Wisconsin: Bill Would Let More at UAW Unionize
According to The Capital Times:
State Sen. Dave Hansen plans to introduce a bill that would extend collective bargaining rights to University of Wisconsin faculty and academic staff and include flexibility that could resolve concerns about a previous plan.
The majority of public- and private-sector employees in Wisconsin have the right to vote on whether they would like to be represented by a union, and the Green Bay Democrat hopes to extend that right to UW faculty -- including professors and faculty who are supervisors or managers -- and staff who are professional and administrative personnel. Civil service classified staff are already unionized.
A proposal to extend collective bargaining rights was included in the governor's state budget proposal, but it was omitted in the final budget compromise.
"UW faculty and academic staff have been denied a voice at the table for too long," Hansen commented.
He also stressed that his bill would not unionize any state employees.
"It would simply permit UW academic staff and faculty the right to decide for or against collective bargaining," Hansen said.
"Over 2,250 UW faculty and academic staff statewide have signed a petition calling for the right to decide on collective bargaining," said Warren Johnson, president of the UW Green Bay Chapter of the Association of University of Wisconsin Professionals...click to continue.
