Michigan's Teachers Mulling A (statewide) Strike?

[Bozita]

Source: WILX-TV

Michigan's Teachers Mulling A Strike?
The Michigan Education Association, in response to proposed cuts from the Snyder administration, is asking members for the authority to initiate job action
Posted: 5:01 PM Mar 18, 2011
Reporter: Liam Martin

LANSING -- With another potential education cut looming, teachers are considering desperate measures.

"These attacks and these cuts will be devastating to children, and to schools," said Iris Salters, president of the Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union.

It sent out a letter this week to its members, bashing Governor Snyder's plan to slash at least $470 per pupil -- and asking for the authority to call a strike, if that cut goes through.

"The legislation being considered on a daily basis at the Capitol (emergency managers, step freezes, mandatory privatization, mandatory health insurance payments, budget cuts, etc.) are outright attacks on our students, our members, our communities and our future," the letter reads.

It asks members to vote at their local MEA chapters between now and April 14 on whether or not to give the union the "authority to initiate crisis activities up to and including job action."

Read more: http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/Teachers_Union_Mulling_A_Strike_118264334.html

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THIS would get the masses off their asses.

THIS would turn Michigan into Wisconsin!

[neoralme]

1. What else can they do?

[DeSwiss]

2. We should ALL go on strike. - K&R n/t

[knitter4democracy]

3. His budget would cost our school $50K. That's a position.

His massive power grab, though, is far more frightening.

[GreenEyedLefty]

4. I'm a public school employee in MI.

The MEA is indeed contemplating a work stoppage. Apparently we will be asked to vote to give the MEA authority to initiate crisis activities, including job action. We will hear more about this from the president of our bargaining unit very soon.

This is serious, serious shit. I just started this job and hope to keep it, but I will stand in solidarity with Michigan's educators in fighting against this assault on our educational system and our livelihoods.

Please keep us in your thoughts over the coming weeks.

[Motown_Johnny]

7. I'm a Detroit resident and I support your efforts

of course I am a raging liberal who's mother was a Detroit Public school teacher for 38 years, but for what it is worth, I am with you on this.


MEA had a nice turnout in Lansing Wednesday. Most showed up late, after school had gotten out, but I spoke with a couple retired teachers who were there all day. A pretty good showing from students too. Some were wearing cardboard boxes and written on the boxes were things like "this could be your home". Lots of "If you can read this, thank a teacher" kinda signs too.

[Bozita]

5. GOPer House Speaker calls it "shameful" (but cutting school funding is patriotic)

http://www.freep.com/article/20110318/NEWS06/103180435/MEA-letter-asks-teachers-about-striking-over-school-funding-cuts

MEA letter asks teachers about striking over school funding cuts
Mar 18, 2011
BY CHRIS CHRISTOFF
DETROIT FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU CHIEF

Michigan's largest teachers union is stirring up possible teacher strikes -- perhaps a statewide strike -- to protest what the union calls attacks by Gov. Rick Snyder and the Republican-led Legislature on unions, school funding and middle-class taxpayers.

A letter by Michigan Education Association President Iris Salters to 1,100 locals asks them whether the union should authorize "job action," up to and including illegal strikes, to "increase pressure on our legislators."

The union and other education advocates have criticized Snyder's proposal to cut funding to schools by $470 per pupil as excessive.

The widely circulated letter drew sharp criticism from House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall. In a prepared statement, he called it shameful for the MEA to put the union's interests ahead of children. He also said it would be disrespectful of the children's parents in a struggling economy.

"I encourage teachers to send a clear message to the union bosses that they are out of control and Michigan's children need to come first," Bolger wrote.

MEA spokesman Doug Pratt said teachers are dedicated to their students and that "cutting millions from the education budget in favor of business tax cuts isn't good for kids, either."

more...

[lobodons]

6. Recall Snyder

Recall preferable to strike. I heard Snyder could be recalled as early as July.

[Motown_Johnny]

8. we can start collecting signatures to recall him on July 1st...

... we have 90 days to collect signatures equal to 25% of the amount of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. My math has that at slightly over 780,000 but I have seen 900,000 kicked around. Maybe they are planning on some of the signatures not being valid, to early to know exactly what is up with that.

Anyways, the trick here is that although we have 90 days to collect signatures if we want to be on the ballot in November we need to have our petitions in by (something like) August 4th.


So July is going to be a big month, but if we don't get all the signatures we need by early August I believe we can have a special election to recall him.

More info at http://firericksnyder.org/recall-faq

[femmocrat]

10. +1 Don't strike. They will use it against you. nt

[Rage for Order]

9. "These attacks and these cuts will be devastating to children"

"But teachers going on strike, forcing classes to be canceled, will benefit our students!"

:eyes:

Michigan currently spends about $9,809 per pupil. Decreasing that by $470 to $9,339 per pupil would be "devastating"? To whom?

[kwassa]

12. Do you have a point? What is it, and how does this table support it?

Michigan is already halfway down the list in per-pupil expenditures.

You might better ask about what has to be eliminated to achieve that number.

$470 X 530 = $249,000.

There are about 530 students in my school. This type of cut would wipe out about 4-5 faculty positions out of about 30, and I would point out that class sizes are already rising to absurd sizes. There will be as many as 27 kindergartners in a class next year, and 30 5th graders, in order to reduce total teaching positions.

[Rage for Order]

13. If they cut $470 per pupil they will go from 26 to 32

That's not a significant drop. Should all states spend the same amount so that no state is in first place or last place when it comes to per pupil spending? Is there no wasteful spending that can be cut from the Michigan public school system?

[Bozita]

11. This toon seems to fit nicely here ...