The House is expected to soon consider House Bill 4044, which would repeal Public Act 54 of 2011. This act states that upon the expiration of a contract, step increases and health care contribution amounts are frozen until a new contract is in place. It also states that wages shall not be applied retroactively unless required by an arbitration panel or included in a negotiated bargaining agreement.

The bill would repeal those provisions and allow steps to go into effect even if a contract expires and would place the increased health care costs on the district. 

We urge you to contact your State Representative and ask for a no vote on this bill. Be sure to share with them local stories of how repealing this law would affect your district.

Talking points to customize for your message:

• Repealing step and health care cost freezes hinders the ability to settle contracts, especially in times of tight budgets.
• When all parties bargain in good faith, this provision does not come into play, because contracts are settled on time.
• There is room to work together on negotiating changes made to collective bargaining laws over recent years and find an appropriate balance.
• It is improper state funding throughout the years that has strained districts’ ability to properly compensate staff, not this law.
• This repeal could lead to protracted negotiations that negatively impact our schools.
• Because of the statewide education labor shortage, we should work together to find strong solutions.
• Since Public Act 54 of 2011 has gone into effect, my district has {INSERT LOCAL STORY} i.e. seen better relationships with our unions because it eliminated the adversarial nature of negotiations.