A few quick notes on tomorrow’s conference day…
Happy New Year!
After my post from yesterday on who I am thankful for this Labor Day, Jack Zamek left a comment. I thought the comment provided a lot more insight into our history and was worthy of posting here. Thanks Jack!
To Brian St.Pierre. ALSO. Give thanks to Mike Quill, President of the Transportation workers union who started it all with a wildcat strike on Jan 1st 1967. Also, Governor Rockefeller who wanted no more strikes, and was willing to do something about it. He appointed Prof Taylor from the Univ. of Penn. to settle with the Unions. Also, Nick Poulos, Comsewogue Board President, who was willing to make decisions. Also, the original five teachers who worked to change the one page salary agreement to a thirty five page Contract. They were Bob Carr, John Jurich, Walter Rice, Leonard Brass and me. Believe me when I say it was a labor of love. THANKS for the thanks. Jack Zamek
Labor Day, a creation of the labor movement, is a special time for union members to reflect on what their unions have done for them. The enhancements to their life that their unions have provided.
Last year I wrote a letter to the PJSTA membership thanking various people for what they have done for my union. I am more grateful than ever for those people today, so I am re-posting that letter below. In addition I am adding a few more names below the re-post of last year’s letter.
To the PJSTA membership…
As we get ready to embark on another school year, Labor Day offers me a moment to pause and express gratitude for the people who have made up my union and allowed me to enjoy the career that I have today…
- Thank you Beth Dimino, PJSTA President, for tirelessly working on our behalf for more than
fourfive years now. For working to preserve and enhance a strong contract, and for largely keeping us whole through turbulent times.- Thank you Christine Pendergast, Fran DiPiazza, and Jim Roth. The three presidents who have represented me throughout my career and have shown me what strong union leadership can do.
- Thank you to all of the presidents who came before them, including Bob Carr (thanks Jack Zamek!) and Bill Hippner, who I have had the pleasure of knowing through his role in rep council. These are the people who built a strong contract one battle at a time over the years.
- Thank you to the many men and women who have served on our executive boards and rep councils through the years, who have given tremendous amounts of time to form the governing body of the PJSTA.
- Thank you to Rich Davis, my union buddy during my first year of teaching, and my first senior building rep. He was the first person who made union work appealing to me.
- Thank you to Donna Gardner and Gail Ports who have done an incredible job representing me as my senior building rep in the years since Rich Davis.
- Thank you to the PJSTA members who voted to authorize strikes in the 1970’s, showing the willingness to make a tremendous sacrifice, if necessary, for the greater good of our local.
- Finally, thank you to the rank and file membership of the PJSTA, throughout our history. We have had great leaders, but our strength is in numbers. It is a whole lot easier for our leadership to take a stand and guide us through difficult times when they know they have 300 PJSTA members at their back.
Through the past several years the PJSTA has taken a leadership role in our region, fighting against the privatization of public education. We have had a substantial presence at rallies and events throughout the state. Our members have taken whatever action necessary when called upon. We have an aggressive and ambitious campaign planned for this year. Our membership will be called upon to take sustained action throughout the year. I know we will rise to the occasion and let our collective voice be heard.
Happy Labor Day… and welcome back to school!
In solidarity,
Brian St. Pierre
Over the past year I have met some incredible unionists over the past year who I am better off for knowing today and who have provided me with an inspiration for what unionists should be. So I have a few more thank you’s to offer this year…
A friend of ours sent this along. The newspaper clipping below, from the Long Island Press dated September 8, 1976 tells the story of three Long Island locals who voted to authorize strikes. One of those locals was your very own PJSTA! In case your eyes don’t allow you to read it, the part about our local says…
Meanwhile, Comsewogue teachers (Port Jefferson Station) were to hear at dawn today whether night-long negotiations had reached a settlement, or whether they would strike.
Bill Hippner, spokesman for the teachers said their president, Robert Carr, would call the strike this morning if their was no settlement. The 6:30 a.m. meeting was in the theatre at the Arcade shopping center.
As you enjoy your Labor Day weekend, let this article be a good reminder of the courage that our predecessors in the PJSTA showed in order to win many of the benefits that remain in our contract today.
