By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

CHICAGO – Democrats and labor unions have always gone together like milk and chocolate chip cookies.

But there’s a bit of a spat brewing between teachers unions and a growing number of Democrats who favor education reform.

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As a result, some labor activists are demonstrating their political independence by supporting a number of Republican candidates this year.

No, this does not mean that the National Education Association or American Federation of Teachers are preparing to endorse Mitt Romney for president.

But several state and local unions are providing financial support for GOP legislative candidates in various states this year, according to a story published by HeraldTribune.com.

“The notion that just because you’re a Democrat, you can take teachers unions for granted, has changed,” said Jim Reed, director of government relations for the Illinois Education Association.

“It doesn’t do a whole lot of good to shut out the Republicans who at least have the potential to be friends of the public schools,” said Clay Robison of the Texas State Teachers Association.

The top three recipients of campaign contributions from the Illinois Education Association this year are Republicans, according to the news report.

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The Ohio Education Association is the biggest contributor to the campaign of State Sen. William Seitz, a prominent conservative Republican.

Teachers unions in Georgia, Texas and Indiana have also turned some heads by endorsing fiscally conservative Republicans who may not be as hostile to unions as some of their fellow party members.

On one hand, this is sort of creepy, because Republicans have always been the biggest supporters of education reform, and the thought of them mixing with self-serving teachers unions makes us wonder about their commitment to change.

But we can see where it makes sense for the unions to put a few eggs in another basket for a change. We’ve always thought it was foolish for any special interest group to cast their lot with one political party. Over time that party starts taking them for granted while the other party learns to live happily without their support.

In short, nobody listens to them anymore.

Perhaps the best possible outcome of this new connection would be for the unions to look more closely at their political agenda, and perhaps be more willing to make a few more concessions to improve the financial and academic condition of public schools.

Perhaps their new Republican friends will help them realize that they would gain much more respect from the public if they stopped acting like spoiled children who insist on having everything their way.

You may say that could never happen, but who ever thought teachers unions would be endorsing Republican candidates?

Never say never.