Independence Teachers Union To Take Collective Bargaining Ban To Supreme Court

A teachers union in Independence has lost round one of its court effort to get greater collective bargaining rights for teachers. The Independence National Education Association is trying to overturn a 56-year-old State Supreme Court ruling. The Court ruled in 1946 that public employees could not take part in collective bargaining. The Court ruled in 1982 that governmental bodies can change contracts that have been negotiated with employee groups. The union says it will take its case to the Supreme Court. Present state law allows teacher’s groups to meet and confer with school boards. But it does not allow full collective bargaining.