Child of Union Parents Reflects on Teacher Unions
If a union is good, people will join. If a union is not good teachers should not be forced to join. A child of enthusiastic union member parents, Laura Waters, mother, education blogger and former school board president, reflects on current union agendas and why her proud union member parents would not be celebrating May Day as a day for celebrating union membership in educationpost.org.
When Dad died unexpectedly, we received many laboriously written consolation cards from his new students emanating sorrow and appreciation.
This is all to say that I’m fully aware of the intense dedication and hard work required of good teachers and of the pride my parents took in their union. They took particular pride in their union president, Albert Shanker, who led the United Federation of Teachers (the New York City arm of the AFT, the American Federation of Teachers) until 1985. They admired him not only for championing members’ rights, but also for protecting students and families.