by AFT President Sandra Feldman
September 2000

Labor unions are
a positive force
in education and many
other fields.

What better time is there than Labor Day to talk about what's wrong with knee-jerk antiunionism--the kind that was on display in a recent Wall Street Journal editorial (July 31, 2000).

Having congratulated George W. Bush on Texas's education record, the Journal went on to take a whack at teacher unions: According to the editorial writer, nothing like the Texas reform could ever happen in a state where teacher unions are influential. Of course attributing this "miracle" solely to Governor Bush is a bit much to begin with. Anyone who has followed the progress of education reform in Texas knows that the reform measures bearing fruit today--higher standards, accountability, and testing--were put in place under two Democratic governors beginning in 1984. They probably also know that the Texas Federation of Teachers and strong AFT locals in major Texas cities (yes, there are unions in Texas) have backed these reforms since at least 1983. The union is also responsible for fighting for smaller class size, and it introduced the reading and anti social-promotion initiatives that Governor Bush has now adopted as his own.

Ignoring the Facts

Texas aside, the Journal's easy assumption that unions stand in the way of quality in any area in which they work just doesn't stand up to scrutiny. If it were true, the nation's best schools would be in states where there is no collective bargaining and where unions have less clout (states like Alabama and Mississippi) instead of in states (like New York and Connecticut) where unions are active and well established. And if it were true, we certainly would not see some of the world's best school systems in Scandinavia and in countries like France and Germany where the union movement is as strong or stronger than it is here.

In fact, professionals are turning more and more to unions in large part because they care about the quality of service their clients get. As a result of changes in the health-care industry, health professionals often feel powerless to ensure that their patients get good quality care. That's why many of them--nurses, doctors, and even psychologists---are joining unions. They want a voice in maintaining the standards of their professions.

Of course, in giving members voice, as well as trying to get them decent working conditions and reasonable wages, unions sometimes ruffle feathers. That can happen when we stand up for our members in a disagreement with management. But, like it or not, this freedom to speak out with a united voice is one of the foundations of our democratic system. It's called freedom of association, and it's the reason totalitarian regimes always target unions for destruction, along with religious institutions, the media, and groups that are "different."

You don't have to be a dictator to want things to run smoothly. So it's not surprising when management is less than enthusiastic about a union's exercising its right to dissent--when members refuse to go along and, when all else fails, even walk off the job.

But people should pay attention when workers raise their voices--even when a union takes an unpopular position. It could be that a new way of doing things is simply not working. It could be that people on the job have some worthwhile criticisms that should be taken into account. It could be, for example, that teachers are right when they say that merit pay is likely to discourage collegiality and teamwork. And it could be that when teacher unions say we are not going to get the top people we need in the profession until we pay for them, they're telling the truth.

Providing Balance

I'd be the last to insist that unions never make mistakes. But so does management--that's why we need the balance unions provide. In a democratic system, where voice is respected--and both sides act responsibly--everyone benefits.

This is certainly true in schools. Teacher unions may have their differences with school districts but they also provide important support, and often leadership, for the higher standards and accountability that are improving our schools across the nation.

Can people who suffer from knee-jerk reactions to labor unions--or any other group or idea--be cured? Of course, all they have to do is start looking at the whole story. And that's not a bad project for Labor Day.