By Sandra Feldman, Edward J. McElroy, and Nat LaCour

As the officers of the American Federation of Teachers, we share a background as local teachers’ union presidents, each of whom was elected directly by the members in New York City, Warwick, R.I. and New Orleans.  Each of these urban districts is different from the others in many ways, but also has much in common, including the fact that the teachers in them work under some of the most difficult school conditions in our country, serve some of the neediest children in America, and belong to strong unions that fight not just for their own economic benefits, but for overall equity for the students.

Washington’s teachers are very much like those in our home cities--and in urban areas across the country--hard-working, dedicated people who want decent conditions for themselves and for the children they teach.  In turn, they elect leaders of their union to fight for the legitimate and considerable needs of their schools and students.  Instead, what they apparently got here in Washington, D.C., was corruption, thievery, and a betrayal of trust.

There is no place in unions or schools for the kind of larceny that allegedly was committed by several individuals in whom the members of the Washington Teachers Union (WTU) placed their trust, and we condemn it unequivocally.  We are sickened by the revelations of wrongdoing in the WTU.  AFT began the process of an investigation, referred the wrongdoing we uncovered to the legal authorities, and then instituted an administratorship of the WTU that will, we believe, ultimately lead to the restoration of integrity in the local union.

We have appointed a respected, seasoned, and highly capable educator and union leader, George Springer, a man with an impeccable record of service in Connecticut, to be the administrator of the WTU, and we pledge to do everything in our power to make the members of WTU whole.

Toward that end, we have filed suit for restitution on behalf of the WTU members against those who misappropriated union funds and will continue to seek return of WTU funds from any and all parties who may be involved.

But just as important as getting the WTU budget under control is the critical goal of getting back the trust of WTU members.  The teachers who make up the WTU are an essential source of strength to the children and families of Washington, D.C., and should have the community’s full support for their efforts.

The administratorship we have put in place will allow for the establishment of proper democratic procedures within the union, adequate and efficient controls for handling the finances of the local so that members can know and be secure in the knowledge that their union is fiscally sound and using its money to promote education, and finally, increased and ongoing dialogue with the members to ensure that their priorities and interests are given voice.  As soon as these goals have been reached and the local organization is stabilized, we will provide appropriate oversight for the holding of a democratic election of new leaders for the local.

The AFT has a long-standing tradition of strong locals with complete autonomy in running their own affairs.  This developed because we have long believed that the people best able to understand and address local issues are those closest to the members.  Our constitution gives us only limited powers to interfere in or even have oversight of local union business--and then, only in the most serious of occasions.  This now will change.  Never before in our history has the national union imposed control over the day-to-day operation of a local union.

But severe problems call for drastic action.  We take this action without reservation and with extensive evidence of the need, a unanimous vote of our 42 member national executive council, and a clear goal of re-establishing integrity and strength to the WTU so that it can again play its proper role: providing professional development for teachers, fighting for smaller classes, and strengthening a school system that works to meet the many needs of its members and its students, especially its most vulnerable.

We pledge to the D.C. community--indeed to all, including those who don’t share our belief that trade unions have an important role to play in a democratic society--that the AFT will help fix what has been damaged at the WTU.  We will, with the democratic involvement of members, help create a union that serves its members well, and allow teachers to focus on their work in the classroom.  The best instincts and enlightened self-interest of the dedicated, caring teachers who are the real WTU will prevail.

Sandra Feldman, Edward J. McElroy, and Nat LaCour are president, secretary-treasurer, and executive vice president of the American Federation of Teachers.