2008 Woodie Awards
Senate passes collective bargaining bill
But Committee in Assembly refuses to hear similar legislation
Nick Halter
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: News
On Tuesday the state Senate passed a bill 21-10 allowing the faculty and staff in the UW System to unionize and collectively bargain, if they so choose.
But the state Assembly's College and Universities Committee will not hear a similar bill, hurting its chances of being passed this session.
Rep. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, co-author of the bill, said UW System collective bargaining is long overdue. He is not optimistic that the bill will get anywhere in the Republican-controlled Assembly.
Smith is disappointed that the chair of the committee, Rep. Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, refuses to hear the bill.
"In my view this is legislation about fairness - it doesn't mandate anything or cost anything," he said. "It simply allows groups to unionize if they choose to.
"This is the only bill related to college and universities that Representative Nass is refusing to hear in this session. He's let his own personal extreme views related to organizing get in the way of hearing this bill."
Smith pointed out the "brain drain" universities in the System face, saying that professors leave Wisconsin for better pay in other systems.
Mike Mikalsen, a spokesman for Nass, refuted that fact.
"That is a false problem … We have some of the longest serving faculty in the country," he said. "People come here and stay here."
Mikalsen said Nass wouldn't hear the bill because some professors in the System already have tenure and academic freedom.
"They are already receiving job protection," he said, adding that tenure and academic freedom would have to be exempt before the committee would hear the bill.
Mikalsen also pointed out that if faculty and academic staff unionize and are rewarded with large compensation packages, students and taxpayers would bear the burden.
"(Smith) is supporting a bill that would lead to significantly higher tuition," Mikalsen said.
He also noted that while System faculty and staff may not be paid as much as other systems, their benefits are top-notch as a state employee, including a great retirement.
But the state Assembly's College and Universities Committee will not hear a similar bill, hurting its chances of being passed this session.
Rep. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, co-author of the bill, said UW System collective bargaining is long overdue. He is not optimistic that the bill will get anywhere in the Republican-controlled Assembly.
Smith is disappointed that the chair of the committee, Rep. Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, refuses to hear the bill.
"In my view this is legislation about fairness - it doesn't mandate anything or cost anything," he said. "It simply allows groups to unionize if they choose to.
"This is the only bill related to college and universities that Representative Nass is refusing to hear in this session. He's let his own personal extreme views related to organizing get in the way of hearing this bill."
Smith pointed out the "brain drain" universities in the System face, saying that professors leave Wisconsin for better pay in other systems.
Mike Mikalsen, a spokesman for Nass, refuted that fact.
"That is a false problem … We have some of the longest serving faculty in the country," he said. "People come here and stay here."
Mikalsen said Nass wouldn't hear the bill because some professors in the System already have tenure and academic freedom.
"They are already receiving job protection," he said, adding that tenure and academic freedom would have to be exempt before the committee would hear the bill.
Mikalsen also pointed out that if faculty and academic staff unionize and are rewarded with large compensation packages, students and taxpayers would bear the burden.
"(Smith) is supporting a bill that would lead to significantly higher tuition," Mikalsen said.
He also noted that while System faculty and staff may not be paid as much as other systems, their benefits are top-notch as a state employee, including a great retirement.
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