I am not a “special interest"
The unions are out with an advocacy piece from a teacher saying "I am not a special interest." HA! The teachers unions are the very definition of special interests. That's OK – lots of people and organizations are special interests – but let's not be duped by the unions' claims that somehow they're different. Just like pretty much every union, they exist to fight for more jobs, higher pay, shorter hours, better benefits and even greater job security (it goes without saying that fighting for what's best for kids isn't – nor, in fairness, should it be – on this list). Here's Mike Petrilli on this:
Nobody wants to lose their job in a downturn, but it's happened to millions of private-sector employees over the past two years. Many workers have also seen their pay cut and benefits trimmed. Teachers have been rather fortunate; not only have most of their jobs been protected by federal aid, but many are actually receiving pay raises during this difficult time. And their health care benefits and pensions remain worlds better than what most Americans receive. It's inevitable that school systems are going to need to learn to do more with less. Here's the good news: your job could easily be saved if your union leaders were willing to accept some modest concessions. (Even a salary freeze might do the trick.)
posted by Whitney Tilson at 5:31 PM
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