We highly value our public school teachers, our schools and public education for the benefit of all our children. So we do not believe it is desirable to permit adversarial relationships to intervene between the public interest and labor unions involving school employees.
An education bill has been introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly that sensibly would forbid forcing local school boards to negotiate with teachers unions on wages and working conditions.
The proposed bill commendably has the support of organizations such as the Tennessee County Commissioners Association, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Tennessee School Boards Association.
As pointed out by state Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, who predicts passage of the bill, "We should debate just the whole idea of government unions anyway ... . I just have a fundamental issue with government unions. I think they're inherently conflicted."
We support good pay, benefits and the best of conditions for our teachers in balance with the realities and interests of our taxpayers and our students.
Government employees, who have the responsibility of serving us all, should be treated with every fair consideration, but should not be unionized and placed in potentially conflicting positions.