Nebraska's Commission of Industrial Relations is facing challenges from state lawmakers who want to get rid of the commission and collective bargaining rights. The Commission resolves disputes between public workers and employees, and conservatives say that it is responsible for changes in government spending. Six bills have been introduced that would take away most of the power the commission has, and at least one is expected to get somewhere during the legislative session. Unions say that taking cases to the Commission is expensive, and that they normally try to solve disputes themselves, but also said that they do sometimes need a way to settle impasses.
See "Anti-union mood moves to Nebraska's modest unions", Grant Schulte, Business Week, March 30, 2011