Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Interesting struggles .. I've seen unions defy IR Commissions/arbitration
board and/or court decisions, but don't recall a government doing it before ..

LOl . the unions, at least the Minnesota teacher's union, would surely be aware of this history ..

Education Online .. Union campaigns

Deduction of fees protected by awards .. By Brenda Seymour

Employers and Governments can no longer stop Federation receiving union dues its members authorise to be collected from their pay.

It's taken 50 years since the inception of the deduction and remittance of Federation union dues to achieve the inclusion of a clause in all Federation's awards with the Department of Education and Training, which ensures the employer can no longer stop deducting union fees when it pleases.

The Industrial Relations Commission made the decision to vary the awards at the opening of the Union Dues Test Case on March 7.

In the last 50 years the collection of union dues have been stopped twice.

The first time was in 1972 for five years, and the second time, in 1994 for three months.

Governments stop collecting dues as a political weapon -- the action a reprisal for Federation's programs of action against governments.

The main issues of disagreement in the early 1970s with the Askin Coalition Government and Minister Charles Cutler were the refusal of Federation's members to do "extras" to teach the lessons of absent colleagues and their protest over staff shortages, resulting in large classes and heavier teaching loads.

Another contentious issue was the decision by the Federation to establish a fighting fund (which was not necessarily a strike relief fund). Federation members were involved in direct action on these issues.

In 1994 Federation members were involved in direct action against another Coalition Government, the Fahey Government. The issue was salaries. Minister Virginia Chadwick took the decision to stop deducting union dues. The move was a clear-sighted political act by the Government timed to maximise damage on the union and diminish its capacity to campaign in the state election. Federation described the salaries offer by the Fahey Government as a "lousy offer".

Not only have all the Department of Education and Training/Federation awards now been varied but a letter from the Premier's Department ensures that the Office of the Board of Studies awards and the Corrective Services award can also be varied on application.

For the first time arrangements will be put in place for casual and temporary teachers in schools, part-time/casuals in TAFE and other non-permanent teachers to pay their union dues directly out of their pay.

Deduction of union dues develops and maintains democratic processes in the Federation and assists greatly in the development of electoral systems in a union already noted for its integrity.

Brenda Seymour is the Assistant General Secretary (Research and Industrial). .. http://www.nswtf.org.au/edu_online/30/deduct.html

It's the 2nd one down in here .. http://www.nswtf.org.au/edu_online/30/