And people wonder why citizens are increasingly cynical about government. In the latest self-inflicted diminution of dignity, the NJ Republican Party hired videographers to catch NJEA Executive Director Vince Giordano in a remark similar to his last bon mot, “Life’s not always fair and I’m sorry about that.” According to the Star-Ledger, the GOP was responsible for the paparazzi “lucking outside [NJEA] offices in hooded sweatshirts and knit caps.” NJEA officials said that such a stunt illustrated “the lengths to which Republicans would go in an effort to demonize educators.”
Most likely the GOP’s ill-considered attempt to do a gotcha with Giordano had nothing to do with NJ educators and everything to do with, well, Giordano. Gov. Christie’s comment to reporters — “As Vince drives out of the palace on State Street in his big luxury car and his $500,000 salary, I’m sure life’s really fair for him” – nails it.
Gov. Christie has called for Giordano’s resignation and now NJEA officials are calling for the resignation of the NJ GOP operative who hired the videographers. Here’s Christie:
Through a spokesman, Michael Drewniak, Christie delivered his answer: “The governor certainly had no part in it, but it is great to see NJEA’s crack public relations machine at work. They’ve succeeded in re-shining the light on Giordano and his cold-hearted, ‘life is unfair’ feelings about children trapped in failing urban schools. Bravo.”
Here’s a question. Is Giordano so damaged that the NJEA front office should go ahead and ask for his resignation? This is not the first time Giordano has stepped in it. Rick Hess of Education Week wrote a piece in 2010 called “The NJEA Handbook: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.” He cites a column by Kevin Manahan of the Star-Ledger, who described the feeling among NJ’s teachers that “overnight, people have turned against us.”
Manahan continues,
How did it happen? That’s easy: One bad decision, one stupid miscalculation: An overwhelming majority of teachers refused to accept a pay freeze. They could have won taxpayers’ eternal gratitude, but instead demanded their negotiated raises and fought against contributing a dime toward budget-breaking health insurance benefits. Teachers could have pitched in, but they dug in.
They thumbed their noses at taxpayers, who have lost their jobs, had their pay cut, gone bankrupt and fallen into foreclosure. As taxpayers made less, teachers demanded more. You do that, you become a villain. Fast. It doesn’t matter how many stars Junior gets on his book report.
Teachers listened to their overpaid brain trust, the architects of this disastrous public relations strategy. Together, NJEA president Barbara Keshishian, executive director Vincent Giordano and spokesman Steve Wollmer earn more than a million dollars. Keshishian, who has been outmaneuvered by the governor at every turn, earns $256,450 annually. Giordano, with salary and deferred compensation, earned $550,203 in 2009, and Wollmer makes $300,000.”
Two years later after those events, which Hess described as “a useful cautionary tale for teacher unions across the land,” the story about Giordano’s “life isn’t fair and I’m sorry about that” comment continues to circulate. A quick google search yielded continuing coverage outside NJ from CBS, Real Clear Politics, the Washington Post, the Illinois Policy Institute, Education News, and the American Federation for Children. (The AFC’s president Kevin Chavous “condemned” Giordano’s remarks and called for “an immediate apology.”)
I’m sure there’s much loyalty to Giordano. But it might be worthwhile for the rest of the NJEA leadership to consider whether the Association’s membership is best served by a man whose ability to advocate for teachers’ interests has been, at best, undermined and, at worst, invalidated.
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A brief review of the New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act:
34:13A-5.4.a:
Public employers, their representatives or agents are prohibited from:
...
(2) Dominating or interfering with the formation, existence or ADMINISTRATION of any employee organization.
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Unlike the Governor, Laura, you are a representative of a public school district with union employees. A literal reading of the above law suggests it is not your place to interfere in the internal workings of the NJEA at any level.
Mr. Giordano's fate is rightly in the hands of those he serves, the NJEA rank-and-file.