Labor Day reflections: Quincy strike helped us realize our power

I write on Labor Day, 2017. At this time 10 years ago I was exhausted, having been the local president of the Quincy Education Association and having led a strike in June that lasted five days. That was the last educator strike in Massachusetts; some locals have come close, but none has since taken that step.

In Quincy, 850 Unit A educators took that step after voting nearly unanimously (some insist it was a unanimous vote) on June 7 to strike. That moment was the culmination of incredible work by many people and two years of bullying by the city administration. The Quincy Public Schools administration was not the culprit; we had worked hard to maintain good relations. We had worked very hard to maintain good relations with parents and with parent-teacher organizations, and we had worked very hard to maintain communication with the city’s other unions. It was the first time we had actual relations with the police patrol officers during bargaining. We had a bargaining team whose members worked well together, liked each other and trusted each other. And, by the way, it was our youngest members, some without Professional Teacher Status, who were the strongest activists.

The MTA was wonderful. The entire Metro Office field staff swarmed us, helping out. Our own UniServ rep was spectacular — “as usual,” he wants me to say. Every school had meetings over the winter with MTA field reps explaining issues, explaining potential outcomes to bargaining, and, in late spring, explaining in detail what a strike would mean. We violated Massachusetts civil laws regarding strikes. It was civil disobedience in its purest form. We knew what the consequences might be; indeed, we paid hefty fines. MTA’s Legal Services Division worked closely with us, representing us in court ably and effectively. Other locals sent support and pickets, and they flooded us with messages of strength and solidarity. At the end, we had two years’ retroactive and three years’ prospective raises.

“What we really had from the action was power. Educators realized for the first time what ‘collective’ really means. We had done collective bargaining, and now we did collective action. We were one, a union.”

Paul J. Phillips

But what we really had from the action was power. Educators realized for the first time what “collective” really means. We had done collective bargaining, and now we did collective action. We were one, a union. Other unions, public and private, looked at us differently. We went on from there to lead Quincy into the Group Insurance Commission on favorable terms; we protected retirees’ health care. And later that fall, we defeated the mayor, backing a supportive opponent. The defeated mayor blamed the teachers, but we saw that as “credited the teachers.” Organized and active, yes.

Educators don’t get into this profession wanting to be in a union. Instead, we learn that it is needed, and therefore good — indeed crucial — for successful schools. Remember that the most successful states for education, from multiple measures, are unionized states and unionized teachers. I grew up in a union home, though my father ended up his career in management. Today, we are told this exposure is rare in those entering teaching. Why unionize?

Power. There, I said it. We need power. Imagine your whole career without PTS, what I learned to call “tenure.” Your professional judgments about everything, and I mean everything, could be career-threatening. Unions give you a voice. Today I hear “just let me teach” from veteran educators. The truth, I learned early on, is that public education will never allow that. People who have no idea about your job, about what they espouse and what this means to children, and about what public education is meant to do will interfere with your wish to be left alone to teach. People will impose their ideology about corporate education and privatization unless we resist. But we must never become merely reactive or negative. We have our own positive, public-education-progressive agenda.

After the defeat of Question 2 last fall, which I followed intently from my retirement nest in Florida, the MTA gained power. The Boston Globe, which I still read, calls us “the powerful MTA.” That fades. Soon the Globe and others will take us for granted, assume we will tolerate their incursions into public education, that we’ll go back to being “glad it didn’t turn out worse.” Don’t let that happen, dear colleagues. You get power from being activists. You get fired up. It’s that important to keep power by being activists. Activism must become a habit. Support activists in your locals and in the MTA. Become one. Run for offices, locally and statewide. The MTA needs you. Your local association needs you. Find your voice so we all have a voice.

Jeez, it’s been 10 years, and listen to me! Do you care enough to get fired up? It’s THAT important.

In solidarity,

Paul J. Phillips, gleefully retired past president of the Quincy Education Association and MTA Executive Committee