Since changes to the law are necessary, there are
three basic approaches to PERA that the Legislature and the new administration
might take:
- Make one or more modest revisions to correct
specific flaws in the law, while retaining the basic process of collective
bargaining and the requirement that local governments bargain collectively.
- Undertake a thorough PERA overhaul that
dispenses with PERA’s mandate that local governments bargain with unions, and
that leaves those governments free to bargain with unions at their own
discretion, albeit with some restrictions to protect the public interest.
- End the PERA bargaining mandate and additionally
prohibit collective bargaining in public schools and local government.
There are legitimate arguments for all three, and we
will consider each in turn.