Two state senators yesterday introduced bills that would give the public access to contract negotiations for government and public school employees.
Senator Ryan Aument’s bill would remove the exemption for public sector collective bargaining from the Sunshine Act. Senator Scott Martin’s bill would add collective bargaining talks to the state’s Right-To-Know Law.
Aument says taxpayers should have the right to know what’s being discussed in contract talks because they ultimately end up paying the bill. He says even union members often don’t know what’s being demanded on their behalf, and their representatives need to be held accountable. Martin says that salaries for non-unionized employees are subject to Right-To-Know, and the same standard should apply for union members.
Twelve states have such laws in place for public-sector contract talks. The Senate approved a similar measure in last year’s session, but it has not advanced further.
