THE CHANGE YOU SEEK
“Control over change would seem to consist in moving not with but ahead of it.”
--Marshall McLuhan
What an exciting time to be a part of the teacher union movement here in Local 1274. We have exciting and activist new leadership in the AFT; the opportunity to elect more education friendly legislators in our Illinois assembly and senate in November; the need to create and wage a fierce campaign to defeat the ConCon; and the chance to make history and elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden, thus starting to reverse eight long years of terrible education policy (NCLB anyone?) and awful antiunion labor policy, among legions of other serious problems.
As the Marshall McLuhan quotation above tells us, in times of change we need to be ahead of the curve if we want to direct that change rather than merely react to it. Therefore, we have our work cut out for us. Please look closely in this issue of the Newsline, as it is full of ways for you to get involved in enacting the change we seek. Here’s an easy checklist for you to follow.
• Come to our important meeting about the ConCon on Sept. 23rd. I look forward to seeing you there and greeting many of you whom I have yet to meet. That meeting will be an important first step for our full involvement in defeating this dangerous ballot question. Please come and—more—leave the meeting with a plan for yourself to do something: talk to your neighbors, wear your button at your block party, make some phone calls. Ask you coworkers if they are going to the meeting. Maybe you can drive there together?
• Make sure you and your friends and family are all registered to vote. Pay attention to our IFT and Local election endorsements. We spend a lot of time meeting with and examining candidates and their records in order to give you good ideas about who will best support our work as educators.
• Learn the issues of the presidential election and read the materials the AFT and we will send you detailing the candidates’ positions. That is the first step, and then we will ask you to get involved in some way to help us win an historic election.
But, remember that we need each other to act. Our collective ability to create change is only as great as each individual’s actions. If you don’t act, then we won’t win.
I know that all of you—the great and talented membership of Local 1274--will step up to the plate this fall as you have always done. Have a great start to the school year and remember—we will prevail if we all act!
In unity,
Dan
