Teachers Say No Freaking Way to AFT Endorsement of Hillary Clinton

By Candi Peterson, WTU General Vice President

On Saturday, July 11th - the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President, Randi Weingarten came under fire after her executive council voted overwhelmingly to endorse Hillary Clinton for the democratic primary for President of the United States. AFT is the parent organization of Washington Teachers' Union, Local 6 and has 1.5 million members. 

In an AFT press release, President Weingarten said "Hillary Clinton is a tested leader who shares our values, is supported by our members and is prepared for a tough fight on behalf of students, families and communities. That fight defines her career." 

Weingarten added that Clinton is a "product of public schools and believes in the promise of public education.... Hillary understands that policymakers need to work with teachers and their unions. She's ready to work with us to confront the issues of children and their families today, including poverty, wage stagnation, income equality and the lack of opportunity."

Even though AFT's press release explained the process of how members were polled, including several town hall meetings, multiple surveys and a "you decide" website, the announcement of the endorsement erupted a firestorm of outrage from AFT teacher members nationwide on twitter.

In the course of hours, many teachers hurled questions at @Rweingarten and @AFTunion twitter accounts asking, when was there was a poll of the membership and requesting links to all of the polls. 

Renowned NY Teacher *blogger, Arthur Goldstein  (known as NYC Educator) said "...AFT Link says they used telephone town halls and a web-based survey, I didn't even know existed."

Katie Osgood, a special education teacher from Chicago said "I know many AFT members too and have not heard one person polled either." Mary Ahern called it "B.S. and queried how many of the over 1 million members responded?”

Activist teacher members and others lamented that the AFT endorsement of Clinton was a clear reminder of President Randi Weingarten's autocratic leadership style that treats teachers like passive herd-driven professionals rather than independent thinkers with a voice.

Phil Soreneson tweeted to President Weingarten, “glad I’m NEA, u don’t speak for me, u just made teachers’ look politically inept. Thanks for nothing.”

Naturewoman tweeted to AFT, "guessing you did not poll your members! No to Clinton who promotes Teach for America and charters!" Mr. Stevens echoed "Clinton endorsement is a joke & local union voices are being silenced to retain AFT union funding."

Minnsanity added, "AFT tried to shove NCLB, common core, PARCC and now Hillary on us - we ain't buying." Barmak Nassirian ‏summed it up best in his tweet, "sad day when political expediency trumps legitimate representation of members' real priorities." 

Within hours teachers demanded fellow members to contact AFT and demand they rescind the Hillary Clinton endorsement. Teachers began adding their comments to Diane Ravitch’s education blog where she posted AFT’s press release on the Clinton for President endorsement. So far 147 comments have been posted, to date.

Given no one could locate AFT’s poll of members', the Badass Teachers Association  (BAT) took matters into their own hands by conducting a poll on Face Book. So far   1240 teachers endorsed Bernie Sanders and only 84 endorsed Clinton. One teacher said "Weingarten has this thing about giving false information via polls... It's scary." 

Some of our AFT members  are taking matters into their own hands and have created a petition to demand AFT rescind their Hillary for US president endorsement. Click on  LINK  for the petition. So far 1,109 had signed on.  

I too was up in the wee hours of the morning watching all of this unfold. Right here in DC, as an active member of WTU local 6 and elected General Vice President- I wondered how I had never been polled or invited to participate in AFT’s web based town hall or knew of members who had?

I concur with Aixa Rodriguez’s tweet, “it is 2:23 am and I am so mad at  AFT’s  ‪#prematureendorsement I cannot sleep. And so I tweet. And all my friends are up too….”

Don’t get this twisted, in the words of Lace to the top, “The story isn't ‪Randi Weingarten and AFT’'s endorsement of ‪Hillary Clinton. The story is all the amazing teachers saying no freaking way!!!!”

