Posted on 03/19/2011 2:57:28 PM PDT by rhema
When you hear that "The Unions" are fighting mad and rallying for this cause or that, you should know that a huge percentage of the membership is being coerced.
Do you really believe that every union police officer, firefighter, nurse and teacher is happily singing from the same progressive hymnal? That they are all liberal Democrats, right down the line?
That's what the unions want you to believe. Actually, to work in any of these professions in California and many other states, you are forced to join the union. And the unions give all their support to one party -- the Democrats. And they don't ask for input or approval from the substantial numbers of independents and Republicans in their ranks.
I don't feel solidarity with the mobs that occupied the beautiful, historic capital building in Madison, Wisc., and did more than $6 million in damage to it. I don't admire those teachers who abandoned their students, calling in "sick" using bogus doctor's excuses.
You wouldn't catch me marching shoulder-to-shoulder with groups like Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the communists of the Workers World Party, screaming obscenities and carrying posters depicting the governor with a Hitler mustache.
I'm not proud of my own state's union, either. It takes my dues against my will and gives them to Democrat politicians who vote for legislation to which I am strongly opposed.
My union supports many candidates who have a radical environmental, Marxist worldview, and who value endangered animals more than unborn babies. Their answer to global climate change is to place the burden solely upon America and our way of life, declaring war on capitalism.
They oppose enforcing our borders and they support "sanctuary cities," where police are forbidden to enforce the law. They are for big-government solutions to every problem and cradle-to-grave nanny-statism.
The teachers union spends millions of dollars of its members' dues each year on issues like these that have nothing to do with teaching children. They employ an army of full-time political operatives, and the top union leaders make huge salaries.
In return for union largesse, liberal politicians turn out to be very agreeable partners in negotiations for salaries and benefits. When the politicians and unions agree on the latest round of lavish spending, they simply turn to a third party -- the taxpayer -- to foot the bill.
In blue states from Michigan to California, New York to Illinois, the story is repeated year after year. The unions have slowly but surely strangled the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Now the bill has come due. It seems that the notion that one can retire at 55 and draw a pension that is roughly the same amount as one's salary in the last year of employment for the rest of one's life may not be realistic.
Our friends and neighbors in the private sector, who don't enjoy benefits nearly so generous, have decided that they can't afford to pay for ours any longer.
I don't know how many California public union employees, like me, have been supporting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, but I bet it's a lot. One of the modest proposals that Gov. Walker sought was a new understanding that the government not be allowed to forcibly collect union dues from unwilling members like me. What other organization can force American citizens to be members against their will? It's outrageous and un-American.
Unions are terrified, and with good cause, that without coercive laws in place to confiscate dues, members will desert by the millions.
It's time that the leftist union leaders hearken back to the wisdom of the famous proverb from their flower-child youth: If you love something set it free; if it returns to you, that's groovy, if not it was never meant to be.
Mark Prather is an elementary school teacher in the Corona-Norco Unified School District. He is a member of the California Teachers Association and the Corona-Norco Teachers Association.
The biggest problem with these collectives is that it also needs to be challenged from within, and not only from the outside. However, I understand that such internal challenges can or will result in loss of employment. Is there such a thing as organizing within the union itself against such tactics and scumbags?
Union thugs have run off all of the private sector jobs. If they can’t gain control over the public sector jobs, the union maggots are history and will have to go looking for jobs themselves.
I have 2 Masters and can teach nearly every subject but- a man with a BA in philosophy from 1963 that sits on his duff is more likely to be paid 83,000 dollars next year for "teaching" than I am likely to be paid 54,000 dollars for actual instruction.
It is a broken system.
A fight from within can also find you in a river with your feet imbedded in cement. These union thugs are Marxist who will kill if pushed. It should be illegal in the US to have forced confiscation of money for a union....any pressure whatsoever should be illegal—what do they not understand about freedom to work in the US no less. It is like forcing a cartel on workers.
Unions are all so top down, and unwilling to listen to input from below. And so much power in the hands of a few people. A few years ago, the leadership of the AFT and the NEA tried to force a union of the two groups. That was thwarted by a revolt at the New Orleans meeting. That, of course, does not prevent collusion between the leaders.who are so many of them, true believers in big government. Public education is like this huge swimming pool with a drain, which requires every more a flow into it, just to keep the net loss from becoming evident.
We have a few teachers here at FR. Pretty much any Michigan FReeper who is union is union through no choice of their own.
