Biden 'won't cross the picket line' at teachers union gathering

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Politico

07/05/2024 01:21 PM EDT
Updated: 07/05/2024 03:28 PM EDT


President Joe Biden will no longer address the nation’s largest teachers unions this weekend after its administrative employees walked off the job Friday.

The National Education Association Staff Organization, which represents staff that works in NEA’s headquarters, said it established a picket line around the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, where the union’s 103rd Representative Assembly is being held. This is the group’s second strike of the year, citing unfair labor practices.

Biden was slated to speak at the convention on Sunday, the last day of the gathering, but pulled out because of the strike. “President Biden is a fierce supporter of unions and he won’t cross a picket line,” said Lauren Hitt, a Biden campaign spokesperson, in a statement. “The President is still planning to travel to Pennsylvania this weekend, and we will have more details to share at a later point.”

The president’s position was quickly cheered by the staff union, which declared on X: “Thank you, @JoeBiden for respecting our picket line and upholding union values!”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/05/biden-teachers-union-strike-00166634

[4lbs]

1. I'm sure the 'far right' MAGAts will try to spin this as "Biden hates teachers. Won't speak at their biggest union."

He must hate the NEA after all. Strike it.

[GPV]

3. This teacher is feeling the love

[kimbutgar]

8. Ditto in a teachers union also!

[democrattotheend]

5. Or that he's hiding because he's too tired

Which is obviously bogus, because no serious Democratic candidate for any office would let the media take pictures of them crossing a picket line.

[Deuxcents]

2. I'm loving President Biden in solidarity with Labor ✊

[LiberalArkie]

48. Got to love a man who won't cross a union picket line picketing a union.

[duckworth969]

4. Union strong!

[myohmy2]

6. "President Biden is a fierce supporter of unions and he won't cross a picket line,"

...now this is a President that I truly respect...this is a President that deserves re-election...this a President that has our backs...

...we must have his...

[BigmanPigman]

7. Smart move

The NEA and AFT have a lot of clout.

[ancianita]

9. Yep.

Clout is right. AFT = 1,700,000 votes and the NEA = 3,000,000 votes

[former9thward]

15. The strike is against the NEA.

It is not their picket line.

[ancianita]

17. I know. And the strikers are voters. That's the clout.

The union has filed two unfair labor practice complaints with the National Labor Relations Board accusing NEA of “wage theft and failure to provide information requested by the staff union on outsourcing more than $50 million to contractors.” Another complaint alleges “retaliatory actions by an NEA manager against a NEASO staff member for reporting a physical assault as well as a failure by NEA to bargain over unilateral changes in working conditions.

NEA had previously “threatened to host its convention virtually to avoid a physical picket line,”...It also confirms what we have been saying: NEA has abandoned its union values with its actions at the bargaining table,” McLean said. “NEA would rather cancel a multi-million-dollar convention than comply with labor law.”

The previous contact expired at the end of May, leaving the NEA and NEASO locked in heated contract talks. NEASO is still negotiating with NEA management over a new three-year contract. But NEASO has accused managers of the 3 million-member labor giant of using an “anti-worker playbook” at the bargaining table

NEA leadership has turned management. They've betrayed the union workers who are also fully certified, experienced direct-delivery-of-services professionals.

[former9thward]

18. They may be voters but the adminstrative staff is a tiny union.

They are striking against the NEA which has 3 million voters.

[ancianita]

23. So go ahead. Explain what the article means. What don't I understand.

[ancianita]

24. No. The administrative staff has acted like management, made decisions on outsourcing, etc., without

a vote of the rank and file, and the rank and file professionals have complained to the NLRB about them. You didn't get that?

It wouldn't be the first time in labor history that a union's leadership sold out to corporate privatization benefits. Most administrators in schools wouldn't themselves be caught dead in a classroom.

Most of the people who want to control/criticize teaching professionals don't know a thing about the profession of teaching, or that teachers are parents themselves, or that their training is intense and lengthy about physical, emotional and mental development.

