NLA Discussion: Incompatibility of low budgets & good conditions

[CToruno at aol.com]

I wanted to respond to Barb Weiss' message because her concern -- how to
spread the limited budget pie around if we are asking for more pay and better
(i.e.more costly) working conditions -- is seemingly logical and correct.
Nevertheless, it is not an argument I believe. Rather, I have seen it used by
management as a tactic to keep us from organizing for liveable wages and
better conditions. I know that my organization is better funded now than ever
before. The number of management positions (and their generous salaries and
benefit packages) has grown almost every time I visit the central office. If
there is money to hire and pay managers, to buy computers, to send folks to
fancy conferences, then there is money to pay teachers. Again, while I truly
understand Barb's concern, I think this is another case where literacy
teachers get sucked into thinking and worrying about everybody but ourselves
and that, in turn, immobilizes us from organizing. 

Emily Schnee