unions – The Official Website of the PJSTA

Weekend Reading

A few good reads to check out before Monday rolls around…

Shaun Richman discusses how a loss in the Friedrichs case could make make strikes constitutionally protected free speech and thus nullify the Taylor Law in New York State… How ‘Friedrichs’ Could Actually Unleash Unions from Decades of Free Speech Restrictions

The Gadflyonthewallblog has a post on what unions used to be, what they are now, and how we can get back to reclaiming power… Unions Can’t Just Be About What We’re Allowed to Do: Social Justice Unionism

A few other blogs joined us with tribute posts to the now former blogger Reality-Based Educator…

Ed Notes Online… RBE at Perdido Street School Blog Endorses MORE in, Sadly, Final Blog Post

ICEUFT Blog… REALITY BASED EDUCATOR SAYS GOODBYE TO BLOGGING WHILE ENDORSING MORE

B-LoEdScene… Perdido St. School Blog Signs Off– Wonder Why?

Some Union News

Some interesting teacher union tidbits coming in this week…

One of the largest NYSUT locals, the Buffalo Teachers Federation, concluded a contested election for it’s leadership. President Phil Rumore, won re-election with 707 votes. Challengers Pat Foster and Marc Bruno had 344 and 299 votes respectively. What is interesting is that Rumore had about 52% of the vote. Had he not received 51% or more a runoff would have been forced between he and Foster. Had Bruno supporters decided to back the other challenger in Foster there could have been a real threat to Rumore. Some rumors suggest Rumore would have retired rather than try to win in the runoff.
While Rumore has shown to be a Unity Caucus supporter at the state level, Stronger Together member Kevin Gibson won re-election on the BTF’s executive committee. He was joined by Teresa Leatherbarrow, a member of the same Renew slate that Gibson ran on, and Sean Crowley, writer of the always entertaining B-LoEdScene blog. How this election impacts things at the NYSUT and AFT levels remains to be seen.
Out in Hawaii, a slate of opposition candidates called Hawaii Teachers for Change challenged for the leadership of their statewide union. After they won the president and secretary treasurer seats, the incumbents voted not to certify the election yet have failed to provide any reason for doing so, other than citing “irregularities.” It’s the old “If you lose, just keep having elections until you win!” trick. Norm Scott says that it reminds him of the UFT circa 1985.
The above mentioned Scott and Mike Schirtzer, both of MORE, held a debate in a Manhattan diner over whether or not it was worth it for MORE to run a slate of candidates in the 2016 UFT elections. My favorite part was also James Eterno’s…

via ICEUFT Blog…

It was a healthy exchange of ideas but the best part of the evening for me was passing the application sheets around and having almost everyone there fill out the form and pay the fee to join the new statewide opposition to Michael Mulgrew’s Unity Caucus called Stronger Together.

RIP Pete Seeger

Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, who was a renowned labor activist, died yesterday at 94 years old. We are grateful for the inspiring life he lived and his tremendous contributions to the labor movement.

“Solidarity Forever” by Pete Seeger…

Union Membership

Thanks to EdNotes for this…

The Chicago Teachers Victory

As you may or may not be aware, the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel have been embroiled in a bitter dispute, with Emanuel backing many of the nonsensical anti-labor and school “reform” ideas that have swept the nation. Earlier this week the CTU won a stunning victory. From Diane Ravitch:

As you may recall, Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Chicago has demanded that teachers teach a longer school day without additional compensation.

For that and other reasons (including rising class size), the Chicago Teachers Union took a strong stand in opposition. It took a strike vote, and 98% of those voting gave their approval, which was unexpected and unprecedented. The CTU held a rally, and 10,000 members turned out.

Mayor Emanuel accepted a deal that met the CTU’s demands. Its members will not have to work longer hours without pay. The school day will be extended, as he wants, and the teachers who provide the extra time will be selected from the pool of veteran teachers who were laid off.

This was a stunning victory for the CTU. It shows what happens when a union is resolute and united, and its demands are just.

That last line is the lesson that PJSTA members can take from this situation. Across the country we are facing battles on many fronts. Issues dealing with the labor movement, issues dealing with education policy. We will accomplish great things standing together. It is the only way that we can combat the billionaires funding the push to destroy public education and unions as a whole.