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Billerica, Billerica Blog, Collective Bargaining Rights, economics, Politics, Public Employee Unions, Speaker DeLeo
House Speaker Robert DeLeo manages to get 111 state representatives to vote for limiting collective bargaining power of public unions, specifically with respect to health insurance benefits and contributions. This is only the first step. The Massachusetts Senate has indicated that it is less inclined to go along with the House members.
Of course, union officials are gearing up for a fight.
“It’s pretty stunning,” said Robert J. Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “These are the same Democrats that all these labor unions elected. The same Democrats who we contributed to in their campaigns. The same Democrats who tell us over and over again that they’re with us, that they believe in collective bargaining, that they believe in unions. . . . It’s a done deal for our relationship with the people inside that chamber.”
“We are going to fight this thing to the bitter end,” he added. “Massachusetts is not the place that takes collective bargaining away from public employees.”
“We are going to fight this thing to the bitter end,” he added. “Massachusetts is not the place that takes collective bargaining away from public employees.”
Speaker DeLeo claims that the move could save municipalities $100 million a year.
