Show SCHOOLS AND UNIONS We commend to your attention four news items which have appeared In recent days Item One June 16 the teachers in Balti mores more's public school system voted in an elec Hon to determine which of two unions would represent them In contract talks with the school bOll board Id I'd The Baltimore Teachers Union CIO affiliate won by votes over the National Education Association On July 8 three weeks later the executive committee of the National Education Association ed sanctions against the Baltimore public school system Item The executive committee of the National Education Association Uon has given its executive secretary authority to invoke san against the public school system in Fort Wayne Indiana Item In New York City teachers are reported to have signed union pledges to resign If a satisfactory contract has not been signed by the board of education and the tho union by August 1 1 As this Is written there have been more than 10 fruitless bargaining sessions Item On June 6 the National Education Association urged all Its members throughout the country to boycott the financially stare ed public schools in the State of Florida Pre Pre- Presumably this means that teachers In Florida are advised not to renew their contracts and teachers outside the state are not to seek seck jobs in Florida There are arc more items which might be list ed cd indeed one might fill the page with such items There Is no need to do Sf so The pattern is clear and so Is the big question which we must answer It the state of Florida can be boycotted wh when n and under what circumstances will our State be boycotted When will some union official or the executive secretary of the National Education Association move to in- in instruct in teachers to refrain from signing con con- contracts tracts to teach in this State Clearly the incidents noted above are test I a eases probing of the willingness of responsible sible officials in the areas named to submit to union dictates Fort Wayne Baltimore New NewYork NewYork York and Florida are and were meant to be implied threats against us too No city no county no State is Immune These are ominous precedents which par par- parents school board members and state legis will do well to reflect upon forthwith And just maybe the school boards will want to consider some boycotts of their own |