Red teachers/Blue unions

By Larry Sand
10/16/2018
How long will conservative teachers dutifully fund the teacher unions’ leftist political agenda? As I wrote in July, following the Janus decision, teachers unions had two roads to travel. They could become more politically ecumenical as a way to attract teachers who were no longer required to join, or they could continue to do business...

TAGS: California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Daniel DiSalvo, Janus, Josh Pechthalt, Larry Sand, Manhattan Institute, National Education Association, teachers union

Limiting Charter Growth by Any Means Necessary

By Larry Sand
10/18/2016
Teachers unions in Chicago and Massachusetts are doing their darndest to stop the spread of charter schools. Amazingly, the Chicago teachers’ strike didn’t come off.  Less than 10 minutes before a midnight strike deadline on October 10th, the district and union cobbled together a deal, pending approval by the rank-and-file. One of the more contentious issues was...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Chicago Teachers Union, Dark money, Larry Sand, Manhattan Institute, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Max Eden, National Education Association, teachers union, Thomas Kane

Labor Union Day

By Larry Sand
09/08/2015
Labor Day has become little more than an opportunity for union leaders to puff out their chests and make grandiose statements about the glories of organized labor. As a way to build their brand, union leaders typically pit management against labor, portraying the worker as David fighting greedy entrepreneurs and corporate Goliaths. This is especially...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Deroy Murdock, Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Koch Brothers, Larry Sand, Manhattan Institute, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, Teamsters, Unions, United Auto Workers, United Federation of Teachers

Acquiescent Teachers and Their Undemocratic Unions

By Larry Sand
09/16/2014
Teachers who are not satisfied with their union must make their voices heard.  Are Unions Democratic? The Internal Politics of Labor Unions and Their Implications, a report just released by the Manhattan Institute’s Daniel DiSalvo, examines unions – specifically the public employee variety, with an emphasis on teachers unions. Addressing the democracy issue, he writes:...

TAGS: agency fee payer, Association of American Educators, California Teachers Association, Daniel DiSalvo, Dean Vogel, Larry Sand, Manhattan Institute, National Education Association, Reg Weaver, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles

The Poor Teacher Canard Redux – Part I

By Larry Sand
08/19/2014
“Mid-and Late-Career Teachers Struggle With Paltry Incomes” is the latest flawed study to claim that American teachers are underpaid. Leave it to the left-leaning teacher-union-friendly Center for American Progress to come out with a flatulent report lamenting the allegedly lousy state of teacher pay in the U.S. Even worse, much of the acolyte media dutifully...

TAGS: American Enterprise Institute, American Federation of Teachers, Andrew Biggs, California Policy Center, Center for American Progress, Heritage Foundation, Jason Richwine, Jay Greene, Larry Sand, Manhattan Institute, Marcus Winters, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, teachers union, Transparent California

gRANDIosity

By Larry Sand
03/18/2014
Ms. Weingarten gives her enemies a breather as she jets off to Kiev to “promote democratic values.” American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten has been on a tear lately, working diligently to build up her long and growing enemies list. As reported by The Wall Street Journal’s Allysia Finley, The American Federation of Teachers...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Bill de Blasio, Eva Moskowitz, Larry Sand, Manhattan Institute, Michelle Rhee, Randi Weingarten, StudentsFirst, teachers union, United Federation of Teachers

Putting “Teeth” in Right-to-Work

By Dave Bego
05/31/2013
Having been involved in discussion regarding Right-To-Work legislation in Indiana and Michigan, I can attest to the tireless efforts of grassroots movements – by local businesses in Indiana and concerned United Auto Worker employees in Michigan – to achieve the goal of protecting worker freedoms. Statistical data shows that the implementation of a Right-To-Work law...

TAGS: card check, Dave Bego, Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Manhattan Institute, Michigan, National Labor Relations Board, Neutrality Agreement, NLRB, Right to Work

Fixing California’s Retiree Health Care Problem

By Stephen Eide
10/31/2012
Editor’s Note: Apart from pensions, the most financially significant “OPEB,” or “other post employment benefit,” typically awarded a government employee is retirement health care. This benefit is designed to fill the health coverage gap during the years between when someone retires and when they become eligible for Medicare, and in many cases, they are also...

TAGS: Manhattan Institute

When Public Sector Unions Win in California

By Daniel Disalvo
10/19/2012
Editor’s note:  Earlier this month, Manhattan Institute senior fellow Daniel DiSalvo released a study entitled “The Nays Have It: When Public Sector Unions Win in California.” DiSalvo has agreed to allow UnionWatch to republish two key sections of that report here, concerning California’s public sector union influence over the outcome of citizen initiatives and over...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, Daniel DiSalvo, Manhattan Institute