NEWS & EVENTS (BenOrtiz.com)
...from Anthony Johnston...
Dear Truman 1600 Members:
Thanks to everyone for the great turnout at the picket of the board meeting this Thursday! We had a broad base of support from active faculty, professional and retirees. I was especially glad to see several non-tenured professors there. (Franklin Reynolds in particular did a fantastic job on the megaphone leading cheers!) There will be many attempts by administration to intimidate non-tenured professors with the idea that their tenure will be at risk if they stand with us on the picket line (and I've heard they've already started). Let me make this brutally clear:
OUR UNION WILL PROTECT ANY MEMBER IN THE EVENT OF A STRIKE!!!
Our contract has one of the most comprehensive "non-reprisal" articles. Not only has it protected members (tenured and non-tenured alike). In the past it has protected students and members of other unions who honored our strikes. The next month will be filled with rumors and innuendo aplenty. Believe nothing unless it comes from a union officer.
Perry Buckley gave an excellent speech which perfectly laid out our anger and frustration at the Board's negotiating stance so far. John Mintier gave an inspiring talk on how the Board's latest proposal will devastate retiree's lives with its attack on health insurance. Both seemed to have an impact on James Tyree who pledged to take these concerns to their negotiating team. The head lawyer for their team was there, a rarity. Norm and Perry thought that this may be so that the Board could consult with him in their closed sessions after the presentations, since all they've heard from Wayne is that "negotiations are progressing ".
Anyway, it won't be until September 21 that the two sides will meet again, so that will be a telling meeting whether the Board will alter its proposals. In the meantime, we are assuming we are going on strike. I am coordinating with our strike captain, Richard Przybranowski to get our strike schedule and phone tree together. We will be sending out all necessary information that you need to know to prepare to shut Truman College down. The Local 1600 Strike Committee has called on the City College chapters to call for a vote to authorize the negotiating team to set a strike date (not an actual strike vote) in the event that the meeting on September 21 does not show the Board bargaining in good faith. The vote would take place here on campus on September 22, 23 and 24.
If you have any questions, feel free to call me at work (773) 907-4790 or at home (773) 429-9555.
In Solidarity,
Anthony Johnston
Chair, Harry S Truman College
Cook County College Teachers Union (Local 1600)
AFT-IFT, AFL-CIO