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Opinion
Jul. 20, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: Union dues

Ron Taylor, a Clark County middle school teacher, upset his bosses. He raised questions about how they were spending their money. He complained about the health care benefits they set up. Worst of all, he tried to recruit some of his fellow teachers to join a union -- the Teamsters -- and have it certified as their bargaining agent.

That was it. They threw him out.

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    • Mr. Taylor went to the Local Government Employees-Management Relations Board, complaining he'd been subjected to unfair labor practices.

    And last week, he prevailed. The respondents had subjected the teacher to "prohibited labor practices," the board ruled. It's illegal to "restrain or coerce anyone of their right" to organize for or join a union -- any union -- the board ruled. Mr. Taylor's expulsion could have "a chilling effect" on others who wish to criticize their bosses.

    Those bosses also showed "personal animosity" toward him and never tried to work with him to resolve his concerns, the board ruled.

    Not only must Mr. Taylor be reinstated, with all the typical fringe benefits (malpractice insurance, even discounted movie tickets) but respondents must reimburse him for his expenses in fighting his expulsion -- as much as $10,000, since they stretched out what would normally be a 90-day hearing process over two years by hiring a law firm to file counterclaims.

    Wow. Sounds like the administrators of the Clark County School District got caught red-handed interfering with a teacher's right to ask questions and organize a union, didn't they?

    Um ... no.

    The outfit that's now ordered to reimburse Mr. Taylor his $10,000 and reinstate him with full privileges of membership is the Clark County Education Association -- the teacher union.

    And because the board found the union guilty of "prohibited labor practices," the ruling must be publicly posted -- Mr. Taylor says he'll put it "on every union bulletin board in every school in Clark County."

    CCEA Executive Director John Jasonek says the case is about the right of a union to expel a hostile member, and that the union plans to appeal. Mr. Taylor responds the union may have trouble finding grounds for an appeal, since it stipulated to the facts before the state board.

    In terms of the principles involved, Mr. Jasonek of the union is right. Unions are (or ought to be) private outfits. The right to free association means an organization should be free to boot any member they find hostile to their goals and operations.

    The problem is that current labor law constitutes a massive maze of interferences with and exceptions to the rights of free association and voluntary contract -- and that the unions, having helped cobble together this convoluted legal rabbit trap in ways designed to benefit them, usually like it that way.

    Which perhaps justifies a brief smile when one of those self-righteous outfits, always mewling about the "right to organize," finds itself hoist by its own petard.

    What's to be afraid of, guys? If some of your members think the Teamsters could get them a better deal, call for a secret vote. Let the best union win.

    It's surely not about the money, is it?

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    Travis wrote on July 20, 2008 02:31 PM: tbob, it could always get worse, trust me. There are thousands of exceptional students who graduate from CCSD high schools every year. Don't mix them in with the rest of the bunch.

    Eddie Goldman and education mix like C4 and a blasting cap; only destruction will follow.


    Genius wrote on July 20, 2008 01:49 PM: The facist CCEA is one of the primary impediments to education. Unions at one time in America history were necessary to clean up the real abuses of the captians of industry. Today, unions are moot considering the Byzantine labor laws scattered all over the books.


    tbob wrote on July 20, 2008 12:44 PM: Unlike the ones coming out now?


    Brian wrote on July 20, 2008 12:26 PM: The very thought of Eddie Goldman winning a School Board slot gives me chills. He is a serious threat to education in our district. He will work to destroy everything, and our students will come out of our schools as walking morons.


    Mike Ault wrote on July 20, 2008 11:52 AM: "a chilling effect" is liberal code for "if it could ever happen even under the most incredible of circumstances."


    teacher wrote on July 20, 2008 11:35 AM: Vote Ron Taylor for school board.

    (And vote against Eddie Goldman. They're in different districts, but if you're in one of them, vote FOR Taylor, AGAINST Goldman. If you're not in either, encourage anyone you know who is.)

    And if you're a teacher, drop the CCEA, and let them know why. What's that you say? They will only let you drop during two weeks in July, and that date is passed? Yes, the public and the R-J should know this,too...


    Brian wrote on July 20, 2008 11:16 AM: Every teacher knows the CCEA is in bed with the district. We had our chance to change unions to the Teamsters, but the teachers didn't have the guts to change. (The CCEA mailed a letter every week with propaganda against the Teamster, instead of working out our contract, and the teachers fell for it.

    The $1,000,000 tort insurance is the only matter that makes it worth being in the union. The save in movie tickets is a joke. You save two bucks, but it cost four bucks in gas to drive to pick up the tickets.


    Travis wrote on July 20, 2008 10:47 AM: Virgil hit the nail directly on the head with his earlier post. Ron can bring about accountability by asking the right questions. He is an extremely intelligent and driven individual to do what is right for education in Las Vegas.


    Travis wrote on July 20, 2008 10:45 AM: Lol, thank you tim. I never have a problem calling a spade a spade.


    tim wrote on July 20, 2008 10:39 AM: thank you travis,a teacher with guts,admitting a useless program,highly commendable,hope i spelled that right.


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