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8 CEA ADVISOR FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

JANUS, ALEC: MOUNTING THREATS, OPPORTUNITIES FACING TEACHERS CEA County Forums bring members up to speed, stress need to stand together

Teachers across Connecticut came out to their local CEA County Forums to stay on top of renewed threats to their profession and public education—and to learn how they can protect themselves. Top among those threats is a court case that aims to weaken teachers’ ability to collectively bargain for fair salaries, benefits, and working conditions. Janus vs. AFSCME , which will be decided in the coming months, is nearly identical to the Friedrichs case that teachers faced in 2016, said CEA Executive Director Donald Williams. Janus would do away with fair share fees, allowing those who don’t pay union dues to still benefit from union efforts. The lawsuit, which is an attempt to weaken unions, could mute teachers’ collective voice. In a “State of the Union” presentation, Williams explained what’s at stake in Janus (collective bargaining and all the rights and teacher freedoms that come with it), who’s behind it (so-called corporate “reformers” and profiteers), and what teachers can do now to ensure that their union stays strong (stay engaged and make sure your Janus vs. AFSCME , a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, could have a major impact on teachers if they don’t stay engaged with their union. Janus would eliminate what is known as the fair share fee, which pay for the bargaining, negotiating, and administration of teacher contracts. Once the fair share fee is abolished, teachers could choose not to pay for these services even though they directly benefit from them. This is what has happened in other states, where teachers were convinced to leave their unions. As a result, unions there have become significantly weakened. Filling the vacuum are anti-union groups that quickly gain power, and the result is that teachers’ voices are silenced, In Wisconsin, when teachers were given the option to leave the union, and most left, their compensation quickly fell; it is now 8.2 % lower than it was just a few years ago. Saving membership dues of a few hundred dollars has cost the average Wisconsin teacher $10,843 in lost income each year. Right now, Connecticut teachers are near the top in the country when it comes to salaries and benefits— even after cost-of-living adjustments. In two recent rankings, Connecticut took fourth and second place in the country, based on criteria including salary (adjusted for cost of living), benefits and working conditions, and teacher voice. “But our place at the top is not guaranteed,” cautions CEA Executive Director Donald Williams, their salaries and benefits are reduced, and their working conditions are eroded.

groups, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), through which corporations hand lawmakers model legislation that benefits their business interests—often to the detriment of students, teachers, and public schools. “Think about Wisconsin,” Cohen said, referring to a state where teachers’ rights and public education were severely eroded. “You can thank ALEC for that. Think about Michigan. You can thank ALEC for that. Think about Betsy DeVos. You can thank ALEC for that.” At the combined Middlesex/New London County Forum, Madison teacher and building rep Danielle Fragoso described her colleagues as impassioned about their union. “We all see the value of our union,” Fragoso said. “But we also know there is a need to share that information with others. If you don’t get out and talk to people, they won’t necessarily understand. It’s so important to keep members abreast of what’s going on not just in your building but in your district and beyond. That’s how the dialogue starts. That’s how it continues. That’s how we stay connected.” field in their favor. Their aim is to hold down salaries and reduce pensions and benefits so that they can put more money in their own pockets. But why go after teachers? These groups, says Williams, not only see unions as standing in the way of their profits, but they also view public education as a resource to profit from. By privatizing schools, they are able to turn the teaching profession into a “low-paying revolving door where folks come and teach for one, two, or three years—not even long enough to collect a pension.”

CEA President Sheila Cohen shares sobering news about anti-union groups’ plans to infiltrate schools.

Your colleagues explain why union membership, engagement more important than ever

colleagues do too).

Williams and CEA President Sheila Cohen warned of the impending attacks on teachers unions by groups that often masquerade as friends of teachers or advocates for education—groups that try to convince educators that they don’t need their unions. “Connecticut is in the eye of the hurricane,” Cohen cautioned. She described, among other

What Janus Sets Out to Do And why it matters to teachers

“unless our union remains strong. When you talk to fellow teachers about this and explain what’s at stake, they get it. So talk to your colleagues.” Who’s behind Janus? Though the plaintiff is an individual employee from Illinois, the Janus case is being bankrolled by powerful corporate interests. Think those who brought us Betsy DeVos. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and the right-wing Liberty Justice Center are part of a network funded by billionaires and corporate CEOs who use their wealth to tilt the playing Take a look at your teacher contract. Now imagine it reduced to a single page. Picture your classroom. Now picture it with 70 students. “We are fortunate in Connecticut to have a strong union that fights for us,” says North Haven teacher Amy Alessi, who is featured in CEA’s newest video, Membership Matters . Now more than ever, she says, it’s important to understand the vital connection between teacher voice, fair salaries, good working conditions, and the strength of the union—and how union strength depends on member engagement. In states where union strength has been eroded—including Arizona, where Alessi once taught—so too have teacher salaries, benefits, and working conditions. Teachers in

“Belonging to the union is invaluable. Whatever we can do collectively will empower us to maintain fair working conditions and not to lose jobs. I would tell any teacher who is unsure about the value of union membership that we’re the ones who are fighting for your salary, your insurance, and your benefits. The union is fighting every unfair thing thrust upon you. I have friends in North Carolina who do not have the kind of strong union you see here, and I realize how very fortunate we are in Connecticut.” Bolton music teacher Dan Ayer

Watch It, Share It : Powerful New Video Features CEA Members Illustrates how strong unions protect teachers’ rights, freedoms

those states do not have a say in what or how they teach, and in the end—with high teacher turnover and huge class sizes—it’s the students who lose. Go to cea.org to watch the short, powerful video featuring Connecticut teachers. Hear their stories. Share them with colleagues. Make sure everyone understands the significance of standing Stronger Together.