Note. We are posting this again as it is an example of a small step that unions can take organizationally to link up with the communities in which we live and union members serve. I re-visited this after some discussions with the parents, teachers, their allies including and Black Lives Matter activists, in Kentucky where there has been an ongoing war by the state government, against teachers, education in general and the students. Unfortunately trade union leaders have attacked the most aggressive and forward thinking of this movement, led by Jefferson County communities which includes Louisville.
As is so often the case, the conservative minded trade union leadership refuses
to take up social issues outside of the realm of wages hours and working
conditions of their members. In the Kentucky case, teachers and parents from
Louisville and Jefferson County argued for the teachers union to include
opposition to a gang ordinance bill in conjunction with its other efforts, a
bill that would have severe consequences for its victims which means
overwhelmingly black males and youth of color. (It has since passed). Not only
do these youth, their families and their communities need union support, (all
they asked was for the organized labor movement to oppose the gang ordinance)
such a decision would strengthen all the teachers in their struggles for better
conditions and the poor whites who tend to live in rural areas.
An influential leader of the
teachers' group KY120 defended her refusal to oppose the bill on the
grounds that she didn't want to "risk fracturing the nascent
movement." and that by after discussing it (with her members I
assume) the mood was that if they started "muddying the
water" it would weaken the movement. Of course, the opposite is true.
She is quite willing to fracture the movement by refusing to recognize the
extreme importance of opposing this bill for those who would be impacted by it.
But not only would opposing what amounts to racist legislation directed
primarily at black youth strengthen the movement, it would be a small
step along the road to uniting the different constituents, it doesn't muddy the
waters at all, it clears them up.
Rather than strengthen the
union by supporting the more militant and forward thinking Jefferson County
activists, the trade union leaders came together at a JCTA press conference in
March to condemn them. In other words, rather than strengthen the union by
helping the Jefferson County folks build their influence and links across the
state, they chose to weaken the union. Brent McKim head of the Jefferson County
Teachers Association was joined by leaders from Afscme, SEIU, and the
Teamsters. John Stovall, president of Teamsters Local 783 basically
blamed the Jefferson County activists of causing his members to lose money and
of "…pimping our people out and
putting their jobs in jeopardy," Sue Foster, president of
JCAESP AFSCME Local 401 had the same approach, blame those that are the best
fighters. Were they as aggressive in dealing with the bosses we would be in a
better shape all round. Primarily through Jefferson County's lead, the teachers
ignored an agreement between, the Kentucky Teachers Association leadership,
(NEA), KY120, a self described teachers advocacy group and the state to
not call in sick and continue disruptions that closed the schools for 6 days.
This is what is behind the attacks on Jefferson County, they showed what
actually works and what doesn't.
Brent McKim, the president of
the Jefferson County Teachers Association took a back seat with regard to
attacking his members and instead hurled some slander at one of the
strongest advocates for public schools and the communities they serve who is
not a teacher and has also been critical of the union leadership for the right
reasons. He claimed her activity and support was based on personal gain, and
the desire to win contracts as she is self employed. You know you're on the
right track when they resort to this
This reminded me of this
small step taken by UNITE in the UK and I remembered this video I hope the
reader watches it. For a small fee, people outside the union's regular
jurisdiction get a voice, it brings the community closer to the union movement
and the issues facing us at work and where we live can begin to meld. It it a
very small step but an important one in making it harder for our enemies to set
us against each other and instead understand each others issues and see how
similar they are. In short, we can gain power in our struggle for a healthier,
more humane society.
It would hope that union
members in Kentucky reading this and any others in unions will bring this issue
in to their locals and fight to get something similar going here. They hate
when we talk to each other.
Richard Mellor
Afscme Local 444, retired
June 2018
June 2018
A trade unionist from Britain
that reads our blog pointed out this development in the largest trade union in
Britain and Ireland. For a very small sum of 50p a week (around 75c) anyone can
join Unite, officially called Unite the Union. It is an attempt to link
organized labor with the communities.
What is important about this
very small step is that a union is not simply calling for the need for
communities and unions to build closer links but is taking organizational
measures along that road.
For their 50p the non members
get certain benefits.
For those who are regular
visitors to this site you will have seen the three videos from a forum put on
by the Oakland Education Association that represents teachers in Oakland
California. The videos are short clips (excerpts) of presentations by teachers
from West Virginia, Kentucky and Arizona about the recent struggles in those
states. (see links to videos below) These were rank and file led and all the
speakers in this instance were women.
As we have pointed out in
previous posts, the strike in West Virginia took place in a state where strikes
are illegal. Not only that, the teachers and other education workers, realized
that if they were to win they would have to bypass their official leadership
which, as is the case throughout organized labor, is conservative and loathe to
violate any laws regardless of how harmful they are to workers and our ability
to defend our interests. In West Virginia, the workers won a 5% wage increase
for themselves and all state workers. All the recent teachers battles took
place in this manner, rank and file led and both inside and outside the union
structures. We have some commentary with each video.
An important thread that
jumps right out at us when we watch these women give their reports is that all
teachers and education workers were included in the events whether they were in
an AFL-CIO union, the NEA or no union at all. Even non-union Charter School
teachers were included and had voting rights on decision making.
These teachers struggles are
a great lesson for us here in the US as to how a trade union should function
and should be built on. While the Unite example above (the video is a union
video) doesn't go as far as our teachers here just did with voting rights and
such, it is important in that is an organizational measure to reach out
to the community taken by a major union body.
Here are the short clips from
Kentucky, West Virginia and Arizona Teachers. They are very inspiring.
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