Randi Weingarten's Arrest - Cheap Stunt or Grandstanding for the Cameras?

So Randi Weingarten the Dr. Frankenstein of Concession Driven Unionism was cuffed and stuffed at a protest in Philly the other day. Wow. Let me squeeze into my Che Guevarra shirt, slap my rasta beret over what's left of my hippie locks and have a big decafe latte' at Starbucks in her honor. My point being of course, that there's nothing like a poser trying to be real in front of the homies. Randi's dirty work and collusion with the reformers in places like Baltimore and Newark have pretty much shown us who she is and what she fails to stand for. She's a sell out. And when the Newark mess was made Chris Christie walked away from the table declaring it to be the most gratifying day he's ever had in office. If Randi was the real deal he'd have left the table in a rage same as he did last time Homestyle Buffet called in the 10 plate rule on his big butt. But no, the darling of neo liberals and pinheads like Bill Press who loves to roll Randi out on his radio show acting like he's got Joe Yablonski or Big Bill Haywood in the studio, urged the rank and filers of Newark to accept merit pay schemes and evaluation by standardized testing. Realizing she's got about as much cred as Vanilla Ice on a Compton street corner these days, remember she's a lawyer, we never called her stupid, Randi goes and mixes in with the people who stand to lose their asses in Philly hoping to God she'll get rounded up with the rabble. Nice try Hon, but any jackass can get herself pinched. Instead of grandstanding for the rank and filers who all know better than to buy into your malarkey how about taking on Duncan, Gates, Broad, Waltons and Bloomie instead of trying to convince all of us that we're on the same team. The refomers have an ally in Randi Weingarten. Teachers have nothing but an empty suit who runs from city to city desperately trying to get relevant and fool enough of the people often enough to keep her gravy train on the tracks. Randi, I think it's time you pulled into the station and took that sweet gig at one of the institutes or with Pearson, whoever can make you as euphoric as you made the Governor of Jersey when you gave away the store and sold the teachers out. And please, get out of Philly before someone decides you're fit to negotiate that deal as well. Here's what's on the offer sheet from district HQ so far:   

• the elimination of teachers' right to use "reasonable force" to protect themselves from attack or injury.
• a pay cut of 13 percent, and a 13 percent contribution to benefits, for those who make $55,000, 
• "Steps" that give teachers higher pay for more experience and education would be eliminated
•  schools of all sizes would no longer be required to have librarians or counselors.

District officials have declined to comment on specifics, but have said that their intent is to treat teachers as valued professionals and ultimately create a district where people want to come and work.


From the look of things Randi's all ready working on it...