<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt;color:#000000;">From the NEA:<br> <div><div class="post-alt blog"><h3>Thursday, February 17, 2011 </h3>
<div class="featured-img">
<div class="featured-img-caption">
</div>
</div>
<h2>Yet another hit on public employees</h2>
<p class="title-meta">
<span class="comments-head">
<a href="http://www.idahoea.org/hotline/articles/yet-another-hit-on-public-employees#comments" title="Comment on Yet another hit on public employees"></a></span><span class="date">Friday, February 18, 2011 </span>
</p>
<div class="entry">
<p>
A bill will be introduced Friday in the Senate State Affairs Committee
that would “prohibit public sector collective bargaining, to provide for
public employee rights, and to prohibit public employee strikes.”</p>
<p>
With the bill’s introduction, Idaho teachers are no longer the only
scapegoats in our Statehouse. If such legislation passes, firefighters,
police officers, and educators will all lose the ability to negotiate
for fair treatment. Less than a decade after 9/11, you have to wonder:
Whatever happened to honoring our heroes?</p>
<p>
Idaho is riding – and in some ways leading – a national wave of
legislation targeting people who serve the public. Similar bills against
public employees have been introduced in New Jersey, Ohio, and
Wisconsin, where an estimated 25,000 people surrounded the state Capitol
in Madison to protest today.</p>
<p>
Idaho’s latest anti-public employee legislation, now identified as
RS20248, will be carried by Sen. Shirley McKague (R-Meridian).</p><br><br><br></div>
</div></div></div><br>
</body></html>