Posts tagged Mississippi
Op-ed: The case against teachers’ unions, and for school choice
September 23, 2026 // The latest evidence came last week from, ironically, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), a center-left think tank. Their study found that Democrat-run states with school systems represented by strong teachers’ unions have lower student literacy levels. Conversely, Republican-majority states with weak teacher union representation, were among the states with the highest literacy rates. They include Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Indiana. The study was conducted by Rachel Canter, PPI's Director of Education Policy, who spent nearly two decades in Mississippi, whose students historically scored among America's lowest literacy rates.
Powerful teachers’ unions share striking link with states struggling to teach kids to read
September 19, 2026 // Eight of the ten states to score among the worst in the Progressive Policy Institute’s (PPI) assessment of early-literacy policies were home to powerful teachers' unions. Among the top 60% of states in terms of early-literacy policy scores, only four had strong teachers' unions. Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Indiana, all Republican leaning states with weak unions, were among the states with the best literacy outcomes. Maine, New York, Illinois, Hawaii, Washington and Rhode Island, blue states, were among the worst.
Blue states with strong teachers’ unions have lower student literacy levels: study shows
September 17, 2026 // And Canter’s study found one overwhelming and shocking throughline — the stronger the state’s teachers’ union the worse its student literacy scores were, results which did not exclusively follow party lines but strongly trended that way and often to the detriment of Democrats. “Democrats, however, don’t often ask me how to replicate Mississippi’s success,” Canter said. “They ask if it’s possible at all, given the power of teachers’ unions in their home states.” One reason for the disparity, Canter argued, is that states where teacher unions have a strong grip are slower to enact better programs.
ALEC Releases 4th Edition of “States That Work” Labor Policy Rankings
September 14, 2026 // “States That Work shows that the states giving workers the greatest freedom to earn a living are also creating an environment where businesses and families can thrive,” said report author and ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Director Alan Jernigan. “From protecting Right to Work to removing unnecessary licensing barriers, states have a clear roadmap for expanding opportunity without growing government.”
Report: The Battle for Worker Freedom: Grading State Public Sector Labor Laws
September 10, 2026 // Union executives are prioritizing recruitment. The fastest-growing category of public sector labor legislation expands collective bargaining into new workplaces. On the strength of these new laws, union executives are slowly replacing their membership losses since 2018. From 2018 to 2025, the country’s four largest government unions report a net decline in membership of 87,919, or 1.3 percent. However, they also report a collective gain of 232,502 members, or 3.5 percent since 2024. This report awards full letter-grade increases to Idaho (now A) and Louisiana (now B) due to their adoption of pro-worker labor reforms this past legislative session. However, the drops in grades—Nebraska (D), Nevada (D), and Rhode Island (F)—are the result of these states prioritizing union executives over workers and enacting laws helping unions recruit, politick, organize, and strike. Thirteen states now have an “A” or “A+” grade—up from twelve in the previous edition of this report—while six states earned an “F”—up from five over the same time period. Overall, the research finds 25 states fall below a “C.”
Bally’s Colorado Casino Workers Become State’s First to Unionize
August 14, 2026 // With more than 1.3 million members, the Teamsters are one of the oldest and largest organized labor groups in the U.S. Its gaming footprint is small relative to other industries, but it is growing as it now represents “nearly 6,000 members at casinos and casino hotels” across the country. Other gaming venues where staff are Teamsters include Wynn Resorts’ Encore Boston Harbor and the Hard Rock Casino Rockford in Illinois. Bally’s and the Teamster have established ties as well. In February, 66 bankers, front desk workers, and cashiers at Bally’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Biloxi, Miss. voted to join the Teamsters.
Councilman seeks contract fix for JTRAN union workers
August 3, 2026 // JTRAN workers said they plan to return to the picket line until they reach an agreement with MV Transportation that they find satisfactory. Stokes said he plans to bring the issue before the next Jackson City Council meeting in hopes of resolving the conflict and moving forward with a new contract.
JTRAN workers, company to meet with mediator as strike continues
July 21, 2026 // JTRAN workers on strike say they are expected to meet with a mediator later this month in hopes of reaching an agreement and ending the labor dispute. Union members told 16 WAPT they are scheduled to meet with a mediator on July 31.
Editorial: Randi Weingarten’s book sleaze might mean the end of corrupt teacher-union power
July 13, 2026 // Under Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Rick Allen (R-Ga.), the committee is following up on Post reporting on dubious transactions uncovered by the Freedom Foundation that amount to hundreds of thousands of AFT dollars spent to help produce the book Of course, that’s just a fraction of how union higherups profit from members’ dues: Weingarten’s pay is now $470,000 a year, not to mention ample perks. Maybe she’s worth it — to the union itself, at least: She’s been a Democratic Party powerbroker for decades, using that influence to protect the power of the AFT and its larger ally, the National Education Association.
JTRAN bus operators strike as contract talks break down
July 13, 2026 // JTRAN bus operators in Jackson, Mississippi, went on strike after contract negotiations with MV Transportation failed. The union accuses the company of unfair labor practices, while the city is working to minimize service disruptions for riders. MV Transportation has brought in out-of-state drivers to continue operating as many bus routes as possible. This is the second strike by JTRAN workers in less than two years, following a 14-day walkout in 2024.