Thompson: A Looming Teachers' Strike In Obama's Hometown

A recent NPR piece (A New Union Battle as Chicago Teachers, Mayor Clash) notes the looming possibility that there could be a teachers' strike in the President's hometown on the eve of the 2012 presidential election.  This would be the product of what CTU President Karen Lewis describes as Mayor Rahm Emanuel's "absolute abject lack of respect and scapegoating of teachers, paraprofessionals and clinicians throughout this country." 

Emanuel, President Obama's former chief of staff, is just an extreme example of the gratuitous attacks on teachers and unions that have been further encouraged by an ostensibly pro-union president. But, President Obama may learn that his "Sister Soldja" tactic, of beating up teachers in order to demonstrate his toughness, may not be cost-free.  The NPR piece compared the Chicago dispute to the attacks on labor in Wisconsin (which was another place where the Democratic president distanced himself from the party's loyal allies) and closes with the observation of labor professor Robert Bruno, "How exactly does it look to have a major collective-bargaining dispute — a strike of public-sector workers — in his (Obama's) home city, on the eve of a tight presidential election with battleground states all around Illinois?"

Labor should stage an intervention for President Obama.  Unions should announce that until his policies change, they will tithe 10% of the donations that should go to his campaign to strike and legal funds to fight the abuses by Emanuel and other union bashers.- JT(@drjohnthompson) image via.  

Comments

[Mary]

Okay, now you're talking! I'm in.

[Art]

Withhold contributions to President Obama? Mitt Romney would surely agree. Your ingenuity in proposing actions that hurt your own side is truly Rumsfeldian.

[Sarah]

I wonder how Obama’s, for lack of a nicer term, neglect of education policy will affect voters in his hometown? Statistically, education has always been the issue with the least sway over voters because of the typical age of a child in school, but I wonder if things will change.