Date: 2011-03-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. the National Football League contract bargaining fight could teach an important lesson to the Governor of Wisconsin about how to ensure highquality teachers in his State. When Governor Walker dictates that teachers will lose their collective bargaining rights except for negotiations over pay. he shows how out of touch he is with the teaching profession. with school reform in America. and. frankly. with the American workplace. Having a voice at work has never been just about pay. It is about whether the American workplace will respect and nurture workers skills. their abilities. and their ingenuity. or will it simply crush their spirits. Its about the total workplace and the ability of employees to utilize their talents and their time to the fullest extent. to be valued by and add value to the enterprise. whether that enterprise is a school. a factory. or an NFL team. Ask yourself this: If he could. would Governor Walker limit collective bargaining for the world champion Green Bay Packers to just questions of pay? If he tried. he would discover rapidly that in the world of millionaires. as in the world of teachers. it is not just about pay. It is about the quality of the job and the career. The Governor would quickly discover that. as important as pay is in the world of pro sports. an NFL player innately cares about the conditions of employment. He knows that his ability to get to that allimportant second contract is governed by more than just his talent. Will he have to play 16 or 18 games? What is the increased likelihood of concussions or other injuries that can end his career from an extended schedule or fewer practice games? Probably good for the wallet. but is it good for the player? The NFL owners who are worth $40 billion want the players to give back $1 billion. saying that they need it to improve and build new stadiums. Is that with or without the taxpayers help? The players ought to find out. Yes. in the world of megastar athletes. pay is important. but the workplace dictates so many other important issues that NFL players must be concerned with if they are to reach their potential of the profession for which they have trained their whole lives. For many teachers. like athletes. their careers are their passion. Research tells us that a very significant number of teachers start thinking about a career in teaching while theyre in middle schoolnot too different from athletes who start to get serious about their athletic futures. Like an athlete. the teachers desire will not be enough to sustain his or her career. Other important elements are involved to ensure a teachers success and the success of his or her students. How will teachers be supported in schools? What will be their access to meaningful professional development? Will teachers be given time to perfect lesson plans and presentations? Will he or she have a say in campus safety? Will they be included in the reform decisions that are made for the school and for the students? All over America school districts are changing the rules from the mere platitudes that teachers are the most important influence outside the home in the education of our children to really making it possible. Districts are soliciting teachers views to improve both the learning and the teaching environment. It is happening in States and schools in tough unionized areas where some said it could never happen. and it will continue because it reflects what the new and current dedicated teachers view as a modern workplace. where results and outcomes matter to students. parents. teachers. and the community. Its not just about pay. Teachers advocate for our children. They advocate for our children when they are sick or troubled or when theyre being bullied. when they need help learning. The Governor of Wisconsins view of dictating and mandating without the say and collaboration that teachers want and expect in their careers is a broken model from the past and will not give students. parents. or our economy the results that our country needs as we enter the next generation of a highly competitive globalized economy. Many Americans may not care who wins between wealthy team owners and often highly paid NFL players. but no one is suggesting that the players should lose their right to collective bargaining on a wide range of issues and only be able to bargain just on pay. Governor Walker should stop attacking his State teachers and his public servants.