Tennessee Senate votes to end collective bargaining by teachers
NASHVILLE -- The state Senate voted 18-14 Monday night to end 33
years of collective bargaining by teachers in Tennessee.  The
House Finance Committee is scheduled to consider the bill at 3
p.m. today, likely the Tennessee Education Association's last
hope at stopping the bill.  Republicans hold a 64-34 House
majority but more moderate Republicans in the House had been
more reluctant to back a total repeal of collective bargaining,
at least until House GOP leaders signed off on the Senate bill
last week.  The bill, SB113, will repeal the Education
Professional Negotiations Act of 1978, which allows teachers'
associations in each school district to decide by majority vote
whether to engage in collective bargaining over salaries,
benefits and workplace issues with their local school boards.
Teachers in 92 of Tennessee's 136 school districts currently
engage in negotiations, including Memphis City Schools. Teachers
in the Shelby County school syst