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Big Union
August 01, 2010 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at 09:49 AM
It’s common to characterize big business as greedy, power-drunk, and sneaky, but rare to portray big union in the same light - even though the unions are really just big corporations themselves, the only difference being that on average they appear to be less troubled by ethical considerations than big business.
Always good value, Jay Greene’s posting Teachers’ Unions Will Do Absolutely Anything to Win is of exceptional interest. Quoting Jay: “Truth, consistency, educational excellence, the well-being of children - none of this matters to the teacher unions. The only thing that matters is winning so that they can extract as much money from the public as possible.” Jay’s posting includes some amazing videos.
Ultimately the teacher unions have what benefits their members as the top priority, just like any other union. The difference, I think, is that teacher unions have the ability to piggyback what works best for them on the claim that they’re in there fighting for the best interests of kids and to use concern for children as a bargainning chip.
As was manifested not long ago by a now departed member the leadership in a teacher union can be every bit as venal and self-serving as any other; they’re just able to package it better.
Having said that I think the rank and file in the teacher unions generally just want to teach. Sadly that leaves the leadership of their unions open to the more extreme of the members.
Leaders in the teacher unions are just like leaders in any other union; their members are THE top priority and everything else, kids included, are just a means to an end.