If this op-ed ever runs in the SacramentoBee newspaper, I will eat my hat.
I used to have a pdf copy of SEIU bylaws saved but my hard drive crashed.
One striking thing was the rule that for every 1000 votes cast, the vote could be negated if 7 members total wanted the vote halted. Better yet they could wait till the tally was in before deciding they didn’t want the vote taken.
a huge percentage of the membership is being coerced.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Fundamentally, **all** government schools are built upon an **evil** foundation. That foundation is: socialism, collectivism, godlessness, and voter mob tyranny of the child’s political, cultural, and religious worldview.
NOTHING good can come from a government program built upon **that** evil foundation! Nothing!
And...If unions are **evil** it is because the **MAJORITY** of teachers MADE them that way! Legislators don’t elect union representatives. Parents have no say, Children are voiceless, and the voters are powerless!
If the unions are evil it is because the MAJORITY of teachers are evil and voted for evil representatives!
So?...Why is this teacher surprised that evil ground sprouted roots, trunks, branches, stems and leaves and grew into the Death Eating organism that is now sucking the life out of all who must deal with it: children, parents, taxpayers, voters, and teachers?
Let me give two extreme examples:
Does a moral person take a job as a slave overseer because he might be more gentle that someone else? Huh? NO! Of course not! The moral individual works to create underground railroads so the slaves can escape. He works with those who strive for abolition!
Does a moral person work as a concentration camp guard because he might be kinder to the prisoners that others and may sneak a few crumbs of bread to them occasionally? NO! The **moral** person joins the Resistance!
Well...If this teacher really cares about children, he would be working to help these children to ESCAPE the maw of the collectivist, socialist, godless, voting mob! He would be working to see that these godless and **evil** indoctrination camps were shut down! Permanently!
I have never understood how such laws could be constitutional in the first place. Collecting funds from an unwilling employee for transfer to a third party is outrageous and wrong.
After 10 months of unemployment, I took a part-time position with the local community college. Most of the other part-time instructors I have spoken with seem to be pretty conservative. This place is the cheapest place that a student can go to continue his education beyond high school. So far, I think I am having an impact on my students, being here to counter the specious arguments the book presents for liberalism.
If I'm not here, someone else will be. And if that someone is a liberal, where will these kids get a conservative viewpoint?
I agree the system needs to be changed, but should we abandon it to the liberals entirely, or should some of us work for change from within?
The union thugs aren’t so much opposed to a reduction in collective bargaining power as they are opposed to measures that several state are introducing to prohibit the use of state resources to collect and distribute union dues. They know that if they have to collect then from the individuals that MANY will “forget” to send that monthly dues check in.
How can I resign my union membership
About Your Legal Rights: Public School Teacher or College Professor
What if I have religious objections to joining or financially supporting a union?
I lost two jobs because I wouldn’t join a union.
I'd like to see somebody interview the Arbitrator who determined that Wisconsin could afford these contracts. Could he please supply his numbers? Now that Wisconsin is $3 billion in deficit, could he PLEASE come forward and show us (the taxpayers!) his math?
We have been registered Republicans longer than certified teachers; looked into quitting the NEA 15 years back. NEA has ways of dealing with troublemakers. Why the issue of collective bargaining is so important.
Actually, we wouldn't mind the dues that much if the NEA wasn't so whacked out left. Take a look at NEA Today, you'll get the idea.
In 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that union members who object to having their union dues spent on politics can get a refund for the portion of their dues used for politics. Since then, however, many union members have found the process of getting their dues refunds an burdensome process.
Republican Saul Anuzis (a former member of the Teamsters) announced the launch of a new website specifically designed to give union members assistance in getting refunds for the portion of their dues used on politics. It is not “anti-union,” it is a site with one purpose—to help union members who do NOT want their dues money used on politics, regardless of party.
The site is UnionRefund.org
According to UnionRefund.org:
UnionRefund.org is NOT a political action organization. It is not tied to any political party. It does not run candidates for election, and it does not financially support or endorse candidates. It neither opposes nor endorses legislation.
UnionRefund.org is a project designed to help educate, organize and assist union members nationwide in exercising their “Beck rights” as set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Imagine how better off this country could be if union members’ money wasn’t being used to elect politicians who care more for serving their union masters then serving all Americans.
Take a look at UnionRefund.org and send it along to those union members who may not want their money used supporting candidates and causes that are bringing the nation to its knees.
_________________
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.