Will the DFT survive five more years?

[CaptainDetroit]

With the republicans coming to power in Lansing, probably a new financial manager for DPS, dwindling student population and a gigundous deficit, will the Detroit Federation of Teachers survive five more years?

Who do you think has the best chance of keeping it alive? Current DFT president Keith Johnson or BAMN officer Steve Conn? [[A run off election for president starts Jan 5, 2011).

[guito13]

With the republicans coming to power in Lansing...

Really? I suppose the deomcratic leadership that has been at the helm of the city for the last few decades are not worth mentioning??

How about you talk about the unions, sense of entitlement, general attitude, lack of morals/parenting, and these types of things that are occuring in the city/region that are truly the root causes?

[CaptainDetroit]

Guito13,

All good issues to discuss, but I am wondering what people think of the viability of the DFT over the next five years and who would be the best person to lead them.

[guito13]

Guito13,

All good issues to discuss, but I am wondering what people think of the viability of the DFT over the next five years and who would be the best person to lead them.

Misread DFT for DET my bad

I am not a teacher nor involved with any but I know the importantance of teachers as I grew up in a family of them. I hope they get a fair wage and benifits but also realize that times are hard and everyone has to make concessions.

[Fnemecek]

Funny thing is, when I read the headline to this thread, I thought it was a reference to the Detroit Film Theatre.

I'm quite confident that the Detroit Film Theatre will be around for years to come. As to the other DFT, I really don't know.

[iheartthed]

Will the DPS survive five more years?

[DetroitTeacher]

DPS is on life support now. I think someone is going to pull the plug pretty soon and put it out of its misery.

[Al Publican]

My grandfather grew up with the Reuther brothers. I belong to several unions and support the concept of unions in certain workplaces. As for public employees like teachers, they should never be allowed to strike, as they too often have done.

One way I would compromise with teacher unions is to make public school pay scales uniform state-wide rather than by school district. The teachers pension is a state managed fund. Therefore, let public school teachers be, in effect, state employees with local supervision.

[Zacha341]

Exactly.... the dems have not exactly been union or teacher friendly from the white house to local. How can this be ignored? Jenny started it, and now Snyder may finish it........ Bearing in mind so much has run aground under democratic leadership, but of course that too is ignored.

Really? I suppose the deomcratic leadership that has been at the helm of the city for the last few decades are not worth mentioning??

How about you talk about the unions, sense of entitlement, general attitude, lack of morals/parenting, and these types of things that are occuring in the city/region that are truly the root causes?

[Wesley Mouch]

My grandfather grew up with the Reuther brothers. I belong to several unions and support the concept of unions in certain workplaces. As for public employees like teachers, they should never be allowed to strike, as they too often have done.

One way I would compromise with teacher unions is to make public school pay scales uniform state-wide rather than by school district. The teachers pension is a state managed fund. Therefore, let public school teachers be, in effect, state employees with local supervision.

Great post!

Unionism proved essential against the Unbridled Capitalism of early industrial America.

Public Employee Unions today show that Unbridled Unionistrim also has structural flaws that disproportionately tilt power. At the same time, we see flaws that allow great losses by Unions such as the UAW.

When Union radicals prevent creative Unionism, see Green Dot, there's a structural flaw to be addressed.

Thanks for cutting some new ground w/ your post.