Core Upset

Members First Upsets Core in Pension Fund Election

By Jim Vail

Members First Phil Weiss upset Core to serve as a teacher
trustee on the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund.

The teachers union recorded its first major upset in 10 years after Members First Philip Weiss defeated Core's Cathy Cunningham-Yee to win a position as teacher trustee on the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF).

Tina Padilla (Core) and Phillip Weiss (Members First) won the election to serve as teacher trustees on the pension fund for a three year term. There were four candidates in the election.

The Coalition of Rank and File Teachers or Core has been the ruling caucus party of the Chicago Teachers Union since 2010 when they were able to join other caucuses to upset the ruling party UPC and lead the teachers union.

They have been a dominant force ever since.

Core has won every union election in the last 10 years. Core President Jesse Sharkey defeated Members Fist Therese Boyle in the last election with about 70 percent of the vote.

Core first made its name before the historic 2010 election when Jay Rehak and Lois Ashford won positions on the pension board against the ruling party UPC. Former CTU president Debby Lynch said this had never happened before.

Did this pension upset expose a weakness in Core? MF did win four executive board seats in prior elections, but this was the first big election win for the party first started by Therese Boyle and Frank McDonald when they started looking at the numbers and criticized union political spending and the CTU Foundation which is not accountable to the members.

Members First complained that Core used unfair election tactics and far outspent them in the pension election.

Every CTU member received a slick colorful mailer to vote for Tina Padilla and Cathy Cunningham to the pension board.

Tina Padilla won re-election as trustee to the pension board.

Members First, on the other hand, took to social media and its facebook page to make a video about why it was important to vote for their candidates. Phil and Mary noted that the fund has lost 2.5 percent of its value in the last three months. A pension fund trustee said it has lost that much in the last year, which is still "unacceptable."

Members First spent about $250 on FB promoted posts. Core's postcard mailer to 28,000 members is estimated to have cost $10,000.

The fact that the CTPF has been rocked by scandal amid accusations of racism and intimidation in the last couple of months could have contributed to electing an opposition candidate. CTPF President Jeffery Blackwell wrote in a letter, "As trustees we cannot condone racism, harassment or targeted discrimination. We will no longer allow former trustees and active trustees to terrorize our fund with unethical behavior and acts. If we are not part of the solution then we are part of the problem." 

The turnout was very low. Only 3,996 votes were cast, a mere 14 percent of eligible voters. Tina Padilla recorded 2,344 votes, Philip Weiss 2,150, Mary Esposito-Usterbowski 1,668 and Catherine Cunningham-Yee 1,600.

Members First said the election could have been decided on the strength of the candidates resumes. Tina and Phil boasted the strongest finance backgrounds.

"Now what will CORE do to Blackwell?," one MF member asked. "Will he be punished for letting members know about the problems at the fund? Will they vote in a new President of the Trustees? Wonder who is jockeying for that spot?"