Union supporters decry GOP labor bills

Friday, February 18, 2011, Vol. 35, No. 7

NASHVILLE (AP) — Union supporters have rallied at the state Capitol to denounce legislative efforts to dismantle labor laws in Tennessee.

Republican bills introduced this year include efforts to do away with teachers' collective bargaining rights in local school districts, barring employee associations and unions from collecting dues from workers' paychecks and prohibiting them from using that money for political purposes.

More than 200 people crowded into a hallway in the legislative office complex on Wednesday to voice their opposition to the proposals.

The Tennessee Education Association, a union representing 52,000 teachers, also plans a large rally at the Capitol on March 5.