RALEIGH – When the Republican legislative leaders referred to the massive teacher walkout and protest planned for Wednesday as dangerously close to union activity, and some conservative lawmakers lamented the influence of union thugs on the political stunt, the North Carolina Association of Educators fell over itself to deny any resemblance to union association and pointed to state law prohibiting it.
This despite the involvement of the typical Leftist, union friendly organizers – some offering to pay teachers to protest – and march supporters labeling N.C. DPI Superintendent Mark Johnson a ‘Scab’ for not attending.
It turns out, though, that the NCAE is referring to itself as a union in internal communications regarding the massive walkout and protest at the state legislature.
“On Monday, two days ahead of the May 16 march through downtown Raleigh organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), the NCAE released a letter calling the planned protest “union activity” and calling itself a union.
In the past NCAE has vehemently denied it is a union, and North Carolina is a non-union state, but now it seems that NCAE has flipped positions and is embracing itself as a union. It even claimed the Chicago Teachers’ Union is the inspiration for the planned protest.
In the letter NCAE says “The General Assembly didn’t give us permission to do this. We certainly don’t need their permission to call ourselves a union. More importantly, we don’t need their permission to act like one.”
The letter goes on to say “If May 16th is going to matter, we have to build our union.”
This appears to be a total change from just a few months ago when on its website NCAE stated that the organization is not a union in a response letter in regards to the Nov. 4, 2017 “walk in.” Then the NCAE encouraged teachers to “stay in the classroom and invite community members, elected officials, parents, and concerned citizens to become involved in the successes of public education that happen on a daily basis in North Carolina.”
NCAE also made a point to mention that they were not advocating any kind of walk out at that time saying, “The NCAE has never encouraged any educators to turn their backs on their classrooms or their students at any time.”
[…]
The letter brags about closing down more than 30 school districts in the state and lobbies for block voting to move legislative leadership out of office saying, “We’re not going to be fooled. If they suddenly decide to invest in our schools after years of deprivation, we know why. If they don’t, we have options.”
The letter also claims credit for any increases to education in the budget coming in the Short Session even though teachers have received pay increases for the last five consecutive years in the budget.
The letter says, “If this legislative session results in any additional resources or supports going to public schools, it’s because educators acting together demonstrated just how many and how powerful we are.””
The march is now in progress, shutting down much of downtown Raleigh as thousands of protesters in red chant and bear signs in their march from the business district to the Old State Capitol building and on to the legislature.
Considering their adoption of the union label among themselves, and the involvement of Radical Leftist organizers and funding groups, it is perhaps appropriate that they are all wearing red.
Read more about their doublespeak here.
Have a hot tip for First In Freedom Daily?
Got a hot news tip for us? Photos or video of a breaking story? Send your tips, photos and videos to tips@firstinfreedomdaily.com. All hot tips are immediately forwarded to FIFD Staff.
Have something to say? Send your own guest column or original reporting to submissions@firstinfreedomdaily.com.
