T-shirts for Democracy Spring
I imagine that there are different opinions on the presidential election campaign among members of UALE and this list. I also imagine that it is important for the tone and usefulness of the list that we do our best to respect different opinions. In my view, the below email does not do that. Individual union members have every right to dissent from the decision of their unions, precisely because unions are democratic institutions and the right of dissent is essential. But characterizing a process as undemocratic because you disagree with the results is a different matter: it is an attack on the process itself. As such, it is bound to raise the ire of those who not only thought that the right decision was made, but that it was made by the elected representative body which are constitutionally mandated to make such decisions, and after wide consultation. This was certainly the case in the union I am most familiar with, the AFT.
From: UALEList [mailto:ualelist-bounces@list.uale.org] On Behalf Of Joe Berry
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2016 2:56 PM
To: Sarah Laslett
Cc: UALE listserv
Subject: Re: [Ualeindiv] T-shirts for Democracy Spring
I strongly disagree about the candidate specific shirts. I'll bet that the reason is that most would be Bernie and that would embarrass the national union leaders who undemocratically endorsed Hillary before most members ever had a chance to hear of or about Bernie. I will respect the request in the interest of unity, but I wanted to register this protest comment, for what it is worth.
Joe Berry (whose national union leaders (AFT and NEA) both endorsed Clinton early.)
Leo Casey
Executive Director
Albert Shanker Institute
555 New Jersey Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
LCasey@ASHANKERINST.ORGmailto:LCasey@ASHANKERINST.ORG
WWW.SHANKERINSTITUTE.ORGhttp://www.shankerinstitute.org/
202-879-4552
Unions are only one part of the large coalition, and most of the organizations in the coalition are non-partisan.
The coalition is trying to promote messages that are far broader than support for any particular candidate.
From: UALEList [mailto:ualelist-bounces@list.uale.org] On Behalf Of Leo Casey, Albert Shanker Institute
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2016 12:30 PM
To: UALEList@list.uale.org
Subject: [Ualeindiv] T-shirts for Democracy Spring
I imagine that there are different opinions on the presidential election campaign among members of UALE and this list. I also imagine that it is important for the tone and usefulness of the list that we do our best to respect different opinions. In my view, the below email does not do that. Individual union members have every right to dissent from the decision of their unions, precisely because unions are democratic institutions and the right of dissent is essential. But characterizing a process as undemocratic because you disagree with the results is a different matter: it is an attack on the process itself. As such, it is bound to raise the ire of those who not only thought that the right decision was made, but that it was made by the elected representative body which are constitutionally mandated to make such decisions, and after wide consultation. This was certainly the case in the union I am most familiar with, the AFT.
From: UALEList [mailto:ualelist-bounces@list.uale.org] On Behalf Of Joe Berry
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2016 2:56 PM
To: Sarah Laslett
Cc: UALE listserv
Subject: Re: [Ualeindiv] T-shirts for Democracy Spring
I strongly disagree about the candidate specific shirts. I'll bet that the reason is that most would be Bernie and that would embarrass the national union leaders who undemocratically endorsed Hillary before most members ever had a chance to hear of or about Bernie. I will respect the request in the interest of unity, but I wanted to register this protest comment, for what it is worth.
Joe Berry (whose national union leaders (AFT and NEA) both endorsed Clinton early.)
Leo Casey
Executive Director
Albert Shanker Institute
555 New Jersey Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
LCasey@ASHANKERINST.ORGmailto:LCasey@ASHANKERINST.ORG
WWW.SHANKERINSTITUTE.ORGhttp://www.shankerinstitute.org/
202-879-4552
I agree, and I don't think anything I wrote would suggest otherwise. My point was about discourse on the email list.
From: Cecelie Counts [mailto:Ccounts@aflcio.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2016 12:36 PM
To: Leo Casey, Albert Shanker Institute; UALEList@list.uale.org
Subject: RE: [Ualeindiv] T-shirts for Democracy Spring
Unions are only one part of the large coalition, and most of the organizations in the coalition are non-partisan.
The coalition is trying to promote messages that are far broader than support for any particular candidate.
