SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT

Now Where Have We Seen This Before?

Michael Zwaagstra. who gave a great talk at SQE’s last AGM, has written a thoughtful article about Teachers Unions Acting Unprofessionally in the Freedom Forum.   Michael, who is a Manitoba teacher and co-author of What’s Wrong With Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them, writes about the decision of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association to up their members’ union dues by $60 in order to fund an election war chest:

      “With this decision, the union tossed aside any vestige of professionalism and non-partisanship. Rather than focus on providing professional support and services to their members, this union decided to force all of their members to donate to a political cause-whether they support it or not.

       “One can only imagine the uproar if a big business owner chose to deduct $60 from his employees’ salaries and used that money to run attack ads against the Liberals or NDP. People would rightly be outraged at this type of coercion. The action of the Ontario teachers union is no less egregious.

       “What makes this coercion even more problematic is that Canadian teachers have little choice in regards to union membership. In most provinces, membership in the teachers union is a condition of employment in the public school system. So teachers who disagree with the political positions of their leadership have little recourse.”

Of course this is not the first time that teachers’ unions have reached into their members’ pockets to do this.  In the U.S. many unions have done the very same thing, which makes one wonder exactly what kind of “professional development” really goes on at these conventions.  This missive is from Intercepts blog:

       ”Themed protests, tent cities and capitol takeovers aren’t cheap these days, and so union dues will have to rise in many states. We already know the Ohio Education Association imposed a $54 additional assessment to fund a campaign against SB 5. The Nebraska State Education Association also proposed a $10 per member ballot initiative assessment in addition to a proposed $5 dues increase. In California, dues will rise $8 to $647.

      “Minnesota and Utah plan to hold the line, proposing no increase in dues for 2011-12, while Iowa and Arizona are asking for $2 more. Wyoming and Kansas proposed $4 hikes. The Dakotas will see some of the largest increases, with South Dakota boosting dues by $10 and North Dakota by $13. Missouri will also ask for a $10 increase.

      “As reported earlier, national NEA dues are likely to increase by $2, but convention delegates will also vote on an additional $10 assessment for the ballot measure/legislative crises fund.”

As blogger Mike Antonacci, points out, “You’ve got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues.”  Class, start singing.