Should Charter Teachers Join CTU?
By Jim Vail
The biggest issue facing the Chicago Teachers Union is the decision to make constitutional changes.
The union wants to make constitution changes so that the charter school teachers are a part of the CTU union.
The idea itself sounds convincing - let's unite with our brothers and sisters in the charter schools and fight CPS for a better contract for all of us, and of course better schools.
Better charter schools?
Charter schools have grown like mushrooms throughout the city to destroy public education and of course, the Chicago Teachers Union.
So do we join up with charter school teachers as one union who fight for public schools and charter schools?
The union says the fact that charter schools have to deal with teachers in a union will deter them from growing.
The CTU has fought, within the confines of the democratic machine, against charter schools and proudly pointed out that there were no new charter schools opened this school year.
However, will a union really stop the growth of charter schools?
That is the position of the American Federation of Teachers and President Randi Weingarten. It was parroted by form union boss Marilyn Stewart who said charter schools are our friends - we just need them to join us.
The idealists argue let's make the charter teachers a part of our union and make these charter schools into public schools again and make them a part of our contract.
Will that happen? It's not even a part of the plan CTU announced because they know it won't happen.
Charters are there like sweatshops to merely pay less to teachers.
Period!
I said at the CTU House of Delegates meeting that the charter teachers are already a member of a union - Chiacts. Why do they need to join us?
Is it about the money? Will they get more resources to unionize and fight for better conditions? Is it unfair that charters get more corporate money?
CTU officials pointed out that selective schools also unfairly cream off the top to destroy neighborhood public schools.
I think this is a situation where the CTU is waving the white the flag on the fight against charter schools - the union won't significantly suffer when they close public schools and switch to charter schools if the staff gets unionized and they pay dues to the union.
But it is reality. We are all (99 percent) headed to minimum wage jobs with no union representation. The Supreme Court rules billionaires can throw as much money they want into elections to control our politics. They will soon rule that unions cannot automatically deduct dues from workers paychecks, which will further destroy the unions that have already been decimated.
It's like, yeah we represent taxi drivers, but let's focus representing the future, Uber and rideshare companies, who are taking over.
The union wants to make it seem like they will do both - fight against charters, and join up to them by representing their teachers. It's similar to organizing protests against racist attacks against black schools while funding and endorsing House Speaker Mike Madigan who closes those schools.
Can we have it both ways?
By Jim Vail
The biggest issue facing the Chicago Teachers Union is the decision to make constitutional changes.
The union wants to make constitution changes so that the charter school teachers are a part of the CTU union.
The idea itself sounds convincing - let's unite with our brothers and sisters in the charter schools and fight CPS for a better contract for all of us, and of course better schools.
Better charter schools?
Charter schools have grown like mushrooms throughout the city to destroy public education and of course, the Chicago Teachers Union.
So do we join up with charter school teachers as one union who fight for public schools and charter schools?
The union says the fact that charter schools have to deal with teachers in a union will deter them from growing.
The CTU has fought, within the confines of the democratic machine, against charter schools and proudly pointed out that there were no new charter schools opened this school year.
However, will a union really stop the growth of charter schools?
That is the position of the American Federation of Teachers and President Randi Weingarten. It was parroted by form union boss Marilyn Stewart who said charter schools are our friends - we just need them to join us.
The idealists argue let's make the charter teachers a part of our union and make these charter schools into public schools again and make them a part of our contract.
Will that happen? It's not even a part of the plan CTU announced because they know it won't happen.
Charters are there like sweatshops to merely pay less to teachers.
Period!
I said at the CTU House of Delegates meeting that the charter teachers are already a member of a union - Chiacts. Why do they need to join us?
Is it about the money? Will they get more resources to unionize and fight for better conditions? Is it unfair that charters get more corporate money?
CTU officials pointed out that selective schools also unfairly cream off the top to destroy neighborhood public schools.
I think this is a situation where the CTU is waving the white the flag on the fight against charter schools - the union won't significantly suffer when they close public schools and switch to charter schools if the staff gets unionized and they pay dues to the union.
But it is reality. We are all (99 percent) headed to minimum wage jobs with no union representation. The Supreme Court rules billionaires can throw as much money they want into elections to control our politics. They will soon rule that unions cannot automatically deduct dues from workers paychecks, which will further destroy the unions that have already been decimated.
It's like, yeah we represent taxi drivers, but let's focus representing the future, Uber and rideshare companies, who are taking over.
The union wants to make it seem like they will do both - fight against charters, and join up to them by representing their teachers. It's similar to organizing protests against racist attacks against black schools while funding and endorsing House Speaker Mike Madigan who closes those schools.
Can we have it both ways?
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