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1) NEA to "Revisit" Relationships
with AFT, AFL-CIO and Change to Win. Reflecting
the priorities of its president, the National Education Association will
examine its current policies and partnerships with other labor organizations
in 2010 and determine whether changes need to be made.
While mention
of merger remains
exclusive to a handful of supporters, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel
seems committed to reducing the barriers that derailed the
Principles of Unity in 1998, and at least weaving together a series of
intertwining relationships with AFT, AFL-CIO and Change to Win. As one of
the few unions in the nation with growing membership, NEA has an opportunity
to exert influence within the larger labor movement and, through it,
national policy on a variety of issues external to public education - health
care, for one.
Raw numbers
suggest a tipping point is near: about 700,000 of NEA's 3.2 million members
also belong to the AFL-CIO. The anti-AFL-CIO sentiment that fueled much of
the opposition to the 1998 merger with AFT has largely dissipated. But in
context, the numbers change very little of the 1998 equation. More than
400,000 of those 700,000 are NEA members in name only. These are folks who
belonged to New York State United Teachers before the state merger with NEA
New York. They neither pay dues to NEA, nor have representation in NEA's
decision-making bodies.
Additionally,
the
AFL-CIO/NEA Labor Solidarity Partnership has not led to a stampede of
NEA locals joining the AFL-CIO. Back in February 2006, the
New York Times reported the
partnership "could increase the federation's membership by nearly a million
over the next five years." So far, that estimate is
several orders of magnitude short.
There is little internal organized
opposition at NEA's national level - to anything. But the wild card on the
issue of NEA's relations with organized labor is the stance of its state
affiliates. Some would be thrilled to be part, or leader, of a labor
coalition. Others would rather keep an arm's length from the Trumkas,
Gettelfingers and Buffenbargers (and no, those are not residents of
Hobbiton).
2) Are Teachers' Unions Overrated?
Not sure what to make of this, but economist
Michael Lovenheim claims both supporters and opponents
overestimate the effectiveness of teachers' unions. "My
results indicate unions have no impact on teacher pay, either in the short
or long run," Lovenheim writes. "I also estimate little effect on
per-student expenditures, particularly in the long-run."
Lovenheim's study, published in the
October issue of the Journal of Labor Economics, also concludes that
unionization has little or no effect on student achievement or dropout
rates.
If NEA and AFT don't significantly
affect the costs or outcomes of public education, there isn't much reason
for the Education Intelligence Agency to exist. But if they don't
significantly affect wages or student/teacher ratio, there isn't much reason
for them to exist either.
3) See, Teachers' Unions Can Be
Sensible. The
Maine Education Association is taking a beating for failing to
articulate a position on school district consolidation, but the Michigan
Education Association doesn't have that problem, and even
comes to a logical conclusion about the idea.
"We have to
look for every available dollar, but let's make sure the dollars really are
there. Just shoving two districts together doesn't necessarily save money.
In fact, it could cost money if you make the district too large and too
inefficient," said MEA spokesman Doug Pratt.
Bravo, Mr.
Pratt. Now if we can only get them to realize that too large and too
inefficient also applies to state and federal governments.
4) Broward Teachers Union Wins the
Captain Louis Renault Award. If you need lessons in how to
overplay a strong hand, look no further than the Broward Teachers Union,
which has the
ethically challenged school board on the ropes at contract time, but
sees nothing wrong with
criticizing a board member for voting on a contract with a company from
which she has accepted campaign donations.
Is BTU serious? Half the school board
members in the country would have to recuse themselves from teacher contract
negotiations if this principle held.
5) Contract Hits.
Wherein we highlight a contract provision from the current agreement between
the National Education Association and its largest staff union. This is
Article 32:
"NEA shall provide an appropriately
furnished lounge in the NEA Center for use by all NEA employees, including
those outside the bargaining unit. NEA shall make an ice machine available
to employees in the building."
6) Last Week's Intercepts.
EIA's blog,
Intercepts, covered these topics from October 19-26:
*
Pontiac v. Spellings Goes the Way of the Pontiac. No Obama
bailout for this GM.
*
Gerald Bracey, R.I.P. NEA
lauds Gerald Bracey, without revealing they kicked him to the curb in
1991. "The N.E.A. asked me to stop what I had already stopped, then fired me
for it,"
he wrote.
*
One Way or the Other. Full speed in both directions.
*
New Haven Contract = Trojan Horse? Confusing unions with unicorns.
*
Deeds Ill Done. How to fire a broadside into your own ship.
7) Quote of the Week #1.
"The biggest gang problem in Chicago is the Chicago Teachers Union." -
Illinois State Senator James Meeks, speaking before an October 17 meeting of
Operation PUSH, according to
Substance News. Hat tip:
District 299.
Quote of the Week #2.
"The CTU has lost over 5,000 union jobs in the last five years alone under
Stewart and 100 schools will be closed by next year. Over 80,000 students
will have gone to charter schools. There has also been an egregious
misappropriation of over $8 million in union funds by Stewart and her team."
- former Chicago Teachers Union President Deborah Lynch, who will once again
run against incumbent Marilyn Stewart. (ProActive
Chicago Teachers & School Employees press release) |