 © Candi Peterson 2015

AFT Holds Hearing On Taking Over WTU, Local 6

On Friday, September 10, 2010 - American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Executive Council will hold a previously scheduled hearing to determine whether the AFT will take control of the Washington Teachers Union (WTU). Earlier this month in U.S. District court, Judge Kottar-Kelley ruled that AFT stood a better chance of suceeding if they followed the law by holding a hearing on assuming administrative control of the WTU because "the law weighs in favor of the parent organization in these matters." Friday's hearing will begin at 1 pm and go to its conclusion. I am uncertain if union members will be allowed entrance.

WTU under the leadership of 'hold over' president George Parker (whose constitutional term ended June 30, 2010) and Executive Board members will have an opportunity to provide testimony at Friday's hearing. According to an August 26 letter sent to hold over president Parker from Randi Weingarten, the conduct of 'hold over' officials will be the subject of Friday's hearing and the following issues will be addressed:

1. "The actions by WTU Officers and Executive Board members in refusing to comply with AFT's Executive Council's August 4 Decision and order.

2. The actions by the WTU Officers and Executive Board members in obstructing the implementation of the AFT's executive Council and order.

3. The actions by the WTU Officers and Executive Board members in failing to follow the provisions of both its Constitution and Bylaws and the AFT Constitution and bylaws regarding the frequency of elections for officers and members of the Board.

4. The WTU Officers and Executive Board's violation of the local's Constitution and Bylaws by holding onto office beyond their elected terms and refusing to conduct internal elections in a timely manner.

5. The WTU Officers and Executive Board's violation of the democratic rights of WTU membership to vote for and elect leadership on the timetable set forth in the local's Constitution and Bylaws.

6. The WTU's failure to provide the AFT Administrator the materials and cooperation that he has requested to carry out the election is a violation of the WTU and AFT Constitution.

7. Allegations that the WTU Officers and Executive Board have retaliated against one or more insurgent candidates and have used their authority to improperly continue in office and to retaliate against or punish opponents."

George Parker, Hold Over WTU President Sues AFT

George Parker, 'Hold Over' president of the Washington Teachers' Union (whose constitutional term ended June 30, 2010) filed a lawsuit on August 16, 2010 against the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The purpose of Parker's lawsuit is to seek an injunction to prohibit the AFT from suspending the autonomy of the WTU. In one of Parker's many robo calls to members, he reported that his rationale for filing this lawsuit (which was funded by WTU members monies) was to protect teachers and school personnel. A DC teacher wrote: "Parker is a nut case. Why didn't he use the 'same zeal' to fight Michelle Rhee on IMPACT and that poor excuse for a contract. He will do anything to stay in the union office illegally."

You may recall that AFT President, Randi Weingarten, declared a limited administratorship takeover of the WTU because Parker refused to comply with the terms of the AFT Executive Council decision and order, dated August 4. This order indicated that AFT would oversee union elections and set a new deadline date of September 3rd for union members to submit their petitions to run for elected offices. The order also required Parker to reinstate Nathan Saunders, WTU General VP's salary forthwith and approve Saunders leave of absence from DCPS through the completion of the union election. When Parker refused to comply, Weingarten instituted a 'limited administratorship' with future plans to hold a hearing before her executive council on the matter at a later date. Parker and members of his illegally constituted WTU Executive Board including 4 newly appointed members by Parker (Carynne Connover, Jacqueline Hines, Monica Jones-Martinez and Bill Rope) requested that Weingarten and the AFT Executive Council reconsider its August 4 decision and order. In an August 16 letter to WTU board members, President Randi Weingarten responded: "Dear Mr. Parker: Upon due consideration, the August 4 determination which you challenge is adhered to. Unless by noon on Tuesday, August 17, 2010, we receive an unequivocal sworn undertaking from you and the Executive Board of the WTU, local 6 to comply in all respects with and to fully cooperate in all good faith with the processes previously articulated thereunder, an Administratorship shall upon unanimous decision of the President, Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Vice President of the AFT, be established and an Administrator appointed effective forthwith and without further notice to restore the rights of members in election procedures or representation, to secure and safeguard vital records and assets of the WTU from immediate threat, and to take such actions as are necessary to protect the interests of the membership in accordance with Article VI of the Constitution and bylaws of the AFT, AFL-CIO particularly sections 14 and 15 and each of the subsections thereof, and applicable provisions of law."

