Louisiana Elects Pro-Right to Work Governor Jindal Team Likely to Push For More Union-Free 'Charter' Schools After a campaign in which education issues were hotly debated, citizens voted decisively October 20 to elect pro-Right to Work U.S. Congressman (R) as their new governor over two teacher union boss-endorsed candidates. Mr. Jindal, the son of Indian immigrants, won the governor's race by carrying more than half the votes against a total of 11 opponents in the Bayou

State's "jungle" primary. Under state law, M O C if one primary candidate secures more . W E than half the total votes cast, he or she is I V E declared the winner without a runoff. R S In a desperate bid to keep the highly A M A regarded congressman below 50% so that K C A he could be torpedoed in a runoff, the L C .

hierarchy of the state's largest teacher union, W W

the Louisiana Association of Educators W : T (LAE/NEA), endorsed two Democrats, I D E

Walter Boasso and . R Mr. Campbell was also endorsed by C the bosses of the state’s #2 teacher union, Union-free charter school teachers are Louisiana Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal (R) the Louisiana Federation of Teachers helping students wants successful charter schools to be (LFT/AFT). markedly improve their performance. able to operate statewide. Despite the full-throated support of teacher union officials, between them Mr. New Orleans (UTNO/LFT/AFT) has More than 30 states currently authorize Boasso and Mr. Campbell were not even fallen by more than 75%, according to an and promote union monopoly bargaining able to muster 30% of the total vote, early November news report. over teachers and other public school compared to Mr. Jindal's 54%. A key reason for the UTNO plummet is employees. Though Louisiana law does not "The Louisiana election results clearly that nearly half of the more than 80 public explicitly authorize monopoly bargaining, constitute voters' firm rejection of the schools operating in New Orleans today many school districts, especially in the LAE and LFT union hierarchies' efforts are "charter" schools that are run by state’s larger jurisdictions, have long to preserve and expand their monopoly- private, usually nonprofit organizations acquiesced to it. bargaining privileges over teachers," said rather than the school district. Doug Stafford, vice president of the Of the 20 top-performing schools in Union Monopoly Bargaining National Right to Work Committee. the city, 17 are charters, according to an Undermines Schools' Ability "Gov.-elect Jindal, who takes office in article this summer in the New Orleans January, has a mandate to make Times-Picayune . To Educate Children education policy changes that would help Although charter schools may legally This abusive system grants the bosses independent-minded teachers get out be unionized, up to now teacher union of one teacher union monopoly power to from under union monopoly control. And officials have secured monopoly- negotiate over the pay, benefits, and if he fulfills that mandate, schoolchildren, bargaining power in only a handful of working conditions of all teachers -- parents and taxpayers will also benefit." America's 3500 charter schools, and not including teachers who don’t wish to join in any of Louisiana's. 'We Should Welcome In his gubernatorial campaign platform, or have anything to do with a union. Expansion of Successful Mr. Jindal strongly supported the charters "Bobby Jindal won the Louisiana Charter Schools' that have already enabled thousands of governorship on a platform of preserving talented and hard-working teachers to get and expanding the successful union-free The election of Mr. Jindal is just the out from under monopolistic unionism: charter schools in New Orleans and also latest setback for teacher union "We should welcome the expansion of on bringing such charters to the rest of monopolists in Louisiana. successful charter schools." the state," commented Mr. Stafford. While the number of students in New And in his signed and returned "If he implements this important reform, Orleans, the state's largest school system, Committee candidate survey, Mr. Jindal and also seizes every other opportunity to has fallen by almost half since Hurricane vowed 100% support for the Right to roll back union monopoly bargaining in Katrina flooded the city in 2005, the Work principle, including, of course, public education, he will have performed a membership of the United Teachers of retention of Louisiana's Right to Work law. great service for Louisianans."

National Right to Work Newsletter – November/December 2007 6