Antonucci on AFT/NEA merger

UPDATED: 11:30PM

Interesting post from Mike at EIA.
Now that NEA made nice with TFA and already endorsed Obama they are in ed deform camp with Randi who will officially endorse Obama at AFT convention in Detroit in late July. Obama will toss out a few banal words on how bad testing is to keep troops in line and Unity Caucus clones will eat it up.
With both national unions trying to show how much they want ed deform instead of real reform rank and file teachers are fighting a 2 front war.
----------

Wishful Thinking or Inside Poop?

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 09:02 AM PST

Former NEA executive director John Wilson lists this among his predictions for 2012:

The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers will begin merger talks as they realize it is in the best interest of sustainability and power as well as an efficient use of members’ dues dollars.

Ever since the failed national merger attempt in 1998 there has been little desire by the national unions to revisit the issue. In fact, the formal structures created to grease the skids for future merger proposals have since dwindled and died.
So it would take a significant change in the environment for merger to gain any traction. However, the recent wars over public sector collective bargaining might be exactly the change that would spur such movement. That’s what makes me wonder if Wilson’s prediction is more than just his personal hope and actually reflects a new sentiment in the NEA camp.
You’ll notice the reasons Wilson cites for merger talks: sustainability, power and efficient budgets. Those are a departure from the 1998 arguments and are more likely to resonate with state affiliates on the political and financial ropes.
I’ll believe it when I see it, but a new merger effort is no longer out of the question.