Parker seems intent on having his way by delaying union elections by any means necessary. An anonymous commenter described Parker's actions this way: "George Parker's consistent denial of the facts in relinquishing his authority as WTU president is quite troubling to me. His actions have become increasingly irrational. I don't know him personally but from a distance he appears to be losing touch with reality and displaying signs of desperation. Let's hope he continues to be non-violent." Usereason stated that "Parker has given lots of people plenty to be angry and depressed about. He (Parker) is reaping what he has sown.... I hope something can get him to come around and leave without fighting to the death ...."

Given this latest twist of events, what is your take on the lawsuit against AFT and Parker's spending the Washington Teachers Union assets to remain in office ? Stay tuned as this saga unfolds.

*Monica Jones- Martinez wrote me an email today on 8/26/10 revealing that she is no longer a WTU Executive board member. Ms. Martinez reports that after being appointed to the illegally constituted WTU E-board in June 2010 that she later resigned in late June 2010. It should be noted however, that she was a participant in the June 2010 WTU Executive Board meetings.

Disappointed In Seattle

In case you have been wondering what I have been up to, I have been disappointed in Seattle, Washington attending the American Federation of Teachers' convention as a DC delegate for the past week. Disappointed in the state of our national union- that is. What a rude awakening for me to see first hand how our national union is really run behind the scenes. As a second time delegate to the AFT convention, I took the opportunity to really delve into the day to day convention agenda which went well into most evenings as well as network with many union members from New York to California. Due to this blog as well as my involvement in a national meeting of union activists last summer at the United Teachers of Los Angeles Union headquarters (UTLA) , I have met quite a few union member activists from Detroit, Chicago, New York and California and was glad to reconnect at the convention.

At this convention, I decided to run on the BAMN (By Any Means Necessary) Slate for one of the AFT vice president slots on the Executive Council. Many delegates believe these elections are rigged by the AFT national courtesy of you guessed AFT president, Randi Weingarten and company (that's a story for another day). While I did not expect to win, my opposition to the Progressive Caucus slate was a challenge to the AFT status quo that regularly sells out our teachers and related school personnel. I am proud to say I earned the top votes (41,996) on BAMN's slate, not bad for a first-timer. Not bad given that 800 United Federation of Teacher (UFT) Delegates from New York signed an oath to support AFT's Progressive Caucus slate despite what their conscious may tell them. According to NYC Educator turned blogger reports: "In Seattle today, Unity members are reaping what they've sown. A free trip to Seattle, and a few days in a hotel. Ostensibly, they're representing the United Federation of Teachers. That would be you and me. But really, they're representing the Unity Caucus. That's a special fraternity, open by invitation only. That's not you and me. That's whoever they say it is. In fact, every one of them has signed an oath to express dis-agreement with the Caucus only within the Caucus. Every one of them has pledged to support Caucus decisions, however they may feel about them, outside of the Caucus. Albert Shanker threw people out of Unity Caucus for opposing the Vietnam War. More recently, I heard of a chapter leader expelled from the caucus for inviting a speaker to a meeting--a speaker of which the Caucus did not approve. So much for freedom of opinion. "

Stephen Sawchuk, educational reporter writes about why union members like myself from across the U.S. felt the need to challenge AFT's Progressive Caucus slate which hasn't seen a challenge in over thirty years, if you can imagine. Here's the July 10 story on the AFT elections as reported by Stephen Sawchuck of Education Week:

AFT Election: The Caucuses Make Their Cases by Stephen Sawchuk

" This morning, two political bodies within the American Federation of Teachers presented their platforms for today's election of AFT executive officers and council. That's right, I said two. Apparently, this is the first time since the 1970s that there has been a full slate of candidates opposing the incumbents. Keep reading.