On a side note, Bill Hippner’s work for our union continued long after he retired. As recently as this past May he was still serving as the retirement representative on our Representative Council. If you touch base with him at all be sure to thank him for the immeasurable amount of work he did for our union!
I’ve been out of commission for a few days as I had some laptop issues resolved. However I am back in action and have a few links to pass on that we should all be reading.
First to Zephyr Teachout, the PJSTA endorsed gubernatorial candidate…
There will be a a rally in support of Teachout on Thursday, September 4th at 4:30. All PJSTA members should be there. Teachout, Beth Dimino, Carol Burris, Kevin Glynn, and Jeanette Deutermann will be among the attendees and speakers. More information at the bottom of this post.
The Long Island Press quotes Teachout as saying her first order of business would be working to eliminate the Common Core in New York State and dismissing commissioner John King. Via the Long Island Press…
Teachout has been equally outspoken against Common Core, the education reform created by the National Governor’s Association and the Council of State School Officers and implemented to what many are calling disastrous results under the leadership of Cuomo and his appointed Commissioner of Education John King.
Teachout said the first order of business if she was to beat Cuomo would be the elimination of Common Core, and King as commissioner.
“John King has failed to listen to parents and teachers who have spoken up forcefully about the problems with high stakes testing and privatization of public schools, and is the wrong person for the job,” she said.
“Listening” is a key component of being governor, she stressed amid the market. “He’s not a good listener.”
The more you hear her speak the more you wonder what NYSUT possibly could have been thinking when they chose not to endorse her.
Speaking of NYSUT, we have a few good links on the double pension scandal that broke last week…
Over at the Perdido Street School blog, Reality-Based Educator says the Cuomo/NYSUT double pension deal needs to be investigated.
Sean Crownley from the B-LoEdScene blog says that NYSUT leadership needs to explain themselves or resign.
Arthur Goldstein at NYC Educator talks about the poor defense arguments that NYSUT leadership’s mouthpieces are offering up.
Here is the information on Thursday’s Teachout rally…
Last Friday the PJSTA issued an official endorsement of Zephyr Teachout, who will square off against Andrew Cuomo in the gubernatorial Democratic primary on September 9th. Teachout, considered the underdog to the Wall Street backed Cuomo, has gained significant momentum over the past few weeks. In spite of her virtually ideal education platform, NYSUT has chosen not to endorse her in the coming primary. That has not stopped educators from across the state from throwing their support behind her, however. Local education leaders have begun to sign a letter of support for Teachout.
If you’d like to sign the letter yourself you can click here. You can also be sure to “Like” the Facebook page.
To contribute to Teachout’s campaign click here.
Today the PJSTA welcomed twelve new members to our local. Our new brothers and sisters are excited to bring their energy and activism to the PJSTA as we embark on another school year that will, once again, require more work than ever before as the fight for public education wages on.
The new members had an opportunity to meet their mentors, be briefed on who the PJSTA is, and then mingle with fellow teachers and district administrators. We look forward to the many skills and talents that they will bring to our local this year!
The Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association is very proud to endorse Zephyr Teachout for New York State Governor. Teachout has a clear vision for a public education system that New York’s students, teachers, and communities deserve. Teachout stands in opposition to the privatization measures that have been endorsed by Governor Cuomo and which hurt New York’s students.
Zephyr Teachout calls for full and equal funding of New York’s schools, an end to high-stakes testing, protection of public education against privatization, the empowerment of New York’s local school communities, and the end of the suspension pipeline. All of these positions resonate deeply with the rank and file membership of the PJSTA. We are excited to work with Teachout to bring her vision of public education to New York State so that all New Yorkers can reap the benefits of the best public education system in America.
It is with great pleasure that the PJSTA welcomes gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout as a guest speaker at our general membership meeting on September 2nd, the first day of school. Teachout is running against Governor Cuomo in the September 9th Democratic Primary. She has recently endeared herself to public school teachers with an education platform that is very supportive of the work we do. You can read more about Teachout’s public education plans here. We will follow up with more details in the coming days.
The Official Website of the PJSTA 