Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman threatened to veto a bill that would change how public sector employees collectively bargain because the bill does not go far enough in restricting the the collective bargaining rights of public employees.

In Nebraska public sector unions do not have the the right to strike, but they have the ability to appeal collective bargaining disputes to the Commission of Industrial Relations.

Heineman announced yesterday that he supports a version of Commission of Industrial Relations reform backed by the Omaha, Lincoln and Nebraska chambers of commerce.  The business communities approach would preclude the CIR from intervening in wage disputes only if the proposed wages fell below 85 percent of the prevailing wage rate in the area. Continue reading →