Otter signs teacher pay, bargaining bills

BOISE – Gov. Butch Otter signed a law Thursday to phase out tenure for new teachers and restrict collective bargaining in Idaho.

The Republican governor also signed off on legislation to introduce teacher merit pay. Otter said the two bills, which were fought by the statewide teachers union, have been “a long time coming” and would improve the ability of public schools to fulfill their mission of educating Idaho’s children.

Otter said he remains committed to working with lawmakers on a third piece of a plan authored by public schools chief Tom Luna to overhaul Idaho’s education system.

“Our work is not done,” Otter said in a statement.

Supporters of the law to limit the statewide teachers union contend it will give more power to Idaho’s locally elected school boards when it comes to labor relations. But opponents argue it’s a mean-spirited move to dismantle the union and gut collective bargaining rights teachers have held for decades. The law allows the union to only negotiate salaries and benefits, not work rules like breaks and other policies.

Hundreds of teachers, students, parents and union activists circled the Idaho Capitol last week in protest after lawmakers finished approval of the two bills. They wore bright red cloth strips over their mouths to symbolize their feelings that teacher concerns had not been heard despite overwhelming public testimony against the education reforms.

“Teachers are angry because they feel disrespected,” said Idaho Education Association President Sherri Wood.

The biggest piece of the plan, which calls for boosting technology in the classroom, remains in the Idaho Senate.

Lawmakers plan to introduce the revamped legislation today.