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Raise the curtain.

Chicago-Style Teacher Strikes in Michigan?

By JGillman, Section News
Posted on Tue Sep 11, 2012 at 01:57:27 PM EST
Tags: Unions, Michigan, Total Control, Prop 2, MEA (all tags)

Leaked MEA Memo Brags Prop 2 would Overturn Penalties for Striking Teachers - Parents Misled by Organizers about Deceptive Ballot Proposal's Far-Reaching Effects

From Lansing, we are hearing that Chicago-style teacher strikes could be heading to local school districts across Michigan if union leaders behind the deceptive Proposal 2 successfully hijack Michigan's constitution this November. According to a leaked internal memo from the state's largest teachers union, the Michigan Education Association (MEA), passage of Proposal 2 would overturn the Michigan law that creates penalties for striking teachers, paving the way for Chicago-style teacher strikes in Michigan school districts.

Teachers in Chicago yesterday walked out of their classrooms after rejecting a 16 percent pay increase, outraging parents and kicking nearly 400,000 students out of their schools and onto the streets.

While teacher strikes are technically "illegal" in Michigan, Michigan's Public Employee Relations Act (PERA) establishes the only legal penalty for teachers who walk out on their classrooms; a fine equal to one day's pay for each school day spent on strike.

In 1994 the Michigan legislature enacted Public Act 112 which amended the Public Employee Relations Act (PERA) to prohibit union bosses from removing these penalties for striking teachers during labor negotiations.

According to a leaked internal memo from the MEA (linked above), upon passage of Proposal 2:

"The prohibited bargaining topics created by 1994 PA 112 and included in Section 15(3) of PERA would NO LONGER exist (including)... Any compensation or additional work assignment intended to reimburse an employee for or to allow an employee to recover any monetary penalty imposed under PERA."

"The union bosses behind this deceptive proposal are telling parents it will not legalize teacher strikes, but what they don't tell parents is that it would eliminate the penalties that make the word "illegal" mean anything," said Nick De Leeuw, spokesman for Citizens Protecting Michigan's Constitution. "Our kids deserve teachers in the classroom, not on the picket line, but the MEA's own internal documents admit that is exactly the kind of Chicago-style crisis Proposal 2 could unleash in Michigan."

< My Tax Dollars Are Funding What!?!? | Hello, I'm Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh. And I approve of voter fraud. >

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Chicago-Style Teacher Strikes in Michigan? | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)

You've missed this little gem... (none / 0) (#1)
by KG One on Tue Sep 11, 2012 at 07:15:16 PM EST

...from Citizens Protecting Michigan's Constitution.

Including (condensed list)...

"OVERTURNED: Protections for students that require the suspension of teachers accused of having sex with students;
OVERTURNED: A law enabling school districts to fire teachers who lied about their criminal history during the hiring process;
OVERTURNED: The law prohibiting schools from hiding the unprofessional conduct of teachers from students' parents;
OVERTURNED: Law prohibiting schools from using "First in, last out" policy to protect bad teachers from removal based solely on seniority;
PREVENTED: A Democrat sponsored bill to ensures students have the best possible teachers by requiring tenure decisions to be based on teacher effectiveness, not solely time on the job;
FORBIDDEN: Job performance may be forbidden from factoring into pay increases for educators;
FORBIDDEN: The current law permitting districts to fire teachers who rate "ineffective" on three consecutive performance reviews may be forbidden;"

I'm sure that I'll draw some flak for this. But placing these items on the ballot is the best thing that could be done.

Does this mean that I support Prop 2?

In a word: HELL NO!

But, like I've indicated before on Prop 1, placing these items on the ballot is a great idea.

First, the unions will now need to present their arguments in support of these proposals to the public to engender support.

Maybe even something like this:

MEA - Protect Working Families - Vote Yes
Fade from Black to head shot of bad teacher.
v/o: "This is Sandra."
Dissolve to various shots of classrooms filled with smiling and happy looking students.
v/o: "Sandra is a not a perfect person. Sandra means well.
v/o: "But Sandra's past history of being unable to have even one of her students pass a standardized test, getting caught embezzling from the PTO and engaging in inappropriate behavior with a student have left Sandra is a position unable to find work."
v/o: "Fortunately, through the actions of the MEA and Protect Our Jobs, we will be able to prevent any future school districts and parents from discovering any of Sandra's past "mistakes" and allow Sandra a chance to do what she does best: Teach."

Dissolve to POJA logo & disclaimer.
v/o: "Help us keep people like Sandra in the classroom with your children where she belongs."
v/o: "Paid for with regulated funds by Protect Our Jobs."

Oh, yeah!

Hiding criminal records, ignoring job performance and effectiveness, defending deviants who take advantage of their students. Let them defend away on why any reprobate deserves "protection" for their job.

It will make for a good 30-second commercial.

Second, you literally need to drop a nuke on the unions/democrats on this one to make a point.

Legislation can easily be overturned with a new governor and/or legislature. Defeating multiple labor-friendly amendments to the Michigan Constitution is an effective lead-pipe message to the back of the skull that they will clearly understand.

Crushing Props 1, 2, & 4 will send a resounding message, just like what was sent in Wisconsin earlier this year, that their gravy train on the taxpayer's dime is coming to a screeching halt!