tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711470281998032448.post44070858568761064..comments2023-12-07T00:41:03.305-08:00Comments on Second City Teachers: CTU Endorses Good, Bad & UglyJvail900http://www.blogger.com/profile/03786050285260494603noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711470281998032448.post-46980969832846591082016-05-02T09:43:52.629-07:002016-05-02T09:43:52.629-07:00A correction -- Mayoral Control was passed during ...A correction -- Mayoral Control was passed during the 2 years in the 90's when Madigan was not speaker -- Daley cut a deal with RepublicansEd Hersheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01970916592597803082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711470281998032448.post-2398420095434956762016-05-02T09:43:45.701-07:002016-05-02T09:43:45.701-07:00A correction -- Mayoral Control was passed during ...A correction -- Mayoral Control was passed during the 2 years in the 90's when Madigan was not speaker -- Daley cut a deal with RepublicansEd Hersheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01970916592597803082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711470281998032448.post-35799521934075138572016-01-12T20:35:59.681-08:002016-01-12T20:35:59.681-08:00I spoke against the endorsement Resolution on two ...I spoke against the endorsement Resolution on two counts:<br /><br />1. That we did not receive the information on who was to be endorsed until immediately before the vote. The packet describing the PAC/Leg committee's recommendation was handed out only at the beginning of Items for Action -- it's usually in the folder. I have a hard time seeing this as a coincidence, when the top endorsement was for Madigan. Delegates need to know what we're voting on before the meeting. <br /><br />2. Mike Madigan has been in charge of the House for 35 years or so. So he's responsible for: Mayoral Control, Charter Expansion, PERA (Evaluations tied to test scores), the 2nd Tier Pension he passed in 2010, SB7 which required the huge strike vote, lengthened the school day with no resources, and gutted seniority protections -- need I go on? And that's just his record on Education. Oh, and he's spent the last five years conspiring with Pat Quinn over the best way to try to cut our pension.<br /><br />But now that Rauner is in office, he poses as a defender of unions. Now, mind you, the CTU has endorsed Madigan, and given him LOTS of money before -- Madigan got a big contribution from CTU even as he was attacking our pension. <br /><br />The union leadership presents this as a cost of business -- that we need to "have a seat at the table." I understand we have to meet with the guy -- but giving him an endorsement and money publicly paints someone who's clearly our enemy as our friend.<br /><br />He's not our friend. And there is an alternative. The CTU's election campaign showed that CTU, alone, has the means to field candidates independently -- including a plausible candidate for mayor. Several of the aldermanic candidates, including myself, professed the belief that the working class needs its own party, independent of the Democrats, who represent the interests of the corporations. And some of those candidates did very well -- up to and including winning an aldermanic seat. <br /><br />When I spoke against the Madigan endorsement, I heard a lot of supporters in the House. Few Iif any) of those supporters joined me in voting against the endorsement. But I hope there are people who can see that we need to break away from the Democratic Party.<br /><br />It's not just "theoretical" -- our own union started putting this idea into practice by running teachers for mayor and alderman. And it has been done in many other countries. Ed Hersheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01970916592597803082noreply@blogger.com