Following last year’s controversial moves in Wisconsin and Ohio to limit the right of public sector employees to collectively bargain, and yesterday’s signing of Indiana’s right-to-work law, on February 1, state lawmakers introduced a series of bills in the Arizona senate that, if passed, would be the country’s most comprehensive package of laws limiting public sector employees’ union rights.  Unlike Wisconsin, which sought to limit the subject matter of public sector collective bargaining, but not forbid it entirely, the proposed Arizona legislation (SB 1485)  would prohibit the state from recognizing any union as the bargaining agent for any public employees, and from engaging in any collective bargaining with any public sector employee union.  (Arizona, as a right-to-work state, does not bargain with state employees, but currently permits other units of government, such as school districts and local governments, to collectively bargain). 

The proposed legislation also would prohibit dues check-offs, except where the employee provides an annual written authorization (SB 1484 and SB 1487), and would ban any payment to public employees for time spent doing union-related work (SB 1486).  The proposed laws also would allow taxpayers to bring a special action lawsuit against a state agency or political subdivision if collective bargaining occurs.  Not surprisingly, the proposed legislation drew the ire of unions and state Democrats, who have vowed to fight the bills.  Stay tuned for further developments.