Why aren't we using this opportunity to abolish all teachers' unions?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone please explain why we aren't taking this opportunity while teachers in multiple cities are threatening to strike and kids all over the country are basically learning nothing (unless they're learning independently or from their parents) to fire ALL of the teachers and hire the good ones back WITHOUT unions?

It seems like a great opportunity to overhaul public education in this country. We could then pay good teachers more (which is something that I know Michelle Rhee tried to do in DC many years ago, but the teachers union rejected it and refused to let their members even vote on it) which would increase the quality of teachers we get, and we could get rid of the crappy teachers for good.

It seems like a great opportunity to me.

[Anonymous]

Why do they need unions? Because they have such crappy working conditions and pay. Fix that and maybe they won't need them.

[Anonymous]

So who would represent teachers? Sure as hell isn’t school boards or administrators.
FWIW, my kids are learning. Zoom class isn’t the best, but they are learning NEW things in all subjects.

[Anonymous]

OP, maybe the problem in your situation is not the teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do they need unions? Because they have such crappy working conditions and pay. Fix that and maybe they won't need them.

Teachers have bad working conditions and pay? That’s a laugh. Maybe in some states, but in many other states they can earn tenure and get a nice 6-figure salary and pension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do they need unions? Because they have such crappy working conditions and pay. Fix that and maybe they won't need them.

Teachers have bad working conditions and pay? That’s a laugh. Maybe in some states, but in many other states they can earn tenure and get a nice 6-figure salary and pension.

My building has mold, insect, and rodent issues. It's disgusting. The bathrooms are awful. The only person I know making a six-figure salary is admin.

[Anonymous]

How do you judge the quality of teachers? Is it by test scores? What if a great teacher is working with the hardest students and therefore has lower test scores, does that teacher deserve less pay? Sure teachers with the easiest students who have high test scores get paid more? What about the teachers working with special education students?

I just want to know how you are deciding which teachers you are “willing” to hire back after you take away their union.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do they need unions? Because they have such crappy working conditions and pay. Fix that and maybe they won't need them.

Teachers have bad working conditions and pay? That’s a laugh. Maybe in some states, but in many other states they can earn tenure and get a nice 6-figure salary and pension.

Unions also cover support staff, including bus drivers, paras, and subs in some cases. All of those jobs have terrible pay and working conditions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do they need unions? Because they have such crappy working conditions and pay. Fix that and maybe they won't need them.

Teachers have bad working conditions and pay? That’s a laugh. Maybe in some states, but in many other states they can earn tenure and get a nice 6-figure salary and pension.

Unions also cover support staff, including bus drivers, paras, and subs in some cases. All of those jobs have terrible pay and working conditions.

So then unionize the support staff. Teachers’ unions enable bad performers. They need to go.

[Anonymous]

The right would love to abolish unions. That way they can force individual workers to negotiate for decent way and safe working conditions. Barely anyone is willing to teach now. By the time the union-busters are done, public education will be via Zoom with private prison convict labor.

[Anonymous]

If you hate teachers, homeschool your children. Teaching is a difficult and often thankless job, for which we are paid very little. We need unions because of the appalling conditions many of us work in. Go harass the government, whose salary your taxes ALSO fund, and who have grossly neglected their duties to public health and policy during the pandemic. Enough with the constant blaming of teachers for closed schools among rampant viral spread. It's pathetic, and it makes you look petty and small. There were 79,000 COVID deaths so far this month and all you can do is stomp your feet because you want schools to open. You can't just open everything up and pretend that the pandemic is over because parents are tired of their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you hate teachers, homeschool your children. Teaching is a difficult and often thankless job, for which we are paid very little. We need unions because of the appalling conditions many of us work in. Go harass the government, whose salary your taxes ALSO fund, and who have grossly neglected their duties to public health and policy during the pandemic. Enough with the constant blaming of teachers for closed schools among rampant viral spread. It's pathetic, and it makes you look petty and small. There were 79,000 COVID deaths so far this month and all you can do is stomp your feet because you want schools to open. You can't just open everything up and pretend that the pandemic is over because parents are tired of their kids.

Stop it!!

You act like you’re the only essential workers out there. Many of us have been working this entire time. I’m not part of a union. NO one is advocating for me.

I’m not going around whining constantly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The right would love to abolish unions. That way they can force individual workers to negotiate for decent way and safe working conditions. Barely anyone is willing to teach now. By the time the union-busters are done, public education will be via Zoom with private prison convict labor.

I’m a lifelong Democrat and think teachers’ unions have gotten 100% out of control.

[Anonymous]

Unions are good in this country. They protect the workers without wielding too much power. You have NO IDEA how unions operate in some other countries, where one union for one industry can immobilize an entire country in one strike action! Now that's taking an entire population hostage if you like!

In the USA, unions are as mild as milk. It shows your lack of historical knowledge and your lack of respect for the long fight for better working conditions (from which everyone here, YOU INCLUDED, has indirectly or directly benefited!), that you're against them...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unions are good in this country. They protect the workers without wielding too much power. You have NO IDEA how unions operate in some other countries, where one union for one industry can immobilize an entire country in one strike action! Now that's taking an entire population hostage if you like!

In the USA, unions are as mild as milk. It shows your lack of historical knowledge and your lack of respect for the long fight for better working conditions (from which everyone here, YOU INCLUDED, has indirectly or directly benefited!), that you're against them...

Umm, are you unaware of the history of strikes in the USA?

I’m not against unions. I’m against what some unions have become — including teachers’ unions and police unions.