One of the main reasons that billionaires like the Waltons fund charters is to cripple the teachers’ unions. Ninety percent of charter schools are non-union. The teachers are often unlicensed and lack certification. A large number are Teach for America and have no intention of making teaching their career. Charter teachers serve at-will and may be fired for any reason.
The American Federation of Teachers announced that charter teachers in Cleveland have joined their union.
Educators Win Historic Union Charter School Organizing Victory in Cleveland
Teachers and Support Staff at University of Cleveland Preparatory School Join the Ohio Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers to Address High Turnover and Improve Education for Their Students
CLEVELAND—In a historic first for Cleveland, teachers and support staff at University of Cleveland Preparatory School voted overwhelmingly today to join the Ohio Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers, hoping to improve conditions for students and teachers. UCP is part of the network of charter schools operated by Cleveland-based I CAN SCHOOLS.
The successful vote represents the first union charter school organizing victory in Cleveland, adding to a growing national movement of charter school educators demanding a voice for their profession.
Educators across the I CAN SCHOOLS chain are organizing to form a union to challenge the conditions that lead to high teacher turnover. Teachers and support staff say lack of job security has a chilling effect on raising concerns or suggestions to better support students’ individual needs. Teachers have had no voice in professional development or their evaluation process.
Today’s win was hard-earned. In 2014, in response to teachers’ organizing efforts, I CAN SCHOOLS undertook a brazen anti-educator campaign. Seven teachers who were instrumental in union organizing were fired as punishment.
In spite of this, teachers did not back down. They continued their organizing efforts and remained committed to a shared vision of real partnership among families, the administration and teachers; transparency in school policy, procedures and decision-making; a strong voice for educators to promote student achievement; reasonable expectations and workload; adequate staffing; protected planning time; educational support; and accountability. Families of I CAN students joined the effort by issuing an open letter to the administration demanding turnover be addressed, demanding meetings with members of the administration and circulating an online petition to support teachers.
“This takes us one giant step closer to our goal of a contract for educators and support staff that improves school accountability, respects our professionalism and gives us a strong voice to advocate for students,” said Abi Haren, a second-grade assistant teacher at UCP.
Haren was among the fired I CAN teachers. All seven were reinstated with full back pay after the National Labor Relations Board found I CAN had violated their rights by wrongfully terminating them based on their union activity. In total, 17 unfair labor practice charges were filed against I CAN SCHOOLS in 2014. Currently the National Labor Relations Board is investigating additional unfair labor practice charges involving illegal surveillance and retaliation against pro-union teachers at UCP and Northeast Ohio College Preparatory School.
“These hardworking educators deserve a seat at the table, and the students and families served by UCP deserve teachers and staff who are empowered to deliver the best education possible—that’s what forming a union is all about. We’re proud to welcome our new union sisters and brothers at UCP,” said Cleveland Teachers Union President David Quolke, who is an AFT vice president. “Those closest to the education process must have a voice in education policy and practice.”
“We welcome the teachers and support staff of UCP into our union. We know we share many common challenges and a common vision of professionalism and high-quality, student-centered education,” said Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper, also an AFT vice president.
“This vote to have a voice through a union is a historic move for the charter educators in Cleveland. There is now a growing movement of teachers at charter schools across the country who are committed to raising their voices so they can better advocate for the students they serve,” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.
“I CAN teachers and staff have overcome serious anti-union tactics, and they have stuck together and united with I CAN families to speak out for their students. They want the same things all educators want: a voice in decisions that affect their students, fair evaluations that help them grow professionally, due process protections, and transparency and accountability from their employers.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“Currently the National Labor Relations Board is investigating additional unfair labor practice charges…[involving illegal surveillance and retaliation against pro-union teachers at UCP and Northeast Ohio College Preparatory School.]” What else was illegal? Why are more charter schools not sued for their illegal practices?
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It would be interesting to look at whether the big private ed reform funders who are also anti-union (Walton, Broad, DeVos) choose NOT to fund and promote the charter chains where teachers organize.
I don’t know how anyone would find out because of course all the funding decisions are made privately but they COULD deny the charters that unionize private funds and increase private funding to charters without unions if they chose.
The private backers are in a position to really create the “marketplace” of charter schools they prefer by using the funding and promotion lever, and they can do it with no transparency or public accountability at all. They can pick winners and losers and “no union” could be one the factors they use.
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Gates should also be on your list of anti-union, so-called reform funders, though he operates in a more stealthy and insidious way, funding fifth columnist organization like Educators 4 Excellence to bore from within and undermine the unions.
He recognizes, in a way the Walton’s do not, that a compliant union that accepts the premises of so-called reform, as do both the AFT and NEA, is useful, at least on a transitional basis, in getting the union to co-manage teachers and keep them passive (something the AFT excels at), while his other operatives do everything they can to destroy it.
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You could even look at state governments. I CAN is trying to expand into Indiana. Indiana has a majority anti-union state government. Does the fact that I CAN has one school that unionized and another that is trying to join a union impact the decisions of Indiana lawmakers on WHICH charter chain expands into their state?
We’d never know but if you’re a lawmaker who has spent years destroying labor unions it’s hard for me to believe that wouldn’t be a factor in any decision. Couldn’t they just quietly favor the non-union charter chain over the unionized chain since no one in the public knows how or why these decisions are made?
If ed reform wanted to, they could selectively create a more favorable playing field for certain charter chains over others based on really any number of expressed or unexpressed factors. We’re all just taking their word on it that promotion and funding of one chain over another is based on “merit”.
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The union movement is very important to future school graduates, in terms of their career progression and compensation. The United States owes itself the growth of unions, so that a middle class can afford products and services, building the economy.
Recently, Silicon Valley’s leading corporations were charged with colluding to suppress wages. Executives, particularly in the tech and hedge fund industries, steal labor’s productivity gains to enrich themselves and their shareholders. It’s bad for America’s economy, bad for democracy, and bad for social advancement.
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