FYI: Decertification and Local Only Teacher Unions

There is now a move on campus to decertify the FA. See the message issued by "Faculty for Sensible Negotiations" (after the critical commentary by FA leader Dave Johnson)

In his provocative book Teacher Unions, former union organizer Myron Lieberman argued that the NEA/AFT organizations had grown out of touch with members and required expensive bundled membership (national/state/local). See his section on "Local Only Teacher Unions" (LOTUs) near the end of his book.

To get information up quickly, here are some links to places that have had LOTUs, sometimes after a decertification. I am not (presently) taking sides on the issue but post the following as FYI:

Here is an article advocating more options for teachers (skip to pp. 28 onward). It notes that most LOTUs have been in Ohio and Indiana but see below for more. . . . 

Interesting labor journal "special issue" on what happens during faculty strike:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/u81u27872237628w/

especially  http://www.springerlink.com/content/gn43127353674263/  -- a strike that "nearly killed the university" and resulted in the former union militant working to decertify the union.

Of course, most college faculty have no unions (poor, pitiful souls!) and the teacher unions are concentrated in the K-12 sector. See below:

Washington State:

http://lyndenprofessionaleducators.org/Local_Association.html

http://www.myfreedomfoundation.com/index.php/liberty-live/view/st._john_school_district_teachers_oust_the_wea

Southern Illinois:  teacher union decertifies and creates LOTU:

http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2007/03/01/illinois-teachers-seek-independence-state-union-meet-resistance

http://www.nwpe.org/PDF/Illinois_Decertification_AAE_News_Release.pdf

Detroit and Colorado:

http://blog.ednewscolorado.org/2009/04/16/local-unions-an-option-for-teachers
 
Kansas break away from NEA:

http://www.ediswatching.org/2009/09/teachers-in-another-school-district-decide-to-break-away-from-the-nea/

Don't forget PATCO! Some may see this as the "last stand of unionism" but sometimes you lose. Ask PATCO.