One thing we can all be certain of: the CCPS administration is not going to be fair, stop being hypocritical, work harder, and give teachers a good contract BECAUSE it has a conscience or because it is committed to fair and just labor practices or because its heart tells them that well-paid teachers are good for students. They just are not going to do it. So instead of grumbling and fussing over how unfair the situation is, the thing to do is to recognize that the ONLY way to get the administration to be fair, give real raises to teachers, and abide by their contract with us is to FORCE it to happen. How to do that? Get union membership up above 99%, pay your dues, vote for strong leadership and support that leadership. Leadership? Yes like Jim Hoffa, Liz Shuler, Richard Trumka, Arlene Holt Baker. Unseemly for teachers to join with such? How guilty of criminal behavior is CCPS? We probably don't have "known crime figures" among our petty lords in their phony fiefdoms. But criminal behavior, certainly. Don't be prissy! Join with all the other laborers of the world and grow some backbone, put on some weight. Maybe there's already someone here who grew up in the coal mines of Pennsylvania and who has the charisma to use some knuckle on these sneaky, incompetent, chiseling, lying administrators. If we knock on the back door and stand there in the rain with our hats in our hands while these well-fed fat cats say a few words and close the door on us, we get worse than nothing: contempt. Whatever. The solution still is: join and pay your dues.