Teachers' unions are among the most powerful unions left in the country. If there ever was a time for them to flex that power, it's now: In the middle of a raging worldwide pandemic, they are actually being asked to risk dying for their jobs and risk having their classrooms turn into petri dishes sending infected children back to infect their families. If that's not enough to motivate collective action, what is?
The power of teacher’s unions varies a ton. Supposedly in some places they have so much power it’s impossible to fire teachers for pretty much any reason. I’ve never seen anything close to that, but I believe accounts that such districts exist. Meanwhile in others the best they can do, with great effort, is get districts to pinkie-promise not to abuse teachers (but then do it anyway, of course). That’s the only kind I’ve seen but I dunno how it works in New York or Chicago or wherever.
