Update: Puerto Rico’s teachers strike
February 27, 2008 by libertyisforme
A teachers strike that started last Thursday continues in the island. Many Puerto Ricans and students worry that teachers decision to strike, which is is illegal under law, may affect on-time graduation for many high school seniors.
An AP story reports, that 40 percent of high school seniors don’t graduate.
I find it fascinating that the teachers union is fighting for money at the expense of kids not learning. Shouldn’t this education war be about improving academic achievement?
But unions don’t care about improving academic achievement but rather promoting their paying members needs, which aren’t economically sound.
In this scenario, teachers are asking for higher wages and better working conditions. However, Puerto Rico has been facing stagflation for the last 25 years and any pay increase enacted will continue to hurt the economy by raising taxes and lowering the standard of living.
It’s ironic how union experts actually promote higher taxes in their own industry. Why would anyone belong to a union that advocates poverty and tax hikes? One can only wonder.
So if I am working for the public benefit, I am not aloud to organize and petition my government on my own behalf? I’m not aloud to speak up for myself, my profession, and my family that may depend on my wage to keep themselves out of poverty? I can’t use the combined voice of my colleagues and peers to demand better working conditions for myself and in turn perform a better job?
You don’t need a labor union to organize, petition, or negotiate salaries.
First, assembling and petitioning your government are guaranteed under the First Amendment, so a union’s role is out.
Second, an employee and employer should be able negotiate salaries on an individual basis, instead of having a union be the middleman and craft cookie cutter contracts, which put many a disadvantage.
For example, most teacher union contracts are based on seniority and certificates rather than experience and success, which put young hard working successful teachers at a disadvantage.
Charter school and private school teachers are unionized and they are happy with their salaries. Why can’t the public sector be the same?
Unions are an extra step between you and the man. I say, remove the barrier and deal with the man yourself. What do you think?