https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-should-unions-have-eternal-life-1520982788?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1
I probably should have warned you to sit down before reading the above headline, because its such a shocker! The above article shines a light on an interesting contradiction: charter schools must “re-up” every so often, but a public sector union does not have to. This results in, for example, none of NYC teachers ever having voted to join their union, yet all must pay dues that support far more than collective bargaining efforts (read “political contributions”). James Otis must be rolling over in his grave. Anyone working with charters understands the lengths unions are going to thwart the growth of charter schools. The term “weaponizing regulation” is heard more and more. In California, Senator Tony Mendoza has introduced legislation (SB 808) that would result in districts having the last word on charter petitions AND allow districts to deny a charter if the charter would financially harm the district, a standard that would be met very easily. But the hypocrisy is that Senator Mendoza’s union supporters have caused significantly more financial harm to school districts than charters ever could. The generous and unfunded pension obligations have the potential to cripple school districts. Going back just a few years, in LAUSD alone about $2.6K of the $9.7K per student allotment went towards employee benefits including OPEB. Consider that unions claim the ability to represent all members to prevent “free riders” from benefiting from their collective bargaining efforts but engage in far more activities than just that. Then also consider that public sector unions promulgate an egregious conflict of interest that would result with someone’s head on a plate should it occur anywhere else. Those political contributions go to candidates with whom the unions then negotiate collective bargaining agreements, including benefits for union members. If Senator Mendoza was serious about preventing harm to school districts, he would do something about that. But he’s not serious, just duplicitous, and the damage his bill would do would harm the life trajectory of hundreds of thousands of disenfranchised students (and their families) who are benefiting from attending a quality charter school.