Politico, a left-leaning news aggregate source, cannot
ignore the continued decline of the Modern Labor Movement, hastened by market
forces in the private sector, prodded along by concerted grassroots effort,
both of which are fighting back against collective bargaining units, which have
bought politicians and tied up entire cities with sclerotic regulations, plus unsustainable
pensions and benefits at the expense of future generations.
ignore the continued decline of the Modern Labor Movement, hastened by market
forces in the private sector, prodded along by concerted grassroots effort,
both of which are fighting back against collective bargaining units, which have
bought politicians and tied up entire cities with sclerotic regulations, plus unsustainable
pensions and benefits at the expense of future generations.
![]("http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2UV1573iagw/UwKKMailBdI/AAAAAAAAAWA/C0H8OO0A520/s1600/800px-Minnesota_rally_in_solidarity_with_Wisconsin_union_protesters+Fibonacci+Blue.jpg") |
| Unions in Trouble |
In December 2013, Stephanie Simon reported “Teachers
unions face moment of truth”. Specifically documenting coordinated rallies
in New York City and San Francisco, the piece pointed out that teachers union
ranks are shrinking. Why? Teacher layoffs, certainly, have siphoned away
support, body and money, but so have charter schools, a growing number of which
resist unionization. One system of charters in the San Francisco, offer teachers
the same pay and benefits and more freedom, removing any reason to organize. In
addition to the rise (and rising success) of charter schools, Midwestern states
enacted reforms which forced unions to recertify (Wisconsin) or reinstated
individual employees right to not join a union in order to get a job
(right-to-work in Michigan, following Indiana).
unions face moment of truth”. Specifically documenting coordinated rallies
in New York City and San Francisco, the piece pointed out that teachers union
ranks are shrinking. Why? Teacher layoffs, certainly, have siphoned away
support, body and money, but so have charter schools, a growing number of which
resist unionization. One system of charters in the San Francisco, offer teachers
the same pay and benefits and more freedom, removing any reason to organize. In
addition to the rise (and rising success) of charter schools, Midwestern states
enacted reforms which forced unions to recertify (Wisconsin) or reinstated
individual employees right to not join a union in order to get a job
(right-to-work in Michigan, following Indiana).
Teachers unions
are getting a bad rap, as well, with one expose after another revealing union
leaders which protect the most incompetent or immoral (i.e. convicted sex
offender Mark Berndt, Miramonte Elementary in Los Angeles) at the expense of
new, passionate, and growing educators because of last-hired, first-fired
contractual agreements.
are getting a bad rap, as well, with one expose after another revealing union
leaders which protect the most incompetent or immoral (i.e. convicted sex
offender Mark Berndt, Miramonte Elementary in Los Angeles) at the expense of
new, passionate, and growing educators because of last-hired, first-fired
contractual agreements.
In the Los
Angeles area, I have spoken with individual teachers very critical of their
unions, as they face larger class sizes with few if any salary increases.
School Board members, either openly or otherwise, acknowledge that teachers
unions are commanding less respect. Despite such plain negatives, Politico did report a slight membership
increase in the American Federation of Teachers, but among retirees and
part-time workers, and thus a measured decrease in union funds. The National
Education Association has also cut staff, as well as overextending its line of
credit.
Angeles area, I have spoken with individual teachers very critical of their
unions, as they face larger class sizes with few if any salary increases.
School Board members, either openly or otherwise, acknowledge that teachers
unions are commanding less respect. Despite such plain negatives, Politico did report a slight membership
increase in the American Federation of Teachers, but among retirees and
part-time workers, and thus a measured decrease in union funds. The National
Education Association has also cut staff, as well as overextending its line of
credit.
Legal challenges
are further chipping away at union power. Student-driven lawsuits are
challenging teacher tenure laws, which have too often rewarded the worst at the
expense of first-rate, yet new teachers because of arbitrary, politicized collective
bargaining. Interestingly enough, the Politico
report neglected to mention the grassroots nature of the tenure challenges,
while also leaving out the recent lawsuits filed by California teachers, who
resent forced membership and dues, all of which support causes and candidates
without their individual support. Not only in the courtroom, but within union
ranks new teachers are bumping against old-guard union leadership, which has
prized power over pupils and the higher purpose of education.
are further chipping away at union power. Student-driven lawsuits are
challenging teacher tenure laws, which have too often rewarded the worst at the
expense of first-rate, yet new teachers because of arbitrary, politicized collective
bargaining. Interestingly enough, the Politico
report neglected to mention the grassroots nature of the tenure challenges,
while also leaving out the recent lawsuits filed by California teachers, who
resent forced membership and dues, all of which support causes and candidates
without their individual support. Not only in the courtroom, but within union
ranks new teachers are bumping against old-guard union leadership, which has
prized power over pupils and the higher purpose of education.
