CTU Leadership Ticket In Flux
By Jim Vail
Union politics certainly ain't what it used to be.
Back in the day there was opposition between different caucuses in the Chicago Teachers Union after the United Progressive Party ruled the roost for years and years.
Enter PACT and Debbie Lynch in the early 21st century who upset the UPC to win the union. She was a constant in the delegates meeting to challenge the ruling company union.
Then Core can along to fight for school closings and do activist union work that the UPC not only neglected, but tried to thwart.
Eventually an unprecedented 5 groups ran for the CTU presidency in 2010, before a run-off gave the election to Karen Lewis and Core.
Today, there appears to be no more UPC, nor any other caucus within the union to fight for the presidency.
However, that doesn't mean there isn't a little intrigue.
According to Core sources, financial secretary Kristine Mayle will not run for re-election as the financial secretary. Sources say Core is thinking of nominating Maria Moreno, who has served as a delegate at Nightengale Elementary School on the South West side.
She has been a consistent fighter with Core from the early days.
Perhaps the biggest surprise so far is current CTU vice president Jesse Sharkey, who has told Core that he may step down and not run on the Core ticket again.
Sharkey told Second City Teachers it is up to the Core steering committee to decide who they will nominate for officers.
Whether this means certain elements surrounding the union leadership are having differences, or fatigue in the overwhelming battle against the board of education and its relentless anti-union pro-privatization agenda, are anyone's guess.
The next CTU union election will be April, 2016. Karen Lewis announced her candidacy to run for re-election.
Another Chicago teachers strike may occur before the union election.
By Jim Vail
 |
| CTU VP Jesse Sharkey is not sure if he will continue in his position. |
Union politics certainly ain't what it used to be.
Back in the day there was opposition between different caucuses in the Chicago Teachers Union after the United Progressive Party ruled the roost for years and years.
Enter PACT and Debbie Lynch in the early 21st century who upset the UPC to win the union. She was a constant in the delegates meeting to challenge the ruling company union.
Then Core can along to fight for school closings and do activist union work that the UPC not only neglected, but tried to thwart.
Eventually an unprecedented 5 groups ran for the CTU presidency in 2010, before a run-off gave the election to Karen Lewis and Core.
Today, there appears to be no more UPC, nor any other caucus within the union to fight for the presidency.
However, that doesn't mean there isn't a little intrigue.
According to Core sources, financial secretary Kristine Mayle will not run for re-election as the financial secretary. Sources say Core is thinking of nominating Maria Moreno, who has served as a delegate at Nightengale Elementary School on the South West side.
She has been a consistent fighter with Core from the early days.
Perhaps the biggest surprise so far is current CTU vice president Jesse Sharkey, who has told Core that he may step down and not run on the Core ticket again.
Sharkey told Second City Teachers it is up to the Core steering committee to decide who they will nominate for officers.
Whether this means certain elements surrounding the union leadership are having differences, or fatigue in the overwhelming battle against the board of education and its relentless anti-union pro-privatization agenda, are anyone's guess.
The next CTU union election will be April, 2016. Karen Lewis announced her candidacy to run for re-election.
Another Chicago teachers strike may occur before the union election.
No comments:
Post a Comment