It's All About the Children

I was afraid that the union thugs from Big Education might be spending too much time on educator development, childhood learning issues, you know; minding their own store. Now, thankfully, they're back on track putting union ahead of everything:

ST. PAUL (AP) - Teachers unions in Minneapolis and St. Paul are urging their members not to shop at Wal-Mart for back-to-school supplies because they say the retail giant doesn't pay its workers enough. The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers is considering whether to stop reimbursing members for school supplies bought at Wal-Mart.

I wonder if that's legal. If you are a teacher, do you have to bend over for union activism?

"This is the beginning of a much more in-depth education program, in which we tell our members why and what Wal-Mart does - not just to small towns, but to workers,'' said Louise Sundin, president of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers.

No, you stoodge, this is about crumbling labor. This is about Big Education carrying the water for the United Food & Commercial Worker's union, who are batting about .019 against Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart called boycott is a "smear campaign'' stemming from unsuccessful attempts to unionize its employees. Wal-Mart spokesman Dan Fogelman said the chain helps teachers by selling school supplies at low cost. "This shouldn't be about politics,'' Fogelman said. "This should be about how you can best equip teachers for the classroom.''

I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, which I need not even raise to make the point that this is a preposterous use of taxpayer-subsidized union muscle.

Schools, teachers and the educational establishment are, in general, hyper-sensitive to esteem issues and hurt-feeling potential. That's why Minneapolis public schools gives free breakfast and lunch to everyone (can't stigmatize the poor) and the NCAA tells schools what they can and cannot call themselves (Forget what the Seminole Tribe says, we know better). How would you like to be a kid whose parent(s) works for Wal Mart and have them demonized by a teacher on a holier-than-thou power trip.

Hey, union goons, hate Wal-Mart all you want. Just do it on your own time, and on your own dime.