A tale of two cities. Historic union upheaval.

In Pittsburgh, the agreement by the union leadership to a plan for a Gates Foundation inspired pay-for-performance scheme, led to an election defeat.

In the wake of their defeat by the rank-and-file, the Pittsburgh Federation of Teacher leadership started playing games to keep the victors from taking their seats.

Mr. McManus, who has taught in city schools for 31 years, pointed to the union’s adoption of the Empowering Effective Teachers Plan — a move to implement performance pay as part of the $40 million grant that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the district — as another example where the union sought no input from its members.

“They went and sat down with the district administration and worked out this plan, never sought our input and then came back to sell the plan to us,” Mr. McManus said.

Mr. Sammartino, who has taught math for 20 years, said: “Leadership just doesn’t have its finger on the pulse of the members.”

Here in Chicago, the leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union will be decided in a June 11 runoff. But in the first round held last week candidates of the Caucus of Rank and File Educators swept the High School seats on the Executive Board, out polling the incumbents in a landslide.

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