From a solid article from In These Times:
. . . .What makes union leaders' actions so astounding is that they rejected a stalwart champion [Bernie Sanders] of their agenda who raged against the billionaire class, walked picket lines with workers and spoke obsessively about widening inequality. Instead, they opted for a millionaire former Walmart board member with a checkered past on labor issues whose campaign refused to endorse a $15 minimum wage and couldn’t even muster a tweet in favor of low-wage workers.
Some union leaders’ sins are greater than others’. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), has long been engaged in what education scholar Lois Weiner has called a "public love fest" for the Clintons. As I noted recently, the AFT has given the Clinton Foundation somewhere between $1 million and $5 million under Weingarten for reasons that remain unclear. Her name was floated in some labor circles as a potential Clinton cabinet member.
In July 2015, AFT was the first national union to endorse Clinton—much earlier than the AFT had endorsed candidates in the past and likely over the objections of large numbers of its members who backed Sanders. From emails released by WikiLeaks, we know that Weingarten promised to act as an attack dog for Clinton against another union that had endorsed Sanders in the primary. . . .
Why would Weingarten step down? She is being paid big bucks to stab her members in the back. Where else could she find a gig like that?
ReplyDeleteAbigail Shure
In the contest between Trump - who never attended a public school, has never enrolled his children in public school, and expressd no support for public education - and Hillary Clinton - who has spent her adult life advocating for children's and school issues - there really was no contest.
ReplyDeleteIn the contest between broad brush stereotypes against ethnic, religious, and racial minorities; those with disabilities; and abusive attitudes and treatment of women, there was one candidate who was clearly unacceptable and one who was respectful of differences and inclusive.
In the contest of who parents would select as a positive role model for their children, again there was no contest.
Educators had the clearest choice possible between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Weingarten and Elskelsen would have been run out of office by AFT and NEA members if they had supported Trump.
Calvin, The AFT and NEA Clinton endorsements were rigged long before the primary season was done, and the fix was pushed through despite every poll showing Sanders doing better against any Republican candidate, Trump or otherwise.
DeleteAs for differences between Trump and Clinton on education, the most significant difference remains Trump's willingness to admit he is for privatization, whereas Clinton pretends otherwise.
> "adult life advocating for children's and school issues"
DeleteYou're joking, right? Both Clinton and Trump espouse the same education policies as the John Birch Society.