By David Beard, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The state Senate on Tuesday approved along party lines a bill that opponents say is aimed at doing away with teachers unions. Its a House bill that was dramatically altered in the Senate and will return to the House.
HB 2009 as Senate Judiciary rewrote it recognizes the right for public employees to join a union, labor organization or club. But, as Judiciary chair Charles Trump, R-Morgan, explained, it effectively says public employers’ payroll offices will not serve as the collection agents for the employees’ dues or fees and employees will not be able to arrange for deductions or assignments of earnings from their paychecks for dues or fees.
A Monday amendment exempts existing collective bargaining agreements.
With the 2018 and2019 teacher and school personnel strikes in the minds of many, Sen. Mike Romano, D-Harrison, said of the bill, “It’s simply retribution, it’s punishment.” …