Upstream | September 29, 2011 | 4 comments

Assaulting Unions: Michigan GOP bill would jail teachers that send "political" e-mails

source: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/09/29/331816/in-stealth-assault-on-unions-michigan-gop...

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jeffissleeping
Michigan educators could face a year in prison for conducting union or political business over public school e-mail servers under a bill advancing in Lansing.

State House Bill 4052 was reported out of committee last week, and would prohibit a public employee from using public e-mail for political campaigning, union activities, union recruitment, and fundraising.

Violators could be found guilty of a misdemeanor, which would carry a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in prison or both in the bill’s amended version. Organizations found guilty would face up to a $10,000 fine.[...]

The bill is an example of ongoing “classic scapegoating” in Lansing against teachers, and is being used to appeal to the Republican-led Legislature’s base, said Doug Norton, former Howell Education Association president.

“I think that they hate the fact that teachers are able to join a union and collectively bargain. I think they have targeted teachers in their organization,” Norton said.


http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/09/29/331816/in-stealth-assault-on-unions-...
  1. groups:
    Politics,   Current Tonight,   Upstream,   US Politics,   3 more
  2. tags:
    News,  News and Politics,  Michigan,  Unions
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4 comments // Assaulting Unions: Michigan GOP bill would jail teachers that send "political" e-mails

  • Progresshiv
    • +1
      Progresshiv  

    • I'm a college instructor, and I think it is right for the public to restrict a teacher from using the school's email resources to promote particular political views.

    • 8 months ago
  • Toughth
    • 0
      Toughth  

    • I am a good Member of the UAW. one thing has allways been told to me about using company equipment. They can say how it is used. It belongs to them. But if you are using your own equipment on your time you can say anything you want without the boss putting your feet to the fire.

    • 8 months ago
  • Mark701
    • +3
      Mark701  

    • It not unusual to prevent people from using state property for personal or political purposes. It IS unusual to threaten them with fines and jail time if they do. Most of the time you'd get a warning and fired if you ignore the warning. It's evidence of how threatened Michigan legislators feel by whats going on AND an indicator of the lengths they are willing to go to in order to crush dissent.

    • 8 months ago
  • jeffissleeping
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