Thursday, May 5, 2011

Teachers Are Singled Out in Attacks on Public Employees | Labor Notes

Teachers Are Singled Out in Attacks on Public Employees | Labor Notes

Teachers Are Singled Out in Attacks on Public Employees

Howard Ryan
| May 4, 2011

Los Angeles teachers and parents join with thousands of other unionists March 26 in a "We Are One" day of solidarity against attacks on workers in Wisconsin and everywhere. Photo: United Teachers Los Angeles.

Like other public employees, teachers find their collective bargaining rights under fire in the Republican-governed states. But the attacks on teacher job security and the drive to replace public schools with charters are universal—and bipartisan.

For example, the Democratic governor of New York and Democratic mayors of Chicago, Los Angeles, and Providence, Rhode Island all support measures weakening teachers’ job security.

The other important trend is that some teachers are fighting back.

NEW JERSEY

Governor Chris Christie unveiled proposals in mid-April to make it easier to strip teachers of job protection: a teacher who received a bad performance evaluation in any one year would lose tenure. Job security would come only after three consecutive years of good evaluations.

The Mood in Wisconsin: Shaken, Angry, but Proud

Jane Slaughter
| May 5, 2011

Wisconsin public employees rallied April 4, the national day remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.'s support for sanitation workers. Photo: Sue Ruggles.

Wisconsin public sector unionists face a sobering situation after nine weeks of unprecedented activism—for many, no contracts.

Republicans in the state senate passed the “budget repair” bill March 9, which would strip unions of almost all their collective bargaining rights. It remains in legal limbo because of a lawsuit, although unions expect the bill to take effect eventually.

Yet the unionists’ mood is more angry than depressed, says Jim Cavanaugh, South Central Federation of Labor president. At a Labor Notes Troublemakers School in Madison April 2, the feeling was mainly pride.

Of course, Cavanaugh and the troublemakers are the activists. Carl Aniel, a food service worker at the University of Wisconsin, says his co-workers are “50-50. Some are incredi

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