Stewart/UPC Had Possession of Official Ballots     

It has come to the attention of the CSDU that Stewart’s UPC sent the following email to its members with an official marked ballot attached.  This action raises serious questions.  First, how did the UPC come by the Official Ballot and how many do they have. Second, these Official Ballots can be printed innumerable times and used to stuff the ballot boxes.  Finally, does this email imply that other things be done with the ballots?

The CTU has now spent thousands of dollars trying to pass these referenda to give Stewart despotic control:  hourly pay to UPC members to work phone banks with food and paid parking, overtime charges paid to CTU staff,  printing and mailing of ballots to schools, pick-ups by messenger services, and a letter to the entire membership, for which the postage costs alone are in the neighborhood of $15,000.

Please see the complete unchanged email below, as well as the actual marked Official Ballot that was attached and make these actions known to your members.  These proposed undemocratic changes do NOT belong in our CTU Constitution - neither for this administration, nor any that follow. 

See marked Official Ballot

 Since When is it Legal for a Caucus to Use

the CTU Phone Banks for Political Purposes?

 

As usual, administrators at the CTU are not thinking straight?   They are so worried about Stewart’s referenda not passing and causing a political embarrassment for her and the UPC that they are allowing the UPC to utilize the CTU phone banks.  See below for the actual email that was sent to their members:

 

The Union will be running phone banks from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday from November 9 to 19 (except for November 11, which is a holiday). The phone banks are intended to reach as many members as possible to encourage them to support the referendum issues on November 20.

 

Can you please notify caucus members that their assistance is needed as volunteers for these phone banks? We will need a minimum of 25 persons per evening. Volunteers may call Yolanda Velazquez at 312-329-6227 to schedule a time to volunteer. THIS REFERENDUM IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF OUR UNION AND NEEDS AS MUCH SUPPORT AS POSSIBLE.

 

Thanks.

 

John O.

 

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John A. Ostenburg

Chief of Staff

Chicago Teachers Union

222 Merchandise Mart Plaza

Chicago, IL 60654

(0) 312-329-6251  *  (C) 312-909-2311

(F) 312-329-2551  *  (H) 708-748-1265

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP.  PARKING WILL BE REIMBURSED.  REFRESHMENTS TO KEEP YOU GOING…………..UNITED PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS MEMBERS WANT TO WIN!!!!  call Yolanda Velazquez 312 329 6227  on Monday Nov. 9th……Retirees we need your help………

 

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Members Speak Loudly and Clearly

CTU President’s Hand-picked Endorsements Lose CTPF Election

CTU Members sent a strong message to Marilyn Stewart on Friday that they are no longer willing to allow her failure to follow the CTU Constitution by blatantly by-passing the votes of the House of Delegates. Her “Executive Board Endorsed” candidates lost the CTPF trustee election.

Delegates, who have much influence over how members vote at their schools, have turned increasingly against Stewart as she defies the Constitution and becomes more autocratic with each House meeting. Robert’s Rules and Parliamentary Procedure are thrown by the wayside in lieu of rulings that support her positions. At the first meeting of the school year delegates were not allowed access to microphones to speak on issues or make motions unless called on from the podium. This is in direct violation of the delegate adopted supplemental Rules of the House.

The final affront to delegates came when a postcard, paid for and sent by the Union, and signed by Stewart as president, was mailed to 24,000 teacher members prior to the October House meeting, stating that two candidates had been “endorsed” by her CTU Executive Board. According to the CTU Constitution, no endorsements can be made unless passed by the House of Delegates. Bedlum ensued at the meeting when delegates insisted on their rights being adhered to in making the endorsements. The issue finally came to resolution with the House endorsing all candidates. Subsequently, more dues money was wasted by Stewart when 24,000 new postcards, again at the expense of member dues, were mailed to teachers with “Executive Board Endorsed” candidates listed at the top, “delegate endorsed” candidates on the bottom. What Stewart thought would help her candidates, actually assured their loss. Delegates, sick of their role in the