SB-7 Clears the Way for New Assault on Chicago's Teachers
"This is not a bill to attack the teachers." -- State Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood
Whenever a bill's sponsor has to introduce it in this way, you can only assume that's exactly what it is.
SB7, which was just signed into law this week by Illinois Gov. Quinn severely weakens the power of the state's teachers and their unions to bargain collectively. What makes SB7 different from legislation pushed by Tea Party govs and passed in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan, is that the Illinois bill, now law, isn't nearly as draconian. Public employees unions haven't been outlawed completely, although their right to strike has been essentially taken away and unlike Michigan's law, cities in Illinois still have their sovereignty.
Perhaps a more important difference is that the bill was passed with support from the state's three largest teachers unions, pretty much nullifying any opposition from the rank-and-file, wavering politicians, community activists or from other unions. Their argument went something like this: "We accepted a spanking in order to avoid a real beat-down."
That narrative and accompanying new era of "collaboration" is