[stopdiggin]

19. then by what stretch of logic are you giving

numbers for NEA and AFT membership? That just doesn't track ....

[ancianita]

22. What am I getting wrong here?

What's to complicate about a simple number response that represents clout.

What's the big deal about a comment that basically supports who Biden supports, which is what the OP is really about, anyway.

[stopdiggin]

26. the NEA is not on strike - (the strike is against that organization and its convention)

it thus stands that President Biden would not be crossing (and thus perhaps alienating) an NEA picket.
Making the 3 million figure - superfluous (?) - if not irrelevant?

[ancianita]

28. Fine. Whatever. I'm supporting whichever part of it is striking against management and filing complaints with the NLRB.

[kelly1mm]

31. Just so you know and acknowledge that this is staff workers (tiny number) that ARE STRIKING AGAINST

the NEA. You know, those 3M strong teachers you were saying had to much clout. Not that the tiny union does not have rights for sure!

[stopdiggin]

35. reading comprehension not exactly what one might have hoped.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[kelly1mm]

37. Right! It is like "Go Teachers Union!!!!!" And I am like "You know they are the 'baddies' here, right?" and

I get deer in the headlights ......

[ancianita]

38. And just so you know and acknowledge that the NEA is not a union. I don't care what wikipedia says.

[kelly1mm]

41. My wife is a member so yes, I know and acknowledge. nt

[ancianita]

39. Fine. If you don't think 3,000,000 professionals have clout, so be it. The reading comprehension is

a problem because most people think that the NEA is a union -- but it's NOT. The NEA is an ASSOCIATION, whichever part you refer to doesn't matter.

[stopdiggin]

40. so you continue to suggest that the 3 million NEA is in

favor of the strike that shut down their annual convention?

[ancianita]

46. Okay. I see. Well, in labor union history, strikes usually don't happen within a union.

Fine. Weird, but fine.

[kelly1mm]

42. I really don't understand how you havent grasped the reality of this situation yet. The NEA,

who is a union, err 'association' my wife belongs to represents teachers. They, the union, errrr 'association' has staff members that do certain administrative duties for the union, err 'association'. They are overwhelmingly NOT teachers. Those employees have a union. That union is striking AGAINST the NEA. That is is picket line the President is not crossing.

[ancianita]

44. Fine. I appreciate your explaining. Do you know what the convention is about?

I belong to AFT Local #1, Chicago. Our national convention is in July, but I've not kept up with the NEA.

[kelly1mm]

45. It is my understanding that it is their regular annual convention. nt

[CapnSteve]

11. Yeah, we do! Proud member of Fort Bend AFT

Local 6198

[BigmanPigman]

13. I was the union rep at my school

Administrators really harassed me a lot for that but it only made me stronger.

[kelly1mm]

32. The strike is AGAINST the NEA. It is a small union representing NEA admin workers. nt

[CapnSteve]

50. Yes, I get it - NEA Staff union picketing...

…I support all unions! When looking at unions to join when I started as a teacher here, I chose AFT because of the AFL-CIO affiliation (not afraid to identify as a union) and because NEA buries the fact that they are a union.

In short, everyone deserves representation!

[former9thward]

14. Did you read the OP?

The strike is against the NEA.

[MichMan]

16. Apparently not

Bad optics for a labor union when its very own employees are striking for a fair wage.

[ancianita]

29. It is striking against the NEA leadership-turned-management that betrayed rank and file professionals and what

the rank and file wanted negotiated in their name. That's how leadership is supposed to work.

But the NEA is an 'ASSOCIATION,' not technically a union.

The rank and file want to conjoin with the AFT, which IS a bona fide union. That's been bugging NEA members for decades, because the AFT is much stronger and gets better contracts with school boards nationwide. Because they know their labor history and refuse to sell out rank and file members.
This "association" has been a poor substitute in negotiating contracts.

