A new survey this month conducted by the nonprofit Teacher Freedom shows that a growing number of younger teachers (aged 35 and under) want the freedom to negotiate their salaries and pay packages without Union involvement.
"A new generation of teachers are finding that the one-size-fits-all negotiating and political mafia style of national unions just don't work for them," said Ed Martin, president of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles. "This is really no surprise, as giant monopoly unions have entrenched themselves into particular industries, almost completely eliminating freedom and choice from certain industries.
"Some states have already started to move against public union monopolies and the rising generation of young teachers might just fuel that fire even hotter. Public unions have become a particular blight on America, taking hundreds of millions and funneling them to partisan political causes. We are ready to help these teachers fight for a better free market and decimate the influence of these huge political mafias we call labor unions."
(Editor's note: Martin conveniently fails to note that Teachers Freedom, the not-for-profit that conducted the survey he bases this on, is an organization that was created to eliminate teacher unions.)
30 comments:
As a teacher in the State Of Missouri for the past 20 + years, I have never had to join a union nor have I been required to pay dues or fees. And thus I don't. I do not know what Ed Martin is talking about. I am a conservative republican and am becoming more distressed by the nut jobs that are in our state legislature. If I don't like my contract and or compensation, I can take my services elsewhere. Public schools have enough attacks from those that feel that we are the cause for all of the problems in today's society.
Please stop lumping us in with any group or chamber that you feel has wronged you.
>>>I am a conservative republican and am becoming more distressed by the nut jobs that are in our state legislature.<<<
It's time to wake up and smell the coffee!
You are a teacher and distressed about the republican nutjobs in the legislature? In the nutjob's view you are as much a part of the problem as all the brown people who live south of tRUMP's Great Wall!
You noticed the conservative republican nut jobs in the legislature too?
Thoughts and prayers!
(Also have you considered not voting for nut job republicans anymore? Because that's a thought!)
Love leftists attacking Republicans while trying not to show support for unions. Lefties and unions go hand in hand. Vote Democrat. Vote union. Vote union, you literally are voting against the common good. There was a time when unions served a purpose, but those days are long gone. They do nothing more than collect money.
@ 11:43
You’re a moron, plain and simple. My union allowed me to retire at 58 with a pension and healthcare paying 90% of all medical costs. My home is paid in full with enough savings to pay taxes and insurance on it for life. Also have a 401k that provides additional income as a result of a lifetime of union labor. I have friends that are rats, like yourself, that bought into the company sponsored 401k’s provided by rat contractors that lost much of their value in the financial collapse in 2008. How is your company treating you?
You have never worked for a union or you might have these benefits as well, but that doesn’t allow you to make ignorant statements, without any basis in reality. Research why you have a forty hour work week, and then you can thank the unions that you’re not in a sweatshop groveling to management. Until then, quit making ignorant remarks about something you have zero knowledge about. Unions ensure common good wages for all that complete the apprenticeship and continuous training provided to employees.
Moron? My mother was a teacher for 35 years. Union did very little for her. My father was a pipe fitter for 40 years. He travelled. Worked for several locals all over the area. He made a great wage ba k in the 80s and early 90s. However, a nice chunk of that wage was paid back to the union in dues. Two locals then blackballed he and several of his fellow union workers because they approached the amount 9f hours they needed to become vested. Currently at the age of 74, nine years after his retirement, he is still involved in a lawsuit trying to recoup nearly $200,000 that is in an account with his name on it that his beloved union is contesting. He is one of three men that I am aware engaged in suits. Meanwhile his contemporaries who worked non union jobs for lower wages (but no dues) are enjoying their pensions. So, moron? Why don't you widen your world view a bit. Read a book. Read an article with an open mind about what unions are good for these days. Nothing.
Randy, were you a member of teachers union before you were dismissed? If so, what did they do for you? If not, why?
"Moron", said the narrow viewed jackass.
Suppose in bizzaro republican world a bunch of business owners wanted to form a union. They decide to call it the Chamber of Commerce except they find a different business union already trademarked that name and then they get sued until the tort reform limits kick in!
Suppose in bizzaro right wing world a bunch of gun nutters decided to form a union. They decide to call their union of gun owners the National Rifle Association. Then when they start buying ads and politicians they get sued because there was already another union of gun nutters doing business as the NRA! That's when all the lawyers start feeding like jackals on a gun nut poached elephant!
@ 5:38
You don’t get to tell a retired union member how the union works, do you even realize how stupid that is? As far as your mama is concerned, the union owed her a decent wage, benefits and representation, no more no less. As to your daddy, you foolishly state he wasn’t able to be vested over blackballing by locals. Preposterous! After 5 years of service, you are automatically vested in the union, and entitled to a pension ( which would be very small after only 5 years and not the full 30 ). but a guanteed pension nonetheless. To say your daddy had collected $200,000 worth of benefits in less than five years is impossible.You have been lied to and are spouting nonsense. If you meant to say that your daddy was prevented from reaching full retirement age or years of service, that’s possible. I’ve only seen that occur a few times in my career, and it is invariably some twenty year or better member feeling entitled to the full 30 years no matter how much he sloughed off or drank. That dog don’t hunt, and rarely are men that stupid. After the 2011 tornado, my union gave $100,000 to the residents of Joplin and offered to rebuild my home for no labor cost. It wasn’t the only union donating, how much did your rat bastard employer give?
