Some of us are more equal than others.  The teachers’ unions have no conscience for social justice whatsoever.

Ironic, Hypocritical, Comeuppance, Just Desserts, Schadenfreude …What’s the Word?

Judging by the field day New York papers are having in poking fun at a teacher union firing one of its staffers for “unionizing” I don’t think we’re alone when we too take some delight in this.  For way too long teacher unions continue being the bullies in the educational realm. When a contradiction is shown between their postures and actions, we see hypocrisy, loud and clear.

The Big Question for me is:  How is it that they can continue being bullies?  Can’t anyone stand up to them?  We are taught and enjoined everyday to stand up to schoolyard bullies.  So …?  What hold or blackmail do teacher unions use to retain their intimidation and power—their bully-power?

This is an international problem.  Teacher unions are a brotherhood, well-organized, well-connected, well-oiled through the high fees extracted from meek teacher members.  They’re bullies of society at large and also of their own members.

There’s a federal election today in Australia (Aug21/10).  One of the two main Prime Minister candidates, Julia Gillard for the Labour Party, has had run-ins with teacher unions.  She just may not get their vote as is usually the case when left wing candidates get the endorsement and “get-out-the-vote clout” of the teacher unions.

What’s her problem?  Julia Gillard was Education Minister before she became the Prime Minister.  In her Ministry days she was bringing in accountability measures that, of course, riled the teacher unions.  They didn’t want parents empowered with test scores to choose schools or to “badger school staff to lift standards”.  You know—the usual …

There is something SO fundamentally wrong and unjust about being bullied by teacher unions.  They should be considered in the intellectual class.  Are they, when they resort to the meanest tricks-of-the-trade of industrial Teamster-type trade unions?  How can we trust teachers to look after and teach our little ones when their bosses, the unions, use and can get away with such heavy-handed tactics? 

Teacher unions are playing with our minds, with our children, and are the MAIN obstacle to needed education reform.

So, when these contradictions are pointed out, eg., firing their own unionizing employees, is it any wonder that we take some delight when a teacher union gets some comeuppance?  It’s the thrill we get when some big bully gets brought down a peg or two. 

We, ordinary citizens, do not have the power to challenge these bullies. All we can do is squeak and squawk in the media. In Canada, it’s the provincial governments that can do something about education justice. But, there’s something elusive there that makes them weak-kneed and mealy-mouthed colluders with the teacher unions.

I don’t know what the teacher-union secret is to keeping the government and public hostage to their demands.  Do you?