Reply #77: I no longer support seniority based systems

[NutmegYankee]

I support unions, and the concept of organizing to defend working hours, benefits, vacation time, and so on. But I absolutely will never defend seniority and here's why:

A good friend of mine (a former girlfriend) was a teacher in a school system in this state. When the economy crashed, the school system had to make reductions in staff and she was the one teacher cut at her school. She was highly rated and considered an excellent teacher, but she got "bumped" by another teacher from another school. Several of the teachers that stayed were "slugs" and not known for effective teaching. The argument that a younger or newer teacher can easily find a job was bullshit, and she went on to lose her home to foreclosure and have to move back in with her parents after looking for over 2 years.

It comes down to this: A highly qualified teacher was fired to protect less effective teachers, but more senior teachers, and lost her home and independence because of it.



On the good side, she has finally found a new teaching position just last fall, but she remains highly terrified that she will once again be cut and thrown into the waste basket of this economy.