Contract negotiations between unions, school boards bolster education

Adobe Stock

Tell Us What You Think

What are your thoughts on the propriety of the collective-bargaining process in Arizona education? Tell us in 300 words or less at yourvalley.net/letters, or email your comments, name, address and contact number to AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

OPINION — I am writing in response to Joe Pasta’s recent letter citing his opposition to labor unions in Arizona, specifically in the area of education.

He alleges that the nation’s second-largest education union “has done little to promote better education practices or better classroom conditions,” but he offers no proof for that claim.

Contract negotiations between unions and boards of education produce limits on class size, disciplinary standards for students, guaranteed preparation time for teachers, safety measures to protect students and employees, and other provisions that serve the interests of the public, the employees and the school boards.

In my 35 years representing education employees, I found that unions produced enhanced relationships between employers and employees through the collective-bargaining process.

Mr. Pasta claims that union members have little or no influence on how their dues money is spent. Nothing can be further from the truth. Effective unions are run through the active participation of the membership, and a union leader who keeps his members in the dark is quickly voted out of office.

Collective bargaining has worked well for union members since its inception. Workers in states with bargaining laws outpace those who work in non-bargaining states in salaries, healthcare benefits and job stability. Employers in bargaining states enjoy greater long-term employee job retention because employees are satisfied with their working conditions.

Mr. Pasta contends that there’s no need for public sector collective bargaining in Arizona “unless there is an erosion of … fairness.” That erosion has been occurring for many years and has contributed to the critical teacher shortage in our state. It’s time to pass a collective-bargaining law.

This writer is using a pen name. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.