Archive for August 2018

Wisconsin teachers have been exercising their right to freedom since Act 10 in 2010, and continue to do so since the Janus decision.  The Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) must not be serving teachers’ needs. Wisconsin teachers have continued to take advantage of their right to freedom of association in 2015 when a Right to Work Law…

The article prominently displays a photograph of Karen Lewis, head of the Chicago Teachers Union, posing triumphantly with the “Labor Rat” balloon standing guard, announcing a 2012 strike plan. Sarah Karp has the story on wbez.org. Karen Lewis — the woman whose tell-it-like-it-is style catapulted the Chicago Teachers Union into [dubious] prominence both in Chicago and nationally…

Strikes are illegal in Washington state although there are no penalties for them. The Longview school Board is considering action against the illegal strike plaguing the district.  Joe English has the story on KATU news. While picketing teachers lined sidewalks and crowded street corners trying to get support for a pay raise, the Longview School Board held…

“The Janus Juncture: An Evaluation of Public Sector Union Members’ Responses to the U. S. Supreme Court Ruling,”  by Lloyd Corder, PhD., CorComInc., Carnegie Mellon University, is an evaluation of the impact of the Janus decision. Executive Summary Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that government workers cannot be forced to pay fees to a labor union. Many experts described…

A letter from a fellow teacher praising Jade Thompson’s heroism in standing up for what she believed was right, originally appearing in the dispatch.com. I thank Jade Thompson for her brave Monday op-ed “Marietta teacher tells her union ‘¡No más!’” Mary LeFever, Gahanna

Washington state teacher union officials are using their most valuable weapon to keep their power: the strike called over monopoly bargaining negotiations:  Two more Washington state districts join Vancouver and Ridgefield districts in the threat of a strike if they demands are not met. Katie Gillespie has the story in the Columbian. Teachers clad in red…

Mike Antonucci gives the entire history of an Oregon Education Association teacher member and employee who managed for 16 years until he was finally sentenced to a few days in jail, after the Oregon Professional Standards and Teaching Commission finally revoked his license to teach after his conviction. The recent Janus decisions gives all public employees, including teachers,…

Teacher union officials in this Washington district are calling a strike, and a few other choice concepts also. President-elect  Alan  Adams says, “They want to do what’s best for our kids and for our community,” and “It isn’t just about money, It’s about how we do our job.”  Adam Littman has the story in Columbian.com.   Anyone would get…

Matthew C. Klein believes the Supreme Court decision giving teachers the freedom to decide whether to support a labor union will lead to more effective schools in Barron’s. The U.S. Supreme Court may have opened the door to long-needed education reforms. Without these “fair-share fees,” there will be less of a financial incentive to be a…

Mike Antonucci explains why the United Teachers of Los Angeles strike is inevitable, and the behind-the-scenes campaign that will propel it forward in LA School Report. Two things happened last week to move the strike along. One was that the state Public Employment Relations Board ruled the two sides at impasse and appointed a mediator. Breaking…