Leo Casey writes on EdWize about the lessons that can be learned from the United Federation of Teachers’ decades long attempts to restore pension enhancements which allow teachers to retire at age 55 if they have 25 years of experience. (Gov. Spitzer recently signed the change into law.)
The version on my screen cuts off in what I think is the most important sentence in Leo’s post, but in terms of where I think he was going, there are lessons for all of us in this recent victory for the teachers union. It goes beyond merely building and using power wisely. The union win is about patience, relentless pushing across multiple budget cycles and even contract negotiations with the city, coalition-building, etc.
It is a textbook case of why the UFT is so good at what it does in terms of political advocacy.