Pingree Grove is Southwest of Chicago, in the ex-urbs past Joliet.

Last year the Pingree Grove District 300 school board fired their union bus drivers.

This year, they have opened a charter school and have done everything in their power, including possibly breaking the law, to stop the teachers at the charter from organizing a union.

The Daily Herald reports here and the Northwest Herald reports here.

Ed of AFT asks for my insights.

It is significant, I think, that the leadership of the IEA (Executive Director, Jo Anderson and President, Ken Swanson) have taken an organizing view of charters. They have not had the reaction of some in the teacher union movement who have opposed all charters, or who have taken the position to “oppose, but organize.” The IEA has supported good charters as one component of school change. And they have been open to discussions with charters that have recognized the need to work cooperatively with teacher unions.

Anderson, for example, took part in the panel I helped to organize last year that included Green Dot’s Steve Barr and the CTU president, Marilyn Stewart.

The Pingree Grove story reveals something else. Those who support any charter and oppose both of our teacher unions have some explaining to do. If teachers (or bus drivers) didn’t feel the need for a union then the administration and board wouldn’t have to go to such extraordinary measures to keep us out. While there are good charters, even the good ones face tensions between teachers and management and require an organized voice that represents the teachers and other education employees. One doesn’t have to be an anti-charter zealot to recognize that.

Those who have created a career as anti-union polemicists and yet describe themselves as democrats (small “d”) or Democrats (capital “D”) do have to explain why it requires gestapo tactics to keep the union out of Pingree Grove.

Oh, and Ed. I appreciate your link and request. But why aren’t I on your blog roll? You’ve been on mine for a long time.