could help with the unions even though nothing is actually being given up to them… sounds smart.
Teachers already have collective bargaining. The bill just allows a third party to arbitrate it. He’s smart, how do you think he is the only one to get anything accomplished down there?
He is the only Republican co- sponsoring this bill the other 16 are some of the most liberal Democrats in the Senate.
Let’s see he has aligned himself with the Prince Georges and Montgomery County, Baltimore City Leadership.
Glassman has been spineless his entire political career and always managed to stay under the radar.
Hopefully the citizens of Harford County will finally wake up and understand that he is another Harkins who’s only agenda is to take care of himself and not the taxpayers.
I believe that he is getting close to retiring from BG&E (Constellation Energy) where he has been employed for many many years, thanks for all your help keeping our energy rates down.
The previous post was NOT from me.
To the person who is responsible for that post: If you have an opinion to share, please use a unique name.
Just look at who is co-sponsoring this bill. That’s all you need to know. Hopefully this will be part of the mounting case for someone to step up and primary that sorry RINO.