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1) While Tacoma Teachers Strike,
Their Union's Staffers Work Without Contract.
Teachers in Tacoma, Washington, have been
walking a picket line since last week, despite a judge's order to return
to work. The folks who are organizing those picket lines and helping conduct
negotiations with district officials - the professional staffers of the
Washington Education Association - are themselves working without a
contract, and have been for the last three weeks.
While their representatives conduct
contract talks with WEA management, WEA employees have decided to continue
working, although they have been engaging in various job actions. Those not
directly involved with the Tacoma strike are "working to rule," which means
performing only those tasks that are explicitly stated in their collective
bargaining agreement and not putting in extra time on their own.
The major staff contract issues appear
to be pensions and retiree health care - the costs of which have plagued
other NEA state affiliates for years.
Staff union issues have recently come
the forefront in Wisconsin, but two dozen NEA state affiliates have been, or
soon will be,
in negotiations with their staff unions over new contracts. Since most
states are experiencing declining membership and revenues, there may be more
labor strife of the type currently on display in Washington.
2) Last Week's Intercepts.
EIA's blog,
Intercepts, covered these topics from September 13-19:
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Union Matryoshka. Meta.
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Teachers' Unions: Working to Win You Over!. External communications.
* Here
We Go Again. Jobbed.
3)
Quote of the Week.
"Please
note that the Racine Education Uniserv Council and the unions that comprise
the council are private organizations. All employment matters are private
unless we have issued a press release."
- Racine
Education Association president
Pete Knotek, speaking about a private matter that has been
all over the Internet for two weeks. (September 16
Journal Times) |
