Unionized Rhode Island Teachers Refuse To Work 25 Minutes More Per Day, So Town Fires All Of Them

**freckles** · 15th February 2010 12:42 PM

CLAP...CLAP...CLAP...CLAP

And here's to hoping she set a precedent!

A school superintendent in Rhode Island is trying to fix an abysmally bad school system.

Her plan calls for teachers at a local high school to work 25 minutes longer per day, each lunch with students once in a while, and help with tutoring. The teachers' union has refused to accept these apparently onerous demands.

The teachers at the high school make $70,000-$78,000, as compared to a median income in the town of $22,000. This exemplifies a nationwide trend in which public sector workers make far more than their private-sector counterparts (with better benefits).

The school superintendent has responded to the union's stubbornness by firing every teacher and administrator at the school.

A sign of things to come?

Mish Shedlock has the details at Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis:

Central Falls Rhode Island Fires Every High School Teacher

Here is an interesting email from "Jason" regarding high schools in Central Falls Rhode Island. Jason writes:

Hi Mish,

As I'm sure you're aware, Rhode Island has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.

Central Falls is one of the poorest towns in the state. It looks like the pictures everyone's seen of Detroit or Flint. There are lots of boarded up windows, abandoned buildings, decrepit factories with broken windows, etc. It's an absolutely depressed community. According to Wikipedia, the median income in the town is $22k.

Teacher salaries at the high school average $72-78k. Apparently 50% of the students at the school are failing all of their classes, and the graduation rate is also under 50%. In an effort to turn the school around, the superintendent requested some changes be made whereby the school day would be slightly extended, teachers would perform some extra tutoring, etc.

The union balked and refused the terms, so now she is firing the entire teaching staff of the high school and replacing them. This is yet another example of unions digging their own graves by refusing to negotiate or accept reasonable terms. Sentiment is on the side of the superintendent, at least among the folks I have discussed the issue with.

Jason

With that backdrop, please consider Central Falls to fire every high school teacher.

The teachers didnâ€™t blink.

Under threat of losing their jobs if they didnâ€™t go along with extra work for not a lot of extra pay, the Central Falls Teachersâ€™ Union refused Friday morning to accept a reform plan for one of the worst-performing high schools in the state.

The superintendent didnâ€™t blink either.

After learning of the unionâ€™s position, School Supt. Frances Gallo notified the state that she was switching to an alternative she was hoping to avoid: firing the entire staff at Central Falls High School. In total, about 100 teachers, administrators and assistants will lose their jobs.

Gallo blamed the unionâ€™s â€œcallous disregardâ€ for the situation, saying union leaders â€œknew full well what would happenâ€ if they rejected the six conditions Gallo said were crucial to improving the school. The conditions are adding 25 minutes to the school day, providing tutoring on a rotating schedule before and after school, eating lunch with students once a week, submitting to more rigorous evaluations, attending weekly after-school planning sessions with other teachers and participating in two weeks of training in the summer.

http://www.businessinsider.com/henry...of-them-2010-2

**michaelr** · 15th February 2010 12:48 PM

if this country continues to blame the unions for the problems, then the problems will only grow. Signed a a card carrying member of the Carpenters Union of the US.

**Chief** · 15th February 2010 12:57 PM

Sounds good to me. I hope we fire the longshoremen next.

**michaelr** · 15th February 2010 12:59 PM

[quote name='gabebrooks' date='15 February 2010 - 11:57 AM' timestamp='1266263864' post='115971']

Sounds good to me. I hope we fire the longshoremen next.

[/quote]

I bet you do, hell everyone can work for Wal-Mart wages, your a gud merkin.

**Chief** · 15th February 2010 01:02 PM

[quote name='michaelr' date='15 February 2010 - 11:59 AM' timestamp='1266263967' post='115973']

I bet you do, hell everyone can work for Wal-Mart wages, your a gud merkin.

[/quote]

I know... it's sad. I wish I could be good like the longshoremen, peeing on walls, going to work drunk, picking fights... damn, if only I could be so classy.

**michaelr** · 15th February 2010 01:05 PM

[quote name='gabebrooks' date='15 February 2010 - 12:02 PM' timestamp='1266264136' post='115978']

I know... it's sad. I wish I could be good like the longshoremen, peeing on walls, going to work drunk, picking fights... damn, if only I could be so classy.

[/quote]

Ever go to the docks, or are you just pretending to know what the hell your saying. I have friends that are longshoreman, my crew was union. I respect the unions, and anyone who states otherwise either does not have any idea what they are saying, or believe some politician who wants to destroy the middle class.

**Chief** · 15th February 2010 01:11 PM

[quote name='michaelr' date='15 February 2010 - 12:05 PM' timestamp='1266264332' post='115980']

Ever go to the docks, or are you just pretending to know what the hell your saying. I have friends that are longshoreman, my crew was union. I respect the unions, and anyone who states otherwise either does not have any idea what they are saying, or believe some politician who wants to destroy the middle class.

[/quote]

I lived in Long Beach for 5 years. One of my childhood friends works at Maersk. I have known, worked around, and lived around these guys, and you can have them.

**michaelr** · 15th February 2010 01:16 PM

[quote name='gabebrooks' date='15 February 2010 - 12:11 PM' timestamp='1266264675' post='115988']

I lived in Long Beach for 5 years. One of my childhood friends works at Maersk. I have known, worked around, and lived around these guys, and you can have them.

[/quote]

Well whatever, I would doubt that the entire dock shows up drunk, hell I know that there are dangers at that type of work, and everyone wants to go home. Your argument is weak.

**Disappointed not surprised** · 15th February 2010 01:21 PM

[quote name='michaelr' date='15 February 2010 - 11:59 AM' timestamp='1266263967' post='115973']

I bet you do, hell everyone can work for Wal-Mart wages, your a gud merkin.

[/quote]

So your saying unionized people typically are worth the normal compensation rates offered by Walmart? I'd have to agree with you there! The prices at the unionized grocery store near my house are about double the prices at the non-unionized store. Call me selfish, but I don't want to pay some guy $25.00 with full medical and dental to stack bananas in the produce section. I wish banana stacker guy well and hope he lives a wonderful life, I'm just not willing to pay for it so I shop at the other store without union representation.

The artificially inflated salary and benefits that Unionized people get are often unearned, unwarranted and undeserved. Exhibit number one is certainly the teacher's union as highlighted in this thread's case.

**Chief** · 15th February 2010 01:25 PM

[quote name='michaelr' date='15 February 2010 - 12:16 PM' timestamp='1266264968' post='115995']

Well whatever, I would doubt that the entire dock shows up drunk, hell I know that there are dangers at that type of work, and everyone wants to go home. Your argument is weak.

[/quote]

My argument is based on my experience, so it's not different than yours.

The longshoremen could be replaced with trained monkeys.

If the unions want to get more public support, they should consider being the best skilled, most professional, etc... rather than violent degenerates, making a crapload of money in extortion and protection rackets, at the eventual expense of consumers.