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1) Ohio
Education Association Sues Its Own Staff. Union
sources tell EIA that the Ohio Education Association (OEA) filed suit
against its two staff unions over their grievance filings on behalf of
retirees. The suit is part of an ongoing battle between OEA and its retired
employees over health care benefits (see the
January 24, 2005 EIA Communiqué). OEA apparently feels the staff
unions represent only current employees and therefore have no jurisdiction
to file grievances for retirees.
OEA employees are
represented by the Ohio Professional Staff Union (UniServ directors, et al.)
and the Ohio Associate Staff Union (assistants and support workers). Both
unions have a long history of labor problems with OEA, going on strike in
1997 and nearly doing so again in 2000. The problems this time are
exacerbated by revenue losses and additional unrest among union managers and
executives. If even 10% of what EIA is hearing is true, OEA could use some
lessons in labor relations.
2)
Hawaii Union Delegates Authorize Major Dues Increase.
The delegates to the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) convention
last week approved a change in the union's dues structure that would allow
the HSTA board of directors to raise dues by as much as $64 next year.
Until the change
was made, combined maximum HSTA/NEA dues were set at 1.2% of the average
state teacher salary. The HSTA board of directors sets the actual dues level
each June. The new structure assesses NEA dues separately, and sets the HSTA
portion at 1% of the average state teacher salary. Under the old system, the
maximum dues hike for 2005-06 would have been $20. Under the new formula,
the board will be able to raise dues more than $64.
The published
rationale for the change stated: "The impact on the teacher's paycheck will
be minimal, but the change will generate more than $600,000 per year to the
Association."
Laura Brown of
the
Hawaii Reporter covered the convention and revealed the union has
already made plans for the money, including "upgrade hotel rooms for
Association members on Association business," and "increased meal allowances
for governance leaders."
3)
Massachusetts Teachers Association Ads Directed by Joel Schumacher.
The Boston Globe reported that the latest series of political
television ads commissioned by the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA)
were directed by Hollywood filmmaker Joel Schumacher. The Globe also
reported that the ads were part of a "six-month $1.3 billion multimedia
campaign," which EIA hopes is a decimal error, since that figure would
require an assessment of about $16,000 from each of MTA's members.
In many ways,
Schumacher is the perfect choice for the union commercials. Many of his
previous efforts have been bloated and incoherent, including one that
co-starred a future governor of California: Batman & Robin ("A
punishing ordeal" – Alex Ross, Slate), one that paired the
incomparable comedy team of Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins: Bad Company
("So sluggish and impersonal, it could very well have been directed from two
states away by remote-controlled robot" – Glenn Lovell, San Jose Mercury
News), and one that turned a kitschy Broadway musical into a kitschy
Hollywood movie: The Phantom of the Opera ("Combines
fingernails-on-blackboard audio agony with bamboo-under-fingernails physical
torture" – Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer).
Schumacher waived
his fee to direct the MTA commercials. If only Warner Bros. had been so
lucky.
4) Two
Totally Unrelated Headlines from Minnesota. April
5: "Crosby-Ironton School Board Votes to Lay Off Striking Teachers." April
7: "Bitter teachers strike has ended."
5) NEA/AFT's
Least Favorite Headline of the Week. "Charter
schools lure teachers with money" from the April 5 Albuquerque Tribune.
The story reveals that charter school teachers in Albuquerque make, on
average, about $5,000 more than their counterparts in the city's regular
public schools.
6)
Wisconsin Union Names New Executive Director. The
Wisconsin Education Association Council named Daniel Burkhalter as its new
executive director, replacing Michael Butera, who left last year to take an
NEA management position.
Burkhalter had
been the director of government relations for the Illinois Education
Association since 1993.
7)
Scheduling Note. Next week's EIA Communiqué
will appear on Tuesday, April 19.
8) Quote of
the Week.
"It was negotiated by the MEA [Maine Education Association]
and governor's office over the last four months. We're all just learning
about it." – Maine State Senator Libby Mitchell (D-Kennebec), chairwoman of
the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, reacting to Gov. John
Baldacci's plan to reduce graduation standards and pay $17 million to
teachers working on the state's assessment program. (April 7 Lincoln
County News) |
