Is attacking Vermont teachers part of a national strategy?

Is Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s attack on the collective bargaining rights of Vermont’s teachers part of national strategy being led by Republican governors and groups that back them, such as ALEC and the Koch Brothers?

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker won election in 2010 and quickly passed Act 10, which dramatically curtailed collective bargaining by most public sector employees. Walker’s approach was quickly replicated. In 2010, Republican governors also won election in Ohio and Michigan, in each case taking over from Democratic governors. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder surprised many by immediately attacking teachers’ unions. In 2016, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s proposal to weaken the collective bargaining rights of teachers within weeks of being sworn in had a familiar ring. We talk with leaders of teachers’ unions in Ohio and Michigan for the national dimension of this issue.

Michael Charney, Amanda Miller, Former vice president, Cleveland Teacher’s Union; President, Kalamazoo Education Association, respectively