California Educator

November 2015

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STATE COUNCIL Council backs initiative to extend Prop. 30 In other actions, State Council: • Elected Barbara J. Dawson to the CTA Board of Directors, District N. • Elected Robert Ellis as NEA Director, District 3. • Elected Telly Tse as NEA Alternate Director, Seat 3. • Elected to the CTA/ABC Committee Wendy Eccles (District K) and Luciano Ortiz (District G). • Rejected a proposed amendment to Article VI of the bylaws governing election procedures for the Board of Directors. • Voted unanimously to support the School Funding and Budget Stability Act of 2016, a ballot initiative that would extend Proposition 30's tax increases on wealthy Californians to provide K-14 public education about $2 billion annually and non-Prop. 98 programs about $4 billion annually. Council also voted to allocate up to $3 million to support CTA ballot positions in the 2016 election. • Approved the CTA Women's Caucus request to create a bargaining advisory to help chapters cra contract language implementing AB 375, which allows sick leave to be used for parental leave. • Adjourned in memory of the students and faculty murdered at Umpqua Community College and supported efforts to raise funds for the victims. Council members individually contributed more than $2,000 for victims of the campus shooting. At its previous meeting in June 2015, State Council: • Honored outgoing President Dean Vogel and Secretary-Treasurer Mikki Cichocki-Semo, and swore in the new officers. • Elected to the CTA Board of Directors Greg Bonaccorsi, District B; Erika Jones, District J; Susan Green, District Q; and re-elected Elana Davidson, District F; Kendall Vaught, District M. • Elected Heather Mumy to the CTA/ABC Committee, District B. • Honored winners of CTA awards for political activism and journalism, and honored winners of Service Center Council State WHO ("We Honor Ours") Awards. Master class from Marshall Ganz Marsh al l Ganz , w h o dropp ed out of Harvard to fight for voting rights in the South and worked with César Chávez to organize the United Farm Workers, pro- vided inspiration and new tools to Council members to help build an even stronger union. G a n z , w h o n o w t e a c h e s a t H a r v a r d 's Kennedy School of Government, urged mem- bers to build strong relationships with one another and communities of interests in support of public schools and human rights. On both days of the meeting, Council members practiced using the tools, which included: • Telling your own stories and using them to share your values and connect with others. • Building relationships and forging mutual commitments to work together. • Creating a shared team leadership structure that integrates local action with statewide, national or even global purpose. • Creating a shared strategy. • Creating shared, measurable action. ese practices, Ganz says, can help CTA leadership organize people to build the power to make change and achieve the broader goals of engage- ment and activism. Council members will bring these tools and mission to organize stronger locals back to their chapters. Executive director on CTA successes, challenges CTA Executive Director Joe Nuñez reminded State Council members of the major successes by CTA members, including the 1866 victory that entitled all the state's children to a free public education. Having cre- ated a secure retirement system for educators and defeated former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attacks on education and unions, CTA is now challenged by legal attacks that threaten the foundation of unionism. He cited the potential for Friedrichs v. CTA — underwritten by the anti- union Koch Brothers — to undermine "fair share" and force CTA members to pay the costs of protecting their non-union colleagues. is and other attacks reflect opponents' recognition that they can't beat CTA at the ballot box or on the floor of the legislature. "You're the strength of CTA," Nuñez told Council. "Your willingness to go back to your chapters and have conversations with your colleagues and lead a campaign for hope will make the difference. We must apply the tools Marshall gave us. We must use what we've learned not just to tell our stories but also … to elicit others' stories and values and build relationships … and develop more leaders and organizers in our union." Educator Ximena Zamosc has the courage to stand up in front of 800 colleagues while Marshall Ganz coaches her on telling her story. 53 November 2015

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