Posts tagged teacher
Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff
March 1, 2023 //
Op-Ed: John Grande: Hartford Federation of Teachers shirked its duty to represent me
February 23, 2023 // This skewed process is one reason why unions exist. I should know—I was a member of the Hartford Federation of Teachers (HFT) for 29 years, a building representative for five years, and helped negotiate two teacher contracts. I always stood up for my colleagues when administrators treated them unfairly. Though I resigned from the union in 2018, teachers still call me when they need advice. I knew that I could effectively defend myself in front of an unbiased third party during arbitration. But only the union can start the arbitration process. That’s when the surprise came: HFT’s vice president emailed me saying that because I was no longer a dues-paying member, the union would not initiate arbitration. Over 30 years of teaching service. Thousands of dollars in dues payments. A union appreciation plaque for being part of a team that negotiated Hartford teachers’ last good contract. None of this swayed union officials whose representation I, by law, must accept.
David R. Osborne: What one teacher did when her union didn’t represent her
August 31, 2022 // The Westinghouse teachers aren’t the first educators in their state to have their workplace upended by a union supposedly dedicated to working on their behalf. The PSEA is notorious for ignoring the needs of its membership. Last year, the union spent only $1 out of every $5 of dues actually representing its members. The other $4 went to overhead, politics and lobbying.
Public employee First Amendment rights shouldn’t be a secret
June 28, 2022 // Unions could earn the allegiance of public workers, giving those who want nothing to do with them a reason to keep giving them money. They could stop pursuing political agendas. In other words, they can become responsive to their members and make themselves attractive to potential members so that they earn voluntary membership — something every other private organization (and these unions are private organizations) must do. Constance Cooke, Office of Financial Management, paid leave law, overtime, rest and meal breaks
Opinion: Joe Ocol, Teacher, Chicago, Illinois
June 14, 2022 // “Of course, politicians use money and power to get union endorsements. If some union members don’t trust the politician endorsed by the union, their union dues are doomed. This is wrong. Where is freedom of choice in the union?” “I don’t think we should allow an organization to be so powerful that its officials brazenly abuse their power. There must be checks and balances. I think there even ought to be a lifestyle check on all the top officials of the union. Is it true that one can become rich being a union official? Is this what this is all about, that there’s money in being a union official? If so, there ought to be a lifestyle check or an audit of these officials. And it’s about time.”
Teachers Win Eight-Year Battle with PSEA: Judge Says Pa. ‘Fair Share’ Law Unconstitutional
May 27, 2022 // Explaining the ruling’s significance, Nathan McGrath, president and general counsel for the Fairness Center, commented: “The judge unequivocally stated that Pennsylvania’s ‘fair share’ fee law is unconstitutional under Janus. To my knowledge, this is the first time a state court has issued such a ruling.”
CEA Union Officials Back Down after Teacher Exercises Rights
April 8, 2022 // With free legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Plainville Community School District educator Christina Corvello successfully exercised her First Amendment right to stop subsidizing the activities of a union she opposes.
Michigan: Teacher Of The Year An Advocate For Union And Public School Interests’ Dubious Claims
April 1, 2022 // otal K-12 public school funding in the 2012-2013 school year from all sources (local, state, and federal) was the equivalent of $15.76 billion in 2022 dollars. In the last school budget before the pandemic, which was for the 2019-20 school year, there was a total of $17.45 billion in inflation-adjusted school spending. These figures include federal money.
‘Show me my respect’: MNPS eyes pay increases for support staff in upcoming budget proposal
March 23, 2022 // Support staff, which includes a range of professionals working in school buildings from janitors to special education assistants, often make as little as about one-third of what teachers make. “We should receive the same dedication, respect and dollars that the teachers get,” Hereth said. “I have worked alongside them every day for 20 years. Show me my respect, too.”