Saul Alinsky
“For more than two years, the Michigan Education Association [MEA] has had a manual that urges its members to use students as propaganda in contract negotiations and also lays out how to organize strikes,” writes Tome Gantert of Michigan Capitol Confidential.
Considering the fact that teacher strikes are illegal in Michigan, some may find it odd that the MEA has been encouraging this sort of behavior. In fact, the MEA has done a lot more than just “encourage” potentially illegal activity. As Gantert reports, the organization produced an anonymously written 28-page manual titled, “Building Full Capacity Locals — Crisis Planning, It’s Never Too Early To Start!”
While much of the rhetoric in this “crisis planning” handbook is unsettling (”The worst time to plan for a crisis is when you are in the middle of one, so crisis planning should commence at the same time that planning for actual bargaining begins”), perhaps the most disturbing moment occurs when one section appears to quote almost verbatim Saul Alinksy’s “Rules For Radicals.”
Alinsky instructs his followers to “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Likewise, the MEA manual instructs teachers to “Pick a target—personalize—and polarize the opposition [pg. 17].” And those are just the verbatim quotes; the entire manual is a handbook for creating, managing, and profiting from crises.
Representatives of the MEA were unavailable for comment when The Blaze contacted them for more information.
“What’s really troubling about this publication isn’t what’s inside, it’s right there on the cover. This organization has decided it is above the law that has empowered them so much in so many other ways,” said Paul Kersey, director of labor policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, according to the Michigan Capitol Confidential article.
“We have given them the authority to represent employees who individually may not support them, and to collect dues and agency fees from them and have them fired if they refuse. But the union does not feel it is bound by the law’s prohibition of government strikes,” he said.
The manual states that the “MEA…supports and defends its members who engage in a strike,” which, again, is illegal in Michigan.
But if an out-and-out strike isn’t your thing, don’t worry! With a variety of passive aggressive protest methods, the manual has you covered. One of the passive methods suggested by the MEA is “Work-To-Rule” actions where employees refuse to do anything outside of what is included in their contract.
“Understand that a local is limited only by its collective imagination when it comes to specific work-to-rule actions,” the manual states. “If you carefully examine your contract you will probably find a number of work-to-rule opportunities. Keep in mind, however, that you don’t want to violate the contract or past practice; you want to adhere to it … exactly!”
And of course, what union protest would be complete without the exploitation of children in the bargaining process?
“In terms of a bargaining message, the public responds most positively when we talk about children, quality in the classroom and the future,” the MEA manual states. “There may come a time when it’s appropriate to talk about money and benefits, but lay the groundwork first.”
The manual even suggests one slogan that it claims has worked for other locals: “It’s not about dollars and cents; it’s about our children.”
Replies
I'm at the point of doing away with unions..........many say unions helped at one time..........but now, they seem to be part of the criminal environment.........
I agree, I fought with IBEW and CWA unions during my 29+ years tenur with GTE. The first 2 were trying to get out of the union. The balance was on the management side of the house. I saw slackers and husters daily and when it came time for contract wage increases everybody got the same. I feel that salary treatment should be on merit only.
As the union leadership goes during contract negoiations agreements were made between local management and the union leaders where the leaders would be paid a higher rate then there peers in the same job class. This was done to get a contract approved.
The people that own the companies should make the calls, there are enough laws that control how employees are treated.
They really have turned into children, they want what they want, regardless of what you tell them. It is never enough for them. I agree, they (the Unions) should be disbanded (de-funded) by the government, whether local, state or federal unions. People have the right to work. I have the right to negotiate directly for my job. I don't need someone with an inside track to negotiate for my job. I have never worked for a Union and never will. FIRE THEM, PEOPLE!!!
Unions, like the buggy whip, have outlived their usefullness. Like the buggy whip, unions at one time were necessary to insure that management obeyed the rules. Now they are being used to whip the company into agreeing to anything the union wants and that is, more power and more money. As an after thought they drag along their members because that who has worked to get them all the money and power..
Unfortunately the union bosses have so enslaved the workers they are afraid to demand changes and like sheep go in herds wherever they are led. I have a nephew who is in the union not only because he has to to keep his job, but because his father and his grandfather were also union men and he thinks he is honoring that tradition.
All you union DOLTS out there who actively support this impostor and charlatan; unvetted, UNAMERICAN in sentiment and not Birthright qualified in any case as far as I am concerned, think of this and the implications for yourselves and your families: After the Bolsheviks and the Nazi's used the Unions to achieve their goals politically and consolidate their grasp on the people of the nations they respectively represented, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LABOR UNIONS? Those were dIsbanded in favor of slave labor camps and MILLIONS died and it is happening here, but only if you let it! Smarten up! If not for the sake of yourselves, then for the sake of your children who, if you continue in your present course, will be forced into a legacy of slavery and penury. Fifty years ago, Detroit was a wealthy city. Today it is a crime ridden world class slum. All because of the partnership between the democrats and labor unions as they have ever increased governmental control of our economy, our finances, our liberties and shown no fiscal responsibility AT ALL. Now Obama has proved by his actions, that he is percieved by himself and the appointees of his incompetent and criminal administration, that he is above the Constitution and the laws to which all of us are subject. He should be found in contempt andf jailed for his actions and then impeached. PERIOD; not followed by people too stupid to be allowed to procreate. Let's call A SPADE A SPADE; no pun intended. Only a fool would support a man who would take everything from you for which you have worked a lifetime and give it to illlegals and indigents for the sake of illegitimate votes to remain in power and further steal everything you have EARNED! The Chinese are repairing American Interstate and bridge infrastructure, The Canadians have been force by Obama to delay or abandon the Keystone Pipeline from Canada To Texas and has also outsourced American Aircraft military contracts to BRAZIL! Is this the man you support ? You are FOOLS; plain and simple. He is a domestic enemy and in November MUST be treated as such, removed from office and then held both RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE, along with all his fellow travellers, for their transgressions against us all and the Constitution and rule of law as well; which to me, constitutes an act of High Treason. You may be union members but, your unions cannot enter the voting booth with you. VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE and protect yourselves, your children and your country Next November. REMEMBER! Do not be intimidated; BE MOTIVATED!
The schools/teachers are "change agents". The sole purpose of the school today is indoctrination. From my understanding, the children don't have to learn the Constitution, or learn of our history. We've been forced through mandate, political correctness to accept things we shouldn't have allowed to happen.
We've opened our gates to immigrants who could care less of our Christian culture...now we've become a pagan, humanistic Babylonian society.
A nation is defined by a dominant culture, language, faith, heritage. This nation was created by the white European peoples. It is rooted in the Christian Bible. But the enemy within has been trying to repeal any Biblical law it can.
Americans have been duped. We've allowed our children to be dumbed down by the communists in our government.
I see the young today, and their attitudes, and it scares me. But, how can they be anything else? The family structure has been broken down often times. They've been indoctrinated by the schools to the one world order. Then they have violence, sexual immorality thrown at them through television, movies, music, video games.
God help us!
I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but we, as a nation, have evicted God from our society. Unless we repent and return to our nation's roots, God will not help us. Like Israel of old we have turned from God, and, if we don't return to Him, we, too, will be led into captivity.
The problem with unions is they are allowed to get bigger than the companies they're a part of... like the gov't becoming bigger than We The People, this largess enables elections of officials who do not represent the workforce / We The People, this largess takes away top level election control from US by diminishing the local vote!