Here's another rumor we've been hearing:
Doesn't WE just want to make the PFT go on strike?
The answer is no. That's absurd, for several reasons. Here’s two of them.
First, no union leadership can "make” their membership go on strike. That’s not what a strike is. For a strike to happen, there has to first be an authorization vote, and the action can only move forward if an overwhelming majority of rank and file members are in favor. The rumor that the leadership could simply call for a strike presents a false picture of who's in charge of the union. The rank and file, and only the rank and file, can drive an effective job action, whether it's a strike or something less extreme.
Second, caucus candidates and members are very much aware of the language of Act 46, which states that “the Secretary of Education may suspend the certificate of an employee who violates” the written prohibition on striking. The language does not guarantee such a suspension, but the threat is a real one—and our slate of candidates does not take that threat lightly. Neither should the general membership of the PFT.