603, you are an insistent hard headed fool. Read that person's post again. If we take him at his word like we take you at your word, why is his experience less than yours? He used the word "jackass" for you and he may have been being kind.
@ 4:04
You are as big a fool as 5:38. His word doesn’t mean squat when he has never worked in a union, while I have retired from one. I cited facts why his story was bull crap, and could not be true. I worked trade union in the 1980’s and 1990’s when he said his daddy was making good money. In 1982, Prez Reagan fired the nation,# air traffic controllers, attacking all unions, and wages then were not great as suggested by the other moron. Dues were minimal at that time as well due to a spirit of competition amongst members. I lived the history while this moron is talking out of the wrong orifice. So you can bet the home place that this hardheaded retiree don’t take no guff from morons that haven’t a clue about unions.
Your word means less than squat, Sugar Lips. "I don't take no guff..." sitting at home typing on a message board. Bug man. Such a big, strong man sticking up for his hooligan friends in the all powerful union that he owes whole life too. No guff taking. Shivers right up my spine, tough guy. After all, you have lived life unlike other people. All of us subhumans who don't need to belong to crime syndicates to live our lives just aren't as impressive as a big strong no guff taking union retiree surfing the internet and fighting for the workman like yourself.
Damn, you got a significant other? All your no guff taking has got me excited.
@ 5:31
You’re such a sad little man, crying how your mama and dadddy were mistreated by the union. When it is pointed out you’re lying or your parents are, you go into blaming big, bad union monsters. Still waiting to hear what your rat bastard employer has given to the community. To educate your simple little mind, guff is when someone talks gibberish, which you have mixed with lies and turned into an art form. Yes, I have a significant other, and have no interest in you other than proving you’re a liar. Prostituting yourself on the internet as you just did, does give me a guffaw. Look it up moron
Unions are organized crime. Anyone one thinks otherwise is either disingenuous or just old fashioned ignorant.
I would ask, how do you know he/she is lying? Did you belong to the mind readers local?
@ 8:46
Another ignorant statement, by a moron. You do understand Police and Firefighters belong to unions. Are you calling the, organized crime, haha?! Do you not think if unions were organized crime that the full resources of the United States would be unable to arrest at least one union? Disingenuous does not apply to police and firefighters, just idiots that make provably false claims. Grow up, little man.
@ 5:19
If you bothered to read all the comments you would have seen that, and not embarrassed yourself by your inability to follow a conversation. Doesn’t take a mind reader to know you are automatically vested after 5 years of service of full time employment, so to say your daddy worked for years in the union, as far back as the 80’s and was unable to be vested because of the blackballing by locals is bull crap.
Why do you think I am a man? Do you not think a woman can develope her own opinion to disagree with simpletons like yourself?
7:31, unfortunately I have wasted my time reading each and every one of your comments. You are aware that not every union is the same, right? There is also these people called travellers. Are you aware of travellers? As a traveler if you don't record a a certain amount of hours in a certain local it can affect whether or not you can recoup money that has been paid into your retirement. Maybe the poster that you keep attacking is referring to that. It only takes a quick Google search to find several articles discussing this practice among certain unions.
I would ask you as one human being to another, why you feel the need to attack the poster simply because he/she has had a different life experience than you? You belonged to a union that took good care of you. Good for you. You should be happy, proud, whatever. That person's experience is different than yours. That doesn't make them a liar or subhuman. It means they are not you. Step outside yourself and broaden your worldview. People are different. People have different lives. Not everyone shares your experiences. And you know something? That is ok. Diversity is ok. His life experiences are no less valid than yours.
Honestly, it isn't like unions have the best reputations. Another Google search shows any number of legal issues where unions have been accused and found guilty of embezzling funds from members. This doesn't mean all unions are bad. But it does prove there are unions that have done bad things.
So, just lighten up and show people respect.
Retired union guy seems like he would be real fun at parties. Well, unless someone tried to give e him some guff. Because he don't take no guff.
Yeah, no such thing as blackballing. Just ask Randy Turner.
