Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1380872
RENAISSANCE getting worse with the onset of the pandemic — and many staff feeling like they were disposable. "A lot of us were ready to fight for change," Zamudio says, "and so we did." Starting their organizing on Zoom in the early days of the pandemic, the educators set a two-month deadline so they could file for recognition by the end of the school year, a feat that seemed difficult to accomplish at the time. With an orga- nizing team of eight and the support of their teacher colleagues, Zamudio and ESS organizers drove around their communities and collected signatures, safely and from a distance. She recounted watching a colleague who works as a custodian sign the union petition while his grandchildren watched, witnessing the memorable moment. " It w a s a v e r y p ow e r f u l t i m e ," Z a m u di o says excitedly. " We created a union during the pandemic — who would've thought that would happen?" e ESS educators filed in June and were recognized in August 2020 — a monumental effort in such a short time, and one that increases CEFC to nearly 300 members. " We were just a baby union two years ago. And to have expanded and given a voice to the voiceless is an honor," Albara- cin says. "My hope is we build a strong place that educators want to stay." Union busting is real Not ever yone is pleased with labor's resurgence and an increase in empowered workers. Anti-union organizations like the Freedom Foundation and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy pour money into disinformation campaigns aimed at deceiving workers to leave their unions (see sidebar, page 31). Some char- ter management operators are notorious union busters, using any means necessary to scare, obstruct or otherwise prevent their educators from organizing a union. Frost says that her current contract at High Tech High is year to year and at will. Being able to collectively bargain a contract is a big part of why she wanted a union. But it's also why signing their names at the bottom of a union organizing letter can be cause for concern. "It's a scary thought," says Diana Gonzalez, Spanish teacher and HTEC member. "But it's not just about me. It's for future colleagues and students. To have a union is going to positively impact their experiences. Even if I'm gone, the students will still benefit from the union." e question of "what if " went from a hypo- thetical to real life during the reporting of this story, when an HTEC organizing committee member was fired a day after being quoted in a San Diego area newspaper article on the unionizing effort. HTEC and CTA mobilized immediately, filing an unfair labor practice charge for the apparent retaliation and demand- ing the dedicated four-year teacher be reinstated. " We believe it is our collective obligation as a union, as teachers, as peers, as High Tech High families, and as the larger educational community to protect the High Tech High teaching and learning community," HTEC wrote in a petition to the HTH Board. "is means demonstrating our shared values by lever- aging our collective power to correct this egregious act committed by HTH leadership." 29 J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 21 High Tech High educator Diana Gonzalez says that HTEC will positively impact students for years to come. When we come together as a community, we're a very powerful force. —PAOLA ZAMUDIO, kindergarten tutor, Coalition of Educators for Change