Message from Robert Claps, Public Outreach Chair
On behalf of the 60,000 Teachers that live and work on our beautiful Island, I would like to wish you all a Happy Labor Day. As active union members, this is our holiday, the only holiday dedicated to the social and economic achievements of the American worker. This Labor Day, teachers are once again under attack from wealthy hedge fund billionaires who are set on privatizing public dollars through sub-par charter schools. Long Island Teachers are running ads wishing everyone a Happy Labor Day and warning them of attacks on our public schools from the charter school “movement.” You can listen and see our ad on our website.
Whether you are a union member or not, working people as a whole reap the benefits that unions have created. As sexism and racism have taken center stage politically this presidential election, the very existence of organized labor is in jeopardy with the enactment of a National Right to Work (for less) policy being orchestrated by the Trump / Pence ticket. As union educators, we have an obligation to inform people of this extremely dangerous fact. Trump’s comments are at times entertaining but his actions as President will take away working people’s right to bargain collectively and will remove due process from classrooms and precincts. Building walls and deporting people of color may be funny to some, but losing good teachers and making public employee unions illegal is nothing to joke about.
Happy Labor Day from Long Island Teachers and as school districts across Long Island are heading back into session, please drive safely.
