February 20, 1997
Dear Bob:
We write to you on behalf of the 25,000 members represented by our
unionsto express how angry we are with your Feb. 5 address to the
National PressClub.
For one who was elected to advocate for members, your remarks are
not onlyappalling, they ignore the fundamental strength of a union.
The very foundationof our union is threatened by those who will capitalize
on your remarksas an expression of weakness.
What is most profoundly disturbing is your acknowledgment that "traditionalindustrial
style teacher unions have brought major improvements to publiceducation,"
then to proceed to debauch these accomplishments with theinsight"
that it's time to create a new union," to "reinventit." We are union
and we are proud; we stand in solidarity to defendagainst those who
are attempting to destroy us. There is no reason to accommodatethe
privateers, those who would destroy the essence of bilateral determinismachieved
through collective bargaining. It is, at best, naive to believethat
the people who are attempting to destroy our union for ideologicaland
economic gain will be assuaged because of your pledge to get "thebad
teachers out of the classroom."
Because you were a social studies teacher before you became President
ofNEA, you should understand the results of appeasement in Eastern
Europein the 30s and 40s.
Members pay dues for us to promote their interests. In our work with
ourmembers who have been judged by management as being deficient,
we have,with the assistance of other union members, helped those in
need becomesuccessful teachers and when necessary, counseled them
to seek alternativeemployment. Why should we accept the responsibility
for poor quality teachingin light of inadequate teacher preparation
programs at schools of educationor the inept or politically expedient
hiring decisions of administrationand school boards?
You must understand our reality. We have a governor and a legislature
committedto wiping out the rights of our members, curtailing collective
bargainingrights, attempting to shift precious resources from our
schools to privateand religious schools. They are the true impediments
to reform of publiceducation. In the 80s Frank Lorenzo tried the same
tactics in commercialaviation. He was publicly excoriated and banned
from the business.
We contrast your comments with the reinvigoration of the AFL-CIO
leadershipaccepting the challenge to return to its roots, to organize
and to challengeemployers all over the United States. It's time that
NEA joins the labormovement, renews its commitment to its members,
and moves forward in itsquest on behalf of education employees across
the nation.
In Solidarity,
Miles Remsing, President; Richard Feldhausen, Executive Director,
Green Bay Education Association
Sara Bringman, President; John Matthews, Executive Director, Madison
Teachers Inc.
Chuck Howard, President; Sam Carmen, Executive Director, Milwaukee
TeachersEducation Assoc.
Dennis Wiser, President; James Ennis, Executive Director, Racine
EducationAssociation
March 5, 1997
Dear Bob:
At the February meeting of the Wisconsin Education Association Council
Boardof Directors, the topic of your February 5, 1997, address to
the NationalPress Club was raised. ... Let me state at the outset
that while there wereBoard members on both sides of the issue ...
a clear majority, includingmyself, found your remarks cause for concern.
...
Those who favored the new direction thought that your comments clearly
articulatedwhat they believed -- that is, that a time had come for
just such a changeand that we need to be driven by what the public
thinks about public education.
Conversely, those opposed (a majority) found your remarks troubling.
Wisconsin,like many other states, has a rich tradition of collective
bargaining, memberadvocacy, and unionism. The view of a majority of
the WEAC Board membersis that a balance must be struck between "member
advocacy" issuesand the "professionalism" issues. ... Many in Wisconsin
view your"new direction" as moving that balance dramatically in the
directionof "professionalism: at the expense of "member advocacy andunionism."
Further, we feel that this issue is not an either/or debate.... You
have already received a letter from four of our urban affiliates,which
represents their position, and in large part, mirrors some of theattitudes
expressed by the WEAC Board. ...
Sincerely,
Terry Craney, President, Wisconsin Education Association Council