[kelly1mm]

36. No, No no a 1000 times no! This is clerical workers that work for the NEA itself! It is not

rank and file teacher/NEA members who have a beef with NEA management!

[ancianita]

43. The problem in this thread is that the situation is fluid, both an internal and an external conflict.

As the NEA says to Politico

“It is deeply concerning that misinformation has been shared related to our contract negotiations. This not only misrepresents the facts but also undermines the integrity of our ongoing efforts to honor a fair bargaining process.”

Who is complaining to the NLRB, if it's the staffers organization, NEASO, or if the complaint is on behalf of a larger group, still isn't clear to me, since the NLRB usually arbitrates for unions. Neither NEASO nor the NEA are unions. But the NLRB is in the best position to arbitrate a fair outcome.

[kelly1mm]

30. You do know this is a sub union striking AGAINST the NEA, right? nt

[ancianita]

47. Never heard of a sub union but will take your word for it.

[paleotn]

10. Nor should he.

[Magoo48]

12. As a former teacher's union representative, thanks Joe.

[kelly1mm]

33. This is a union STRIKING AGAINST THE TEACHERS UNION! You should read the article. nt

[Magoo48]

49. Oops.🤷🏼‍♂️

[stopdiggin]

20. so one union is striking in opposition of another union's convention?

Maybe this story isn't quite so cut and dried as seemed?
Might be kind of funny - if it didn't smack so much of dysfunctional.

Nonetheless - can't really fault Biden for staking out the position. Same time- hoping it doesn't put too many noses out of joint over at the NEA.

[MichMan]

21. The unionized employees are striking their own employer, which happens to be a very large major union

Demanding they deserve a fair contract and wages.

Wonder how many members and management are willing to cross this picket line? If they do, they are hypocrites

[stopdiggin]

25. it is/was my understanding that the NEASO is a seperate entity

(and not the same union) as NEA ... I could surely be misinformed there. (won't be the first .. ) Although I do follow the basics of what is entailed here - and the timeline and motivation behind the picket/strike. And clearly the NEA members (and organization) have said all along that they would not cross the picket if it came to pass - and thus have voluntarily scrubbed their own convention.

Joe Biden is doing essentially the same thing that the NEA itself is doing in this case. And still accruing (deserved) credit for getting out front with the right decision. But it seems unlikely that there will be an 'assembly' for him to address.

Tensions between the nation’s largest teachers’ union and its staff reached a boiling point July 5, as staff members went on strike—halting the four-day representative assembly where thousands of delegates from across the country vote on the union’s budget and priorities.

Union delegates were sent back to their hotels. NEA said it would not cross its staffers’ own picket line.

A work stoppage at the NEA’s core event appears to be unprecedented, and effectively ends the assembly. The representative assembly continued virtually for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to an in-person event in 2022.

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/neas-staff-union-is-on-strike-halting-neas-biggest-annual-gathering/2024/07

[MichMan]

53. Of course, the NEASO is separate from the NEA

Otherwise, the NEASO representing the NEA employees would be bargaining against itself.

[stopdiggin]

56. seems to be a point that a few of our posters have

utterly failed to grasp.
Beyond that - think we're pretty much in agreement regarding Biden (and for that matter NEA itself) making the correct call here.

[Bluethroughu]

27. President Biden will not be a scabbard crossing

a UNION picket line there supporting workers' rights.

[kelly1mm]

34. This is a strike by admin workers against their employer, which happens to be the NEA (teachers union). nt

[BumRushDaShow]

51. But they still set up a picket line here in Philly in front of the PA Convention Center where the convention is

and Biden indicated he would not cross that. From what the article indicated, the event was cancelled because of that action.

https://www.neasomatters.org/neaso-is-on-strike/

[Deuxcents]

52. A union picket line is to be respected while they negotiate their issues and don't cross it until they do.

[somaticexperiencing]

54. This man so does the right thing.

[Rabrrrrrr]

55. How ironic - the labor union's staff members' union has gone on strike against the union.

What the hell?