I am a pro-union person. I believe that workers bargaining collectively have a better chance of getting better pay, benefits, working conditions, and job satisfaction. To me, unions are examples of democracy in action and are a way to unite people and fight against the greed and corruption of people with money and power.
That said, the NEA (National Educators Association) has been raising my ire. It started long ago with its support of institutions and politicians whose beliefs go contrary to my own. I stopped sending money to its PAC years ago after researching what some of that money was used to lobby. Instead of supporting my rights as a teacher, much of the money has been going to planks of the Democratic Party's platform, connected to education by only the most tenuous of threads.
I felt that the NEA truly showed its disconnect from educators when it endorsed Hillary Clinton almost half a year before the Democratic primary. Clinton had voted in favor of No Child Left Behind (a law that has a great title, but does the opposite of its claim AND that the NEA had repeatedly spoken out against), and then had supported its various extensions. Meanwhile, Sanders' platform consisted of nearly every positive public education policy I know.
Now I'm getting weekly emails from the NEA to support gun control legislation. Not any specific bill, and not supported by any recent research; just gun control in general. While educators are dealing with Right to Work laws, shrinking budgets, and increasing mandates, the NEA is spending union dues on political propaganda. Politicising students and teachers is not going to build public trust of our educator's unions.
Now, my union has done some great things, and I still believe in its possibilities, but it needs to get its head back in the game and make decisions that build trust.
That said, the NEA (National Educators Association) has been raising my ire. It started long ago with its support of institutions and politicians whose beliefs go contrary to my own. I stopped sending money to its PAC years ago after researching what some of that money was used to lobby. Instead of supporting my rights as a teacher, much of the money has been going to planks of the Democratic Party's platform, connected to education by only the most tenuous of threads.
I felt that the NEA truly showed its disconnect from educators when it endorsed Hillary Clinton almost half a year before the Democratic primary. Clinton had voted in favor of No Child Left Behind (a law that has a great title, but does the opposite of its claim AND that the NEA had repeatedly spoken out against), and then had supported its various extensions. Meanwhile, Sanders' platform consisted of nearly every positive public education policy I know.
Now I'm getting weekly emails from the NEA to support gun control legislation. Not any specific bill, and not supported by any recent research; just gun control in general. While educators are dealing with Right to Work laws, shrinking budgets, and increasing mandates, the NEA is spending union dues on political propaganda. Politicising students and teachers is not going to build public trust of our educator's unions.
Now, my union has done some great things, and I still believe in its possibilities, but it needs to get its head back in the game and make decisions that build trust.
RSS Feed
