House passes bill to mandate continued contracts

By: Brittany Comak

Twitter: @comaknews

Email: bcomak@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Rhode Island lawmakers have advanced a bill that would mandate expired contracts continue indefinitely for teachers and municipal employees during negotiations.

The House of Representatives approved the measure Tuesday. 

At a press conference Monday, civic leaders said the legislation would end up hurting their municipalities in the long run.

“If this passes, we may as well, as I see, shut the lights off, give the union the keys, and give them the check book, because it’s all over ladies and gentleman,” said Johnston Mayor, Joseph Polisena.

Leaders argue that by continuing the contracts indefinitely, there will be no incentive for unions to come to the bargaining table if they are expected to make concessions.

They say this could end up choking city budgets, and ultimately cause taxes to go up.

“If this were to pass, this becomes a one way street,” said North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi.

In a statement posted on its website, President Frank Flynn of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals said in part: “This bill simply preserves the agreements both parties have made for over fifty years while they are negotiating new terms. It is a matter of fundamental fairness.”

And the National Education Association of Rhode Island said in a statement in part: “This legislation restores the balance between the rights of union members and the rights of employers.”

However mayors, who say they usually continue contracts anyway, don’t see it that way.

“Already, we feel as though all of the rules and laws are against us, said Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza. “This would just push it even further against us and make it more difficult for us to respond to recessions, imposed to financial challenges, imposed to the different costs that increase in our budgets.”

Two years ago Governor Raimondo vetoed a different version of this bill.

A spokesperson told us in a statement that this is in fact a different version that takes into account her recommendations from her original veto.

The bill now awaits further action in the Senate.

©WLNE-TV/ABC6 2019