I have no great love of teacher’s unions. During my senior year of high school we had two unions each claiming they were the union of record for my district. One union called for a strike, the other did not. What ensued was a chaotic mess of half the teachers striking, while the others remained in school teaching. My mother, as a substitute teacher and member of the union still teaching, crossed the picket lines. Everyday going into school I would be yelled at by teachers on the picket lines who were well aware of this fact. Needless to say it was not a great experience.
I do, however, have great respect for teachers. My mother is 73 years old and still substitutes as many days a year as she can. She also tutors over a dozen kids in the evening. Over twenty years ago she started tutoring for ten dollars an hour. All these years later and she still has never raised her rates. Teaching to my mom is not about the money. Teaching is about teaching. Being a teacher is who she is.
It is my feeling that if you asked individual teachers they would, even if somewhat begrudgingly, consent to the concessions. They would be saving the jobs of co-workers and preserving the integrity of programs for their students. To confirm my suspicions, I talked to a close friend who is a third grade teacher, and her sentiment was that her union would be upset and fight it, but that she herself would be thankful in this time to still have a job and the benefits. She said she does not currently contribute to her benefits, but even she realized this was becoming rarer and rarer.
The union bosses are the ones blocking the concessions. One union representative has gone so far as sending a “joke” memo hinting God should take the life of the governor. Wonder what message that sends to students? Wonder if the union members during that strike forgot they were still teachers when they came back off the picket lines? That is my biggest problem with teacher’s unions, when the union becomes more important than the teaching.
