Why Here and Why Now? Teacher Motivations for Unionizing in a New Orleans Charter School

• In Event: Mobilized Teachers: Social Justice and Social Movement Unionism

Abstract

In the case of post- Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, the city rapidly converted from a union-backed teacher workforce to a largely non-unionized charter school workforce in the years following state takeover and charter conversion. This makes the recent emergence of two single-school unions in charter schools there worthy of study. As the teachers attempt to organize single-school unions in a nearly all charter-school system, what are their motivations? This case study of one of New Orleans’ emerging charter school unions found that pay inequities, job insecurity, a lack of teacher voice in school-level decisions, and a culture of compliance, all motivated teachers to seek unionization. But the organizing effort did strain some relationships, particularly those involving middle management.

Authors

• Brian Robert Beabout, The University of New Orleans

• Ivan Gill, University of New Orleans