ERIC ED468097: The Teacher Unions: How They Sabotage Educational Reform and Why.

338 Pages·2000·4.4 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 468 097
EA 031 840
Lieberman, Myron
AUTHOR
The Teacher Unions: How They Sabotage Educational Reform and
TITLE
Why.
ISBN-1-893554-21-X
ISBN
PUB DATE 2000-00-00
NOTE
336p.; First published in 1999 by The Free Press.
AVAILABLE FROM
Encounter Books, 665 Third Street, Suite 330, San Francisco
CA 94107-1951 ($16.95). Tel: [phone]; Tel: [phone]
(Toll Free); Fax: [phone].
PUB TYPE
Books (010)
Reports
Evaluative (142)
EDRS PRICE
EDRS Price MF01/PC14 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education;
*Political Power; Politics of Education; *Privatization;
*Unions
IDENTIFIERS
American Federation of Labor; *American Federation of
Teachers; Congress of Industrial Organizations; *Natibnal
Education Association; Shanker (Albert)
ABSTRACT
The National Education Association (NEA) and the American
Federation of Teachers (AFT) are among the most powerful interest groups in
the nation, affecting the way public policy is made. They are the primary
political opponents of all forms of privatization, and overwhelmingly support
Democrat candidates for public office. Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter
2 is devoted to the history of teachers' unions. Chapter 3 explains the NEA
and AFT political and social agendas. Chapter 4 discusses the way NEA/AFT
objectives are implemented. Chapter 5 examines national political operations.
Chapter 6 discusses political operations at state and local levels. Chapter 7
analyzes the NEA/AFT opposition to contracting out educational services.
Chapter 8 examines the composition of union staff. Chapter 9 tracks union
revenues. Chapter 9 analyzes the NEA's dubious accounting practices. Chapter
10 challenges the distinction between collective bargaining and political
action. Chapter 11 explains the unique role of AFT President Albert Shanker.
Chapter 12 assesses the impact of the state teachers' unions on teacher
welfare and pupil achievement. Chapter 13 takes up the possible NEA/AFT
merger and affiliation with the AFL-CIO and its consequences. Chapter 14
suggests how teachers, parents, and citizens and can address these issues.
(Contains 327 references.)
(RKJ)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
LA
AND
TO REPRODUCE
OF EDUCATION
PERMISSION
DEPARTMENT
U S
and
HAS
Research
Improvement
THIS MATERIAL
Educational
of
Office
DISSEMINATE
INFORMATION
BY
RESOURCES
GRANTED
EDUCATIONAL
BEEN
CENTER (ERIC)
as
been
has reproduced
0/t)
This document
c/9-
or
the organization
received from
person
,
it
originating
to
been made
have
Minor
changes
quality
reproduction
improve
RESOURCES
THE
EDUCATIONAL
TO
this
in
stated
CENTER (ERIC)
or
INFORMATION
view opinions
of
Points
represent
do not
document necessarily
or
policy
official
OERI position
BES7
COPY
AVALAB
THE
TEACHER
UNIONS
How They Sabotage
Educational Reform and Why
MYRON LIEBERMAN
ENCOUNTER BOOKS
SAN FRANCISCO
3
Copyright © 2000 by Myron Lieberman
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval sys-
tem, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Encounter Books, 116
New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
First paperback edition published in 2000 by Encounter Books, an activity of Encounter for
Culture and Education, Inc., a nonprofit tax exempt corporation.
First published in 1999 by The Free Press.
Encounter Books website address: www.encounterbooks.com
Cover design by Andrea DuFlon.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO
Z39.48-1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).
Manufactured in the United States.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lieberman, Myron, 1919
The teacher unions: how they sabotage educational reform and why / Myron
Lieberman.
cm.
and index.
Includes bibliographical references
ISBN 1-893554-21-X (pb)
2. National Education Association of the United
1. Teacher's unionsUnited States.
Teachers-
4. Collective bargaining
3. American Federation of
Teachers.
States.
I. Title.
United States.
LB2844.53.U6L56 2000
331.88'113711'0973DC21
4
CIP
00-2982
2; 1
4
6
3
9
7
10
8
5
This book is dedicated to
CHARLENE K. HAAR
5
CONTENTS
Author's Note
ix
Preface to the First Edition
xi
1. Introduction: Why This Book?
1
2. The Takeoff
10
3. NEA/AFT Objectives
30
4. Bargaining with the NEA/AFT
49
5. Union Political Operations
69
6. State Teacher Unions
95
7. The War against Competition and Contracting Out
116
8. Education's Gravy Train
132
9. Paying the Bills: NEA/AFT Revenues
158
10. Free Riders or Forced Political Passengers?
180
11. AFT President Albert Shanker: Visionary
or Union Apologist?
200
217
12. Takeoff Promises, Landing Realities
246
13. NEA/AFT Merger: Teachers in the AFL-CIO
260
14. What Is to Be Done?
285
Acknowledgments
286
Appendix A. NEA-PAC: A Commentary
288
Appendix B. Procedures for Estimating NEA/AFT Income
292
Appendix C. NEA Contributions, 1993-94 to 1997-98
Appendix D. Rankings by Expenditures,
296
State Teacher Union PACs
298
Notes
310
Index
vi
LIST OF TABLES
2.1
NEA Membership, August 31, 1998
25
2.2
AFT Membership, 1998
26
Caucuses of NEA Members
3.1
38
4.1
State Teacher Bargaining Laws
50
4.2
NEA Support for UniServ, 1999-2000
54
NEA-PAC Expenditures Compared with
5.1
Other PACs, 1983-1998
72
5.2
NEA Campaign Priority Classification
75
5.3
NEA and AFT Political Contributions for
1998 Election Cycle
85
5.4
NEA Budget, Objective Four, Strategic Priority Six,
FY 1999-2000
86
Most Effective Midwestern Interests,
6.1
by Number of States
112
8.1
NEA Benefits: Form LM-2, August 31, 1998
136
8.2
UniSery Salary Schedule, 1998
141
vii
Union Employees in Rhode Island State
8.3
154
Retirement System
159
Estimates of NEA/AFT Income, 1999-2000
9.1
10.1 Supreme Court Decisions on Chargeability
187
in Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association
FIGURES
23
NEA Structure, 1999
2.1
9
viii
Author's Note
With one major exception, the analysis in the hardcover edition of The
Teacher Unions has been confirmed by events since its publication.The
exception is the NEA Representative Assembly's rejection in 1997 of
a merger
agreement that received overwhelming support in the AFT This was the first
time that the delegates to the NEA's annual meeting rejected
a major initia-
tive supported by the NEA's executive officers and committees. It should be
noted, however, that the delegates who voted against the
merger emphasized
that they were voting against a specific agreement,
not against the concept of
merger or a merger agreement that would allay their concerns. At any rate,
the Representative Assembly's rejection of the
merger agreement bears out
my contention that the NEA is a more open union than the AFT
On other fronts, I have tried to clarify the terminology used in the hard-
cover edition. First of all, I apply the term "union" to any organization that
seeks to represent teachers on terms and conditions of employment. This
usage may offend the teachers and teacher organizations that emphasize the
distinction between "professional association" (good) and "union" (bad), but
I hope they will understand the rationale for this
usage. Also, I use the phrase
"nonaffiliated union" or "independent union"
to refer to teacher organiza-
tions that seek to represent teachers on employment matters but
are not affil-
iated with the NEA or AFT
In addition to updating NEA/AFT membership and
revenues and the
possiblities of their merger, I have added
a brief discussion of the "new union-
ix
.4.1 0