@ 5:44
Had you read each and every one of the comments you would have noted multiple unions were mentioned including teachers, firefighters, police, and trade unions. Your passive aggressive argument of worrying about other’s life experiences doesn’t apply to those different union members? Only to some clown making ridiculous lies such as, “Unions are organized crime”....”Lefties and unions go hand in hand. Vote union,vote Democratic. Vote union, you are literally voting against the common good.”...”They do nothing more than collect money”. Make stupid statements in public, expect to be called out. Diversity and worldview are not excuses for lying in public. Of course trade union members know about travelers or gypsies as they are sometimes referred to. Even gypsies must be affiliated with a local union wherever they work. All locals and contractors are required by law to report those wages to the international. After a member has completed 5 years of service, they become vested automatically by the international. The commenter claimed his father, like myself, worked in the 80’s & 90’s and in those two decades was unable to accumulate 5 years of service required to be vested? If you are not vested, it is impossible to have accumulated $200,000 in some mysterious account as suggested. Finally, to address where you become aggressive with your bull crap claim that unions have been found guilty of embezzling dues from members or doing bad things. Understand this, no union has ever been convicted of any such claim, there might have been an official charged with such, but not the union. Do your Google search and post those citations here for all to see, I expect to be waiting for quite awhile for your response.
@6:44
I was not being passive aggressive, you just seem a bit ridiculous. Kind of like this is a personal attack on you. I and any reasonable person will maintain that you have no way of knowing an anonymous poster's circumstance in life. Just like I don't know yours. For all I know, you are homeless and never had a decent paying job in your life. You could be 12 years old. You could be in prison having been convicted of embezzling funds from the union you may have worked for. So, if I take you at your word that the union set you up good in life, there is no reason for me not to believe that someone had a bad experience with unions. Maybe that person is confused on facts, but obviously something made them dislike unions. For you to attack someone trying to share an experience, real or not, says a lot about you... whoever you are. Hell, the best that I can tell, the poster you keep going on and on about only posted 2, maybe 3 times. It is just plain goofy. But hey, peace to you. I hope you enjoy your retirement and I hope the next picket line you work is successful. It would seem like the kind of thing that would make you happy.
Hey retired union guy, why are you acting like union and Democrats aren't in bed together? Whoever said that lefties and unions go hand in hand was saying nothing but truth. Just seems odd that you seemed triggered by that. Are you a rare union/Republican? That would make this whole thread funnier than it already is.
I think the old no guff taking retiree actually went senile on that. I am pretty sure there isn't anyone that is as passionate about unions as him that doesn't vote Democrat. Of course he will tell us all how we have no idea what we are talking about.
@ 4:18
Hey Google search boy, try searching vested pension or 401k and read up on them. It is simply not possible to have money in a pension until you are vested after 5 years of service in trade unions. The comment posted wasn’t a “circumstance of life”, it specifically stated although his father wasn’t vested, he had $200,000 in an account with his name on it due him. Bullshit, it’s impossible. He didn’t claim it was a 401k where you are entitled to withdraw your contributions paid in by yourself, should you not become vested, he claimed it to be a pension. A pension does not end when the contributions have ran out, they continue for life and may be passed to your spouse after your death for as long as she lives. Pretty cool, huh, way better than a 401k. Google “Golden handcuffs” to learn how 401k’s can be manipulated by employers for longer vesting periods, or particular requirements to keep you from leaving the company. It’s a simple truth that most concerned about their futures learn, but you seem unable to grasp it, leaving me to wonder if you have a 401k in your line of work. You notice the commenter has not countered my argument, nor have you countered my pay request to post the simple google search you claimed showing unions have embezzled funds from members and other bad things. Instead you want to counter with “circumstances of life” which sounds like the “Froot Loop” defense. I am enjoying my retirement, which as the word implies, doesn’t require me to “work picket lines” as you suggest, which I have never done. It does allow me time to respond to the public’s stupid stereotypes like the morons that have followed you thinking it is a prerequisite to vote democratic if you are in a union. Sheer ignorance to not do so in my opinion, but even we have members that are as ignorant as yourself. We still love our country and say the pledge of allegiance before monthly meetings, when was the last time you said it?
Retired union guy, you are what makes this blog worth reading. Crazy leftists who have no sense of irony or sense of humor. Being angry for no other reason than to be angry. Up in arms because some anonymous posters on the internet disagrees with you. You, my union labelled friend, are a stereotype and are too stupid to see it. Go ahead and reply, I know you won't be able to stop yourself.
The retired union guy reminds me of my grandfather that was a retired union railroad brakeman who thought smart phones were the worst things to happen to humanity. That comment that he didn’t understand the lying guy’s circumstances in life as a Fruit loop argument was some funny shit. Don’t see him as a leftist see but as a memory of a good man. I hope he doesn’t stop because his give a shit is retired too.
Old guy is a blow hard.
Retired union guy loves his country and votes Democrat because that is all he has ever done. He doesn't have the capacity to look at the modern Democrat party and see it for what it really is. He praises his union for saying the pledge of allegiance before each meeting and lashes out asking when the last time another poster said it. Never stopping to consider that the party he votes for is the party that has pushed time and time again to have it the pledge and other symbols of patriotism restricted.
Blow hard? Yeah. But more to the point, unable to make changes to keep up with the times. Which circles back around to the post that started this whole ridiculous conversation. "There was a time that unions served a purpose, but that those days are long gone." Unions were started to ensure that employee would be treated fairly. Laws have been implemented, in part due to unions, that protect workers now.
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