Current AFT Executive Vice President Lorretta Johnson spoke on the behalf of the incumbents, which include herself, AFT President Randi Weingarten, and Secretary-Treasurer Antonia Cortese. She underscored Weingarten's "vision" for moving the union forward, as well as her ability to fight back, and even call out allies:

"I saw Randi Weingarten bust the vice president of the U.S.," Johnson said, referring to Weingarten's confrontation of Joe Biden over the Central Falls, R.I., teacher-dismissal situation. "He got the message. All those teachers came back."

Then, a bunch of folks from a new political caucus formed just this year, called the BAMN Caucus, presented their point of view.

A bit more about BAMN Caucus: It's essentially a loosely coordinated group of teachers, some of whom belong to the separate, left-leaning BAMN group, and some of whom have challenged or will challenge incumbents in AFT locals. Several have had some success in winning spots on those local unions' governing bodies. Others are hoping to in the future: Among the BAMN slate is Candi Peterson, a trustee of the Washington Teachers Union, in D.C., and a staunch supporter of Nathan Saunders, who is running against incumbent WTU President George Parker.

This group thinks that Weingarten and many of the local affiliate leaders haven't pushed back hard enough on things like charter schools, the Education Department's policy priorities, and school turnarounds and closures. And they oppose her efforts to re-examine things like due process and teacher evaluation.

Speaking this morning, Heather Miller of Detroit, one of the candidates on the BAMN slate, had this to say about the activism in Detroit: "Our members opposed the the policy of cynicism and cooperation with those who would destroy us."

Of course, it's hard to say at this early stage what BAMN's bid means in the grand scheme of the AFT. The political activities took place this morning before formal AFT business started, and the room was probably only about half full. We'll learn more when the election results are out.

It's also worth noting that BAMN candidates seem to be coming out of cities like Detroit, Kansas City, and Washington, D.C., that have had some remarkable challenges, like enrollment declines, school closures, and rancorous union-management relationships.

The wildcard to watch in all of this is Karen Lewis, the newly elected president of the Chicago Teachers' Union. As I reported yesterday, she recently joined the Progressive Caucus—Weingarten's coalition—but appears to differ with some of its objectives."

Story Courtesy of Education Week

Reactions Vary On Ratification of DC Teachers Union Contract: What's Your Reaction ?

UPDATE: Inside sources report the principal of Dunbar SHS informed his staff on June 2 that he received his letter of termination (aka non-renewal). In addition, it is also reported that principals from Coolidge SHS and Anacostia SHS will not be renewed. Two vice principals at Jefferson MS will not be renewed as well as the vice principal at Watkis ES. (See June 2 entry below).

DC teachers and school personnel ratified a five year WTU contract (2007-2012) of which three years have already passed. The WTU contract has been three years in the making by chief negotiator teachers union president George Parker. For those active union members who were working in 2007 - they will receive retro active pay raises dating back to 2007. For those who began working after 2007, they will receive retro pay dating back to their start date with DCPS. According to the WTU Tentative Agreement: "The 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and the appropriate portion of the 2009-2010 raises shall be paid retroactively to all DCPS employees who are members of the WTU bargaining unit as of the date of WTU ratification of this agreement and all WTU bargaining unit members who were separated or retired as a result of the November 2009 Reduction-in-Force. Retroactive payment of raises shall be made following ratification of this agreement by the WTU membership and approval by the DC Council."

Teachers who retired prior to the 2009 reduction in force, although union members during the contract period have been excluded from receiving retroactive pay raises and will have to file unfair labor practices if they want to see any of their money.

While the contract is more than just pay raises and gives Chancellor Rhee greater reign to fire teachers and school personnel, reactions varied from highs to lows on news of the contract ratification today. I am curious what was your reaction to the ratification of the Washington Teachers Union contract ? I am particularly interested in hearing from those DC teachers and school personnel who will remain in school year 2010-2011. Please feel free to weigh in with your comments.