Posts Tagged ‘strike’
Union Refs Allowed Back by Greedy Owners
Thursday, September 27th, 2012
Unions don’t win many fights against bullying employers these days. Chicago teachers won but will now have 30% of their evaluation based on student test scores. Caterpillar machinists (IAM) strikers conceded everything to end their strike. 45,000 CWA & IBEW Verizon workers preserved their collective bargaining rights just last week.
The 121-member NFL Referees Association, thanks to ineptitude shown by non-union replacements, won a new 8-yr contract with the National Football League. The league locked out the refs. Technically, it was not a strike. The NFL insisted that referees give up their fixed pension plan and convert to 401K (gambling with retirement funds by investing in Wall Street, risking losses like many Americans experienced in the 2008 financial meltdown). The current refs are “grandfathered in” (though the newest professional ref is a woman) to retain their pensions. Newcomers won’t be so lucky.
Tags: CTU, CWA, IAM, IBEW, NFL, NFL referees, strike, union
Posted in Employers Gone Wild: Doing Bad Things, Unions | No Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
Chicago Teachers End Strike, Add Anti-Bullying Clause Protection
Tuesday, September 18th, 2012
By voice vote, teachers suspended their strike against Chicago Public Schools. Classes resume on Wed. Sept. 18. Download a comparison of original CPS demands with terms in the final agreement.
Three major points. (1) CPS wanted principals to have unlimited teacher termination privileges. Instead, CTU inserted an anti-bullying clause that prohibits abusive and demeaning conduct by principals.
(2) On teacher evaluation, CPS (and all other public education “reformers”) wanted 45% of a teacher’s performance to be determined by her or his students’ test scores. No appeals process would apply. With career-ending evaluations beginning year 1. Additionally, teachers were to evaluate each other. In the final agreement, CTU preserved 70% of teacher ratings based on practice, not student performance. Appeals for unsatisfactory ratings allowed. No evaluation by colleagues. The insertion of student survey data will be by choice, not mandatory.
(3) The proposed raising of employee health care premiums by 40% and co-pays was frozen.
Tags: Charles M. Blow, Chicago, contract, CPS, CTU, Marc Tucker, strike, teachers
Posted in Commentary by G. Namie, The New America, Unions | No Archived Comments | Post A Comment (
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