Progressive unions alienate teachers

When public‑sector teacher unions prioritize broad progressive political campaigns and identity‑based programming over workplace bargaining, they risk alienating classroom teachers and fragmenting member coalitions. That split can weaken bargaining leverage, produce fiscal pressure (through aggressive pension lobbying), and create openings for reform or rival organizing. — If unions that once anchored labor politics lose rank‑and‑file support, it reshapes urban political coalitions, school governance, and public‑sector fiscal debates.