Signed by Governor Bill Haslam

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that repeals the Education Professional Negotiations Act, and prohibits any local board of education from negotiating with a professional employees' organization or teachers' union concerning the terms or conditions of professional service, effective upon the passage of this bill.

Highlights:

• Repeals indefinitely any bargaining pursuant to the Education Professional Negotiations Act (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents to develop a training program on "interest-based collaborative problem-solving" by January 1, 2012 (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits local boards of education from collaborative conferencing until the training program has been implemented by the local education agency (Sec. 1).

• Defines "collaborative conferencing" as the process by which the chair of a board of education and the board's professional employees or its representatives meet to discuss and exchange information on matters relating to the terms and conditions of professional employee service using "interest-based collaborative problem-solving," (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes professional employees to form or join organizations and to participate in collaborative conferencing through representatives of their choosing (Sec. 1).

• Requires a majority vote by all eligible employees on a secret ballot in order for representatives of the employees to engage in collaborative conferencing with the board of education (Sec. 1).

• Requires persons from representative organizations to be selected in proportion to the number of votes each organization receives from all eligible employees on a secret ballot asking their preference of organization (Sec. 1).

• Requires professional employees' organizations to receive at least 15 percent of the secret ballot vote in order to be entitled to representation (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits boards of education and professional employees' organizations from refusing to engage in collaborative conferencing (Sec. 1).

• Limits the terms and conditions discussed in collaborative conferencing to the following subjects (Sec. 1):
• Salaries or wages;
• Grievance procedures;
• Insurance;
• Fringe benefits;
• Working conditions;
• Leave; and
• Payroll deductions.

• Exempts from these provisions contracts between boards of education and recognized professional employees' organizations entered under the Education Professional Negotiations Act before the effective date of this act (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that repeals the Education Professional Negotiations Act, and prohibits any local board of education from negotiating with a professional employees' organization or teachers' union concerning the terms or conditions of professional service, effective upon the passage of this bill.

Highlights:

• Repeals indefinitely any bargaining pursuant to the Education Professional Negotiations Act (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents to develop a training program on "interest-based collaborative problem-solving" by January 1, 2012 (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits local boards of education from collaborative conferencing until the training program has been implemented by the local education agency (Sec. 1).

• Defines "collaborative conferencing" as the process by which the chair of a board of education and the board's professional employees or its representatives meet to discuss and exchange information on matters relating to the terms and conditions of professional employee service using "interest-based collaborative problem-solving," (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes professional employees to form or join organizations and to participate in collaborative conferencing through representatives of their choosing (Sec. 1).

• Requires a majority vote by all eligible employees on a secret ballot in order for representatives of the employees to engage in collaborative conferencing with the board of education (Sec. 1).

• Requires persons from representative organizations to be selected in proportion to the number of votes each organization receives from all eligible employees on a secret ballot asking their preference of organization (Sec. 1).

• Requires professional employees' organizations to receive at least 15 percent of the secret ballot vote in order to be entitled to representation (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits boards of education and professional employees' organizations from refusing to engage in collaborative conferencing (Sec. 1).

• Limits the terms and conditions discussed in collaborative conferencing to the following subjects (Sec. 1):
• Salaries or wages;
• Grievance procedures;
• Insurance;
• Fringe benefits;
• Working conditions;
• Leave; and
• Payroll deductions.

• Exempts from these provisions contracts between boards of education and recognized professional employees' organizations entered under the Education Professional Negotiations Act before the effective date of this act (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that repeals the Education Professional Negotiations Act, and prohibits any local board of education from negotiating with a professional employees' organization or teachers' union concerning the terms or conditions of professional service, effective upon the passage of this bill.

Highlights:

• Exempts any contracts between boards of education and recognized professional employees' organizations entered under the Education Professional Negotiations Act from the provisions of this bill, before the effective date of this act (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text