Teachers unions
are not only losing the PR war, in the courts of media opinion and the law, but
even on the radio, where union/labor concentrated radio broadcasting is
fading away, along with liberal-progressive radio talk shows in general. Politico contributor Mackenzie Weinger
documented the increased silence:
are not only losing the PR war, in the courts of media opinion and the law, but
even on the radio, where union/labor concentrated radio broadcasting is
fading away, along with liberal-progressive radio talk shows in general. Politico contributor Mackenzie Weinger
documented the increased silence:
The golden age of unions is long gone
— and for the radio shows that focus on labor and workers rights, every day is
a struggle just to stay on the airwaves.
Radio broadcasting is all about bringing in money, yet labor unions have driven
away business, investment, profits, and through their own “success” created
more unemployed, no longer joined to unions, who have no interest in labor
radio.
— and for the radio shows that focus on labor and workers rights, every day is
a struggle just to stay on the airwaves.
Radio broadcasting is all about bringing in money, yet labor unions have driven
away business, investment, profits, and through their own “success” created
more unemployed, no longer joined to unions, who have no interest in labor
radio.
Rick
Smith, who runs one of few local labor radio talk shows, lamented:
Smith, who runs one of few local labor radio talk shows, lamented:
“The only people who are going to invest
in a program like mine are the people who see my message as something they
believe in. Corporate America? Not so much.”
Invest,
message, believe: these terms conjure up
the free market, the very system of supply and demand which labor unions
disrupt to further their ends at the expense of corporations, communities, and
most importantly, consumers. Since these labor talk shows take in so little
money, they should follow Mr. Smith’s logic and deduce that there are very few people
who believe in the conflict-theory, Marxist distortions inherent in
union-dominated labor relations.
in a program like mine are the people who see my message as something they
believe in. Corporate America? Not so much.”
Invest,
message, believe: these terms conjure up
the free market, the very system of supply and demand which labor unions
disrupt to further their ends at the expense of corporations, communities, and
most importantly, consumers. Since these labor talk shows take in so little
money, they should follow Mr. Smith’s logic and deduce that there are very few people
who believe in the conflict-theory, Marxist distortions inherent in
union-dominated labor relations.
(Regarding
Corporate America, by the way, this fact cannot go unreported: the greater
beneficiaries of the Citizens United decision
have not been the corporations, but
rather the labor unions, who sponsor left-wing politicians, who
inadvertently enough want to overthrow Citizens.)
Corporate America, by the way, this fact cannot go unreported: the greater
beneficiaries of the Citizens United decision
have not been the corporations, but
rather the labor unions, who sponsor left-wing politicians, who
inadvertently enough want to overthrow Citizens.)
Further
into the Meinger piece, frequent guest Mark Critz to Pennsylvania-based “The
Union Edge” (the only nationally syndicated labor-radio talk show left)
commented:
into the Meinger piece, frequent guest Mark Critz to Pennsylvania-based “The
Union Edge” (the only nationally syndicated labor-radio talk show left)
commented:
With the anti-labor push at both the
federal and state level, I feel very strongly that we need to stay on the
airwaves talking about the difference unions have made in people’s lives.
federal and state level, I feel very strongly that we need to stay on the
airwaves talking about the difference unions have made in people’s lives.
Critz’
rhetoric betrays the division manifesting itself from labor unions. “Anti-labor”
reforms like Wisconsin’s Act 10 or Michigan’s right-to-work legislation are indeed
pro-labor, but anti-union. The fact that so few labor talk-shows remain,
combined with UAW’s failure to organize Tennessee’s VW employees, further
suggests that there are few stories where unions have impacted laborers’ lives
for the better.
rhetoric betrays the division manifesting itself from labor unions. “Anti-labor”
reforms like Wisconsin’s Act 10 or Michigan’s right-to-work legislation are indeed
pro-labor, but anti-union. The fact that so few labor talk-shows remain,
combined with UAW’s failure to organize Tennessee’s VW employees, further
suggests that there are few stories where unions have impacted laborers’ lives
for the better.
Once again, labor unions have proved adept at succeeding themselves into
failure, so much so that left-leaning publications like Politico cannot ignore but
must comment, like surgeons conducting an autopsy over a warm cadaver.