Teachers Will Still Get Paid Association Leave

03.10.2010 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) Utah teachers will still get paid by school districts while working on union issues, for now. Yesterday, the House defeated Senate Bill 77, a bill that would ban districts from granting paid leave for employees to work on association-related duties.  But the bill’s sponsor, Republican Senator Margaret Dayton, said it’s hypocritical for the state’s largest teachers union, the Utah Education Association, to lobby against her bill while also asking for more education funding.

“It is rather a disingenuous approach,” said Dayton.  “So I’m a little concerned that the union would advocate diverting money – this is direct classroom dollars, this is teacher dollars – taking money and teachers out of the classroom.”

Dayton said her bill is about keeping taxpayer dollars from funding union activities, instead of going toward classroom instruction. However, the line between what would be allowable union activity under the bill and what would be forbidden was too muddy for many of those who opposed it, like Heber City Republican Representative Kraig Powell.

“Basically, what we say in this bill is you are allowed to grant paid association leave, but you are not allowed to grant paid association leave,” said Powell.  “I think the bill completely confuses the issue. There will be no way to tell under the law if you are in compliance, if this bill passes.”

The bill failed in the House on a 25-to-43 vote. Dayton has pledged to bring it back again next year.