EDUSolidarity
http://www.edusolidarity.org
I'm not a great teacher at this point in my career. It's only my second year teaching, and I am lucky enough to work with a number of excellent teachers who are a constant reminder of how much I have to learn. I am also at a charter school, so I am not currently in a union, and I think that there are important ways that my school suffers because of that fact.
Don't get me wrong. Most of the time I love my school. I think we are achieving some awesome results for our scholars, and everyone works incredibly hard. When it comes time to negotiate contracts, however, I really wish we had a union and the fairness that comes from them.
I don't have the training or temperament to negotiate well for my salary, which I must do every year. The same can be said for many of my co-workers, and we talk enough (with each other and with those who are better negotiators) to feel that we are being taken advantage of. Even if we are not actually wronged, the situation gives that impression. It leads us to wonder if decisions are influenced by unreasonable factors like gender, age, and personal relationships with administrators.
I believe that unions (especially large ones in big cities) can be unwieldy and have their weaknesses. Yet, there are always these types of issues and distrust, and I believe that unions are necessary to fight against them. I reiterate: I like my school most of the time. I just believe it could be more effective, stronger, and a happier place to work with the structured fairness of a union.