NPRI Wants Bailout to Continue Harrassing Teachers

Apparently, having CCSD Administration provide them with the district's email program to contact teachers earlier this month isn't enough for NPRI. They're still on their mission to bust the teachers' union. And despite their lack of success, they refuse to relent.

Last month, the Nevada Policy Research Institute launched a multifaceted initiative to inform Clark County School District teachers of their right to drop their union membership between July 1 and July 15. Nevada is a right-to-work state, which means teachers cannot be compelled to join the union as a condition for employment.

NPRI representatives distributed pre-written opt-out letters and pre-stamped envelopes at two School Board meetings; gave radio, TV and newspaper interviews; and even sent two emails to 12,000 teachers through the district’s email system.

Yet despite all that hypocritical teabagger bullshit, CCEA union membership has barely budged. Gosh, I wonder why. Could it perhaps be that teachers are too smart to fall for NPRI's nonsensical song and dance routine? Could it perhaps be that teachers can already sense what CCSD Administration would do if no one was around to tell them no?

But wait, there's more! Apparently, it's not good enough for NPRI that CCSD bosses gave them access to their secure network that's only supposed to be for official school business. Oh no, they want more! And they intend to throw a temper tantrum in Carson City next year over it!

Although the opt-out period ends Sunday, NPRI’s official campaign will not, [NPRI spin doctor Victor] Joecks said.

NPRI plans to lobby legislators during the 2013 session to get rid of opt-out periods altogether, Joecks said. The campaign will also expand to Washoe County teachers and perhaps other collective bargaining units, he added.

Give me a break! So because their CCSD union busting campaign isn't quite going as planned, they want to "NPR-whine" to the Legislature and bully them into aiding and abetting their union busting campaign? Are they fucking serious?!

I hope legislators will have enough spine to tell these hypocrites where they can shove their anti-worker nonsense. It's already hard enough for workers to form and maintain a union in this state. And teachers are already getting enough grief from overzealous administrators who would rather cooperate with crazed anti-education radical right ideologues than negotiate in good faith with the teachers.

Enough is enough. Teachers have already had to fight just to prevent CCSD bosses from stealing away promised salary step increases and education bonuses (that had already been approved for the previous contract!). They're already overworked and underpaid as is. And now, the Legislature will have to consider helping NPRI bust their union just so administrators can keep wasting the very few funds our schools have on iPads, "administrative support staff", and fancy all expenses paid by us the taxpayers vacations "recruitment trips"?

Get real, NPRI! No more bailouts for you! Before you chide anyone else one more time on "relying on government handouts", you need to start practicing what you preach.