Union Election will Define Next Several Years
Dear Substance,
The upcoming CTU election reminds me of the old game show “WHO DO YOU TRUST?”
We have the “NEW UPC” whose president is working two jobs like the “OLD UPC” president did and getting paid $200,000+. You would hope that the CTU would have a full time president, especially when negotiating a new contract.
The “NEW UPC” officers and staff are receiving retirement annuities plus pension contributions and have hired five “OLD UPC” as fulltime staff at a cost of over $1 million. Debbie Lynch and P.A.C.T. discontinued this inequity and felt that the CTU employees should receive the same salaries and first day.
The “NEW UPC” refused to force the board to honor the deal they made with Lynch for 5+5, which would have enabled more teachers to retire with a decent pension and no penalty.
This would be in addition to the more then 6,000 teachers who retired with the benefit of PEP that increased pensions by almost 5%.
The “NEW UPC” dropped the ball and did not develop an equitable system for evaluating PATs (probationary teachers) as required by the 2003 contract.
The “NEW UPC” has blamed the contract on anything that has gone wrong because they have not accomplished anything positive in three years.
Why are members’ dues being spent on a $100,000 newspaper distributed monthly, $15,000 mailings to members, or tens of thousands of CTU DUES to hold campaign rallies thinly disguised as area meetings.
As a result of the 2003 contract, we have increased salaries from $3,000 -$12,000 over 4 years; the l year is shortened by 7 days; almost all elementary schools TEACHERS have at least 4 preps; 4 morning preps (preventing teachers from having morning duties or meetings more then once a week); restored our right to negotiate class size; increased retirees pensions with the PEP option; increased benefit days for veteran teachers from 13 to 15 days a year; the benefit days are cashed in upon retirement adding 8 days of salary in retirement package valued at least $2,000.
These are just some of the good things that came about because of the 2003 contract.
We cannot allow the UPC to negotiate a contract for 2007. They say to get ready for a strike, but they haven’t supported any strike motion in the House of Delegates since 1987. They refused to vote for a strike recommendation in 2003. They refused to show unity behind Debbie Lynch and support the contract in 2003 and actively campaigned against it.
The UPC will do anything to keep their hands your dues money even scare members with the threat of a strike. The only reason to strike is that they can’t come to an acceptable agreement. It looks like the UPC has already admitted that they won’t be able to negotiate an acceptable contract. Don’t give them the change. Vote for the only CTU President in the past decade who stood up to the Board and the mayor.
Vote for Deborah Lynch.
Brian Sullivan
Fernwood Elementary Delegate
