Capitolfax.com has yet another story on how ham-handed the AFT teacher union is in Chicago. The union hates Emanuel and the hatred is mutual (expletives from the mayor deleted). Last year, Emanuel got the state to pass a law that raised the necessary strike vote to 75% in Cook County. And now he has the teacher union boxed in on school reform.
This is why people, even in Democratic cities, turn on teacher unions. Personally, I believe SIUC, like most such employers, gets the unions it deserves but I sure wish it weren't one of the duopoly (NEA/AFT). Currently, I'm like John McCain's mother: she said to her party's members who thought McCain stunk that they ought to "hold their noses" and stick with the campaign.
Right now I'm holding my nose and hoping for the best. But I sure wish my local union were affiliated with a national that didn't stink.
Postscript: Imagine Governor Emanuel! His approval ratings are very high in Chicago and his well-known anti-union stance doesn't seem to bother the same Democratic characters who got so riled up by Governor Scott Walker. Surprise, surprise.
Lightpole
3 hours ago
2 comments:
So what umbrella would you like to see SIUC affiliated with? And would that organization give us any voice in Springfield when our pensions (an issue you've rightly called to our attention to) again come under attack?
Dave,
I think the days of expecting Big National Unions to save our day is passing. They are a Big Fat Target and engender disdain even among Democrats (or at least "New Democrats"). And taken-for-granted by Old Democrats.
The "stink" I mentioned has more to do with what I see as the duopoly's horrid defense of the educational status quo K-12. Right now I'm living through my daughter who has a teacher who won't teach but can't be touched because he is head of the teacher union. (Long story but that's the gist of it).
When the IEA came to campus, I longed for a substitute that had nothing to do with wrecking K-12 ed. The Teamsters would do.
But that's a much longer discussion. One book I recommend is Myron Lieberman's _Teacher Unions_.
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