From: UALEList [mailto:ualelist-bounces@list.uale.org] On Behalf Of Leo Casey, Albert Shanker Institute
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2016 12:30 PM
To: UALEList@list.uale.orgmailto:UALEList@list.uale.org
Subject: [Ualeindiv] T-shirts for Democracy Spring
I imagine that there are different opinions on the presidential election campaign among members of UALE and this list. I also imagine that it is important for the tone and usefulness of the list that we do our best to respect different opinions. In my view, the below email does not do that. Individual union members have every right to dissent from the decision of their unions, precisely because unions are democratic institutions and the right of dissent is essential. But characterizing a process as undemocratic because you disagree with the results is a different matter: it is an attack on the process itself. As such, it is bound to raise the ire of those who not only thought that the right decision was made, but that it was made by the elected representative body which are constitutionally mandated to make such decisions, and after wide consultation. This was certainly the case in the union I am most familiar with, the AFT.
From: UALEList [mailto:ualelist-bounces@list.uale.org] On Behalf Of Joe Berry
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2016 2:56 PM
To: Sarah Laslett
Cc: UALE listserv
Subject: Re: [Ualeindiv] T-shirts for Democracy Spring
I strongly disagree about the candidate specific shirts. I'll bet that the reason is that most would be Bernie and that would embarrass the national union leaders who undemocratically endorsed Hillary before most members ever had a chance to hear of or about Bernie. I will respect the request in the interest of unity, but I wanted to register this protest comment, for what it is worth.
Joe Berry (whose national union leaders (AFT and NEA) both endorsed Clinton early.)
Leo Casey
Executive Director
Albert Shanker Institute
555 New Jersey Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
LCasey@ASHANKERINST.ORGmailto:LCasey@ASHANKERINST.ORG
WWW.SHANKERINSTITUTE.ORGhttp://www.shankerinstitute.org/
202-879-4552
Perhaps it matters little, if at all in the current conversation, but many
of us were members of Workers' Education Local 189, AFT, AFL-CIO when then
AFT president AL Shanker unceremoniously excommunicated, and kicked local
189 out of the AFT! In large measure because our local supported the
Union"s incumbent national president, David Seldom, for re-election bid.
Ultimately, Seldom lost as did Local 189! Hopefully, in the spirit of
Workers' Education Local 189, there is an enduring lesson in that event.
Moreover, folks may have the RIGHT, but what about the exercise of that
right? Something to think about. Best wishes to you all. John R. Hanson,
director emeritus, Bureau of Labor Education, Univ. Of Maine, and former
189 member
On Apr 12, 2016 12:32 PM, "Leo Casey, Albert Shanker Institute" <
lcasey@ashankerinst.org> wrote:
I imagine that there are different opinions on the presidential election
campaign among members of UALE and this list. I also imagine that it is
important for the tone and usefulness of the list that we do our best to
respect different opinions. In my view, the below email does not do that.
Individual union members have every right to dissent from the decision of
their unions, precisely because unions are democratic institutions and the
right of dissent is essential. But characterizing a process as undemocratic
because you disagree with the results is a different matter: it is an
attack on the process itself. As such, it is bound to raise the ire of
those who not only thought that the right decision was made, but that it
was made by the elected representative body which are constitutionally
mandated to make such decisions, and after wide consultation. This was
certainly the case in the union I am most familiar with, the AFT.
From: UALEList [mailto:ualelist-bounces@list.uale.org
ualelist-bounces@list.uale.org] On Behalf Of Joe Berry
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2016 2:56 PM
To: Sarah Laslett
Cc: UALE listserv
Subject: Re: [Ualeindiv] T-shirts for Democracy Spring
I strongly disagree about the candidate specific shirts. I'll bet that the
reason is that most would be Bernie and that would embarrass the national
union leaders who undemocratically endorsed Hillary before most members
ever had a chance to hear of or about Bernie. I will respect the request in
the interest of unity, but I wanted to register this protest comment, for
what it is worth.
Joe Berry (whose national union leaders (AFT and NEA) both endorsed
Clinton early.)
Leo Casey
Executive Director
Albert Shanker Institute
555 New Jersey Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
WWW.SHANKERINSTITUTE.ORG http://www.shankerinstitute.org/
202-879-4552
UALEList mailing list
UALEList@list.uale.org
http://list.uale.org/mailman/listinfo/ualelist_list.uale.org