CTU HOD Agenda?
By Jim Vail
The Chicago Teachers Union delegates will meet tonite at the Operating Engineers Hall to discuss ... what exactly?
That has been a problem for not only the union but the political process in general. Delegates are supposed to vote on important motions and actions having no prior knowledge about what it is other than a discussion at the meeting.
The CTU leaders agreed to provide the agenda after the CTU Executive Board meets two days prior to the House of Delegates meeting.
However, no agenda has been provided for the monthly meeting this Wednesday.
Why is this a problem?
The classic case was aldermen who said the reason they voted for Mayor Daley's disastrous parking meter privatization scam was that they had to look at hundred page documents on the day of the vote.
Of course, this is a lame excuse. You don't vote on something you only find out about the day of the vote and do not understand!
But the delegates, and aldermen, are put under big pressure to vote quickly, because like any sales pitch, it needs to be done now or else!
The CTU wants it this way to get the delegates to vote (rubber stamp) the business items they need passed.
We, on the other hand, are not prepared.
For example, for tonight, what will we delegates, myself included, vote on?
I've heard a resolution for more transparency about political donations. Supposedly, according to inside sources, the CTU gave a whopping $90,000 to Jay Travis in the state rep race that she lost.
Also, some teachers were upset somebody spoke after CTU President Karen Lewis at the April 1 rally and said, "Fu%$# the police."
Democracy only properly functions when the electorate are educated about the issues.
Let's hope the CTU gets this right and provides that agenda ahead of time.
By Jim Vail
The Chicago Teachers Union delegates will meet tonite at the Operating Engineers Hall to discuss ... what exactly?
That has been a problem for not only the union but the political process in general. Delegates are supposed to vote on important motions and actions having no prior knowledge about what it is other than a discussion at the meeting.
The CTU leaders agreed to provide the agenda after the CTU Executive Board meets two days prior to the House of Delegates meeting.
However, no agenda has been provided for the monthly meeting this Wednesday.
Why is this a problem?
The classic case was aldermen who said the reason they voted for Mayor Daley's disastrous parking meter privatization scam was that they had to look at hundred page documents on the day of the vote.
Of course, this is a lame excuse. You don't vote on something you only find out about the day of the vote and do not understand!
But the delegates, and aldermen, are put under big pressure to vote quickly, because like any sales pitch, it needs to be done now or else!
The CTU wants it this way to get the delegates to vote (rubber stamp) the business items they need passed.
We, on the other hand, are not prepared.
For example, for tonight, what will we delegates, myself included, vote on?
I've heard a resolution for more transparency about political donations. Supposedly, according to inside sources, the CTU gave a whopping $90,000 to Jay Travis in the state rep race that she lost.
Also, some teachers were upset somebody spoke after CTU President Karen Lewis at the April 1 rally and said, "Fu%$# the police."
Democracy only properly functions when the electorate are educated about the issues.
Let's hope the CTU gets this right and provides that agenda ahead of time.
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