Oklahoma House passes bill eliminating collective bargaining in some cities

[1776Forever]

Oklahoma House Bill 1593 passed 59-38. BY MICHAEL MCNUTT Oklahoman
Published: March 17, 2011

The measure would repeal a 2004 law that allowed nonuniformed employees of cities with at least 35,000 residents to form a union.

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-house-passes-bill-eliminating-collective-bargaining-in-some-cities/article/3549507#ixzz1GswwFDiu

[Duwamish]

1. Does this mean that police and firefighters can form unions

because they wear uniforms but DMV clerks who don't wear uniforms cannot? What if say teachers or DMV or other city personell decided to wear uniforms, then could they form a union? If a school instituted a dress code for students and staff, would that constitute "uniform wearing?"

It's telling that this was voted on at 10pm. Isn't that what happened in Wisconsin?

[mstinamotorcity]

3. Well we will

see what the inside of their Capitol building looks like with protesters.

[RC]

2. Is not "Collective Bargaining" Democracy in action?

Why would the Republicans want to pass laws against people engaged in Democracy?

[Duwamish]

5. Ronald Reagan said as much.

Well, about freedom anyway.

"These are the values inspiring those brave workers in Poland. . . They remind us that where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost. They remind us that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. You and I must protect and preserve freedom here or it will not be passed on to our children."

- Ronald Reagan, Labor Day speech, 9/01/80

[Coyote_Bandit]

4. Oklahoma

is an employment at will state. Some in the private workforce believe - ignorantly - that eliminating these unions will put these union workers on the same footing at other private employees.

There has also been an issue in Oklahoma recently where city union workers have campaigned for/against various city candidates. Notably firefighters - though they are not the only group to have organized to support/oppose candidates. They mostly campaign on their own times but they campaign as firefighter for/against Candidate John Doe rather than as a private citizen for/against Candidate Doe. There are laws prohibiting city workers from advocating for/against city political candidates.

This bill is the result of red state ignorance, greed/selfishness and a lot of local politics.