AFT’s Weingarten Supports Malloy, and Likely, Cuomo
On June 16, 2014, I wrote a post in which I wondered what American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten would say on June 17 at the official AFL-CIO endorsement of the re-election of blatantly-anti-teacher, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy.
Here is what the Connecticut Mirror had to offer by way of Weingarten’s participation in endorsing an undeniably public-education-destroyer Malloy:
Randi Weingarten, national AFT president, makes a plea for Malloy.
Wow.
But there’s more.
After endorsing Malloy for re-election, AFT-CT takes this lame, tepid, incredibly sad action by way of a feeble effort to pacify the CT rank-and-file it just sold out with its Malloy endorsement:
Before formally endorsing Malloy, the statewide labor federation adopted a resolution Tuesday calling for a requirement that an education commissioner hold the same credential as a school superintendent, a standard that Pryor does not meet.“We’re hoping the governor’s listening,” said Melodie Peters, the president of AFT-Connecticut, one of the state’s two major teachers’ unions.The resolution drawn up by the AFT, which separately endorsed Malloy ahead of the AFL-CIO convention, was a message to a Democratic governor and to labor’s rank-and-file. It was meant as a gentle rebuke to Malloy, not a rejection; a way to soothe educators, not provoke them. [Emphasis added.]
Peters “hopes” the governor is listening?? She just endorsed the anti-teacher, anti-traditional-public education, pro-charter man for a second term as CT governor.
And there is Weingarten, cheering.
In February 2014, I wrote a post in which I piece together events and predict that Weingarten will have an active hand in offering the AFL-CIO endorsement to another anti-teacher governor, New York’s Andrew Cuomo, for the upcoming democratic presidential nomination.
Some folks think I am really far off in my prediction.
I’m thinking some of those same folks would not have thought Weingarten would be in Connecticut on June 17, 2014, enthusiastically endorsing Governor Dannel Malloy for a second term.
Let us change states for a moment, shall we?
In New York, Cuomo is up for re-election.
In January 2014, New York’s United Federation of Teachers (UFT) failed to pass a resolution declaring its lack of support for Cuomo. Looks like the Lord of the Flies Unity Caucus held off on shutting down anti-public-education Governor Cuomo.
Of course they did. How else will they band together and get the man his AFL-CIO endorsement to run for president?
In the short term, when UFT endorses Cuomo for re-election as New York’s governor, Weingarten will be there once again, cheering.
I wish it weren’t so. I wish I could say that it would never happen.
I am an AFT member. However, this union– this union over and over again provides support for not for me, a career teacher, but for moneyed, powerful education privatizers.
Find an occasion in which politicians selling out public education endeavor to advance their careers, and there is Weingarten, among allies, cheering.
As for Weingarten’s speech in Connecticut on June 17:
What she said in that moment is irrelevant. She endorsed the man, and that is really what matters.
deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog 
… and then this is why union membership drops… smh
When does Weingarten come up for re-election? The union membership needs to vote her out and someone in who supports them.
Her action comes as we expected. It surprises no one. There is not more to write than I have already written on Diane’s blog: she lacks a moral center; her politics and pedagogy are despicable.
Why don’t her union members impeach her? There must be a qualifying rule regarding impeachment for this kind of turncoat activity.
Stockholm Syndrome?
The plutocrats have been very systematic in their bribery of policy makers and leaders in education. Pearson’s free trips to Rio for state school chiefs and gates millions to Ed organizations including unions have been very effective. Most ed organizations have been corrupted in this way. The leaders of course want “a seat at the table”… Only to discover they (and we) are on the menu. Then they seem to become weasels.
I fear that what is being written here- and this does not reflect on posters pedagogy or politics – is the sound and the fury, signifying nothing. Unless AFT rank and file develops a political consciousness there will be no change of leadership, educator rights will continue to be eroded and ground into dust. Public school education will continue to be delegitimized and students, families and communities will suffer. Oh, yes, rest assured, Randi Weingarten will have her coveted seat at the ‘deform’ table and take the food out of the mouths of union members. Finally, there is really one question that must be answered: What will it take for educators to develop and demonstrate the gumption to take back their own union? Are they ready to face the consequences of their own false consciousness?
This is a sad commentary. Our union leadership is looking very similar to the political hacks. They are both consumed with their own power trips. I wish Jonathan Pelto lots of luck.
I’m incredulous.
If the current “Democratic” governors of New York and Connecticut aren’t ones that teachers, parents and students shouldn’t oppose than who SHOULD they oppose? How far right must a “Democrat” move before the head of the AFT opposes them?
Is a slight—and clearly temporary and opportunistic—softening of their anti-teacher demonization, enough to buy compliance, or at least silence from Ms. Weingarten?
Has Randi been privately assured of a “soft landing” and a lucrative post -AFT career by agents of The Billionaires Boys Club if she just “plays ball” and doesn’t cause too much “trouble” while she still holds her current job. (Wasn’t that known at.one time as “selling out”? Why don’t people use that phrase much anymore when, if anything, in 2014, it’s more fitting than ever?)
Now, we’ve known for a while that Ms. Weingarten has been praised as “willing to work with reformers” and is considered “not all that bad for a union leader” by Steve Shill, eh, I mean Steve “BRILL”, the guy who is a well paid propagandist for the billionaire elite, and who spews out some of the most vicious and vile “Teacher Hatred” imaginable.
When the despicable Steve Brill is lavishly praising you, something is wrong with this picture, kids!
And you would think that Randi would have to know this too.
(How “shill” ever entered my mind when thinking about this well paid character assassin with the surname “Brill” is an absolute mystery to me… 😉
Which side are you on, Randi, which side are you on?
From the movement to unionize coal workers:
They say in Harlan County, there are no neutrals there. Either you’re a union man, or a scab for J.H.. Blair. Which side are you on,boy? Which side are you on”? ( as sung by The Almanac Singers)
Taking into account when this song was written and sung and the current importance of gender equality, seem quite clear which side ‘scab’ Weingarten is on. If only the AFT membership would catch on and get hip to Randi’s allegiances.
Really wondering how awkward the anti Gates protests in Seattle must be for Wienie. She’s faced with the people she claims to represent showing up en masse to raise holy hell against the guy she actually does represent. You made your bed Randi, now scratch in it cause I know it’s full of fleas.