Tacoma teachers avoid a strike–barely

Tacoma teachers today had enough apathetic union members to avoid a strike in a weak economy after the district essentially caved in to their demands. In many ways this will let teachers off of the hook when it comes to their disconnect with the real world. In other words, they got lucky.

From what I have read, 90% of the teachers voted to strike. When absent teachers are taken into account, the total was just 77%. This put them short of the 80% requirement for breaking the law (It has been well established that it is illegal for teachers to strike, but the law has not been properly enforced). In all fairness, I have not heard the arguments from the teachers union for striking with the latest contract offer. I really don’t know their arguments for demanding more.

What the vote says to me is that teachers let their unions think for them. That makes sense. After all, teachers train students to let teachers think for them. Among these students are those who become teachers. Teachers have accepted mindlessness as part of their daily lives, invested in further mind-numbing schooling required to enter the profession, and work in an environment that promotes mindlessness. If they don’t believe in thought, someone has to think for them.

Regardless, teachers should thank apathy for bailing out their reputations among the mindless masses who only look at overly simplified facts. Although the teachers wanted to strike, they didn’t. That’s all that most people will ever read about this dispute. That is unless they strike when they vote again on September 12.