Bargaining for the Common Good – An Invasive Species

Social justice unionism,” or “bargaining for the common good,” is the jimson weed of education, an invasive species that just keeps growing and growing.  In the past few years teacher union officials have fomented unrest over the loss of forced dues through the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation’s landmark Supreme Court Janus decision, and other issues.  While “social justice” was a fad for them in the 1990’s, Mike Antonucci turns his gimlet eye on their efforts to revive the issue again, exposing it as just another ploy for members and money.

Teachers unions are no longer interested in negotiating only the salaries, benefits and working conditions of their members, but affordable housing, restorative justice, climate change and a host of other social issues as well.

Unions call this “bargaining for the common good” and have parlayed the concept into positive — to the point of fawning — media coverage. As a public relations exercise, it has to be considered a resounding success, but our press outlets repeatedly overlook the flaws in the argument that public employee contracts are the proper place to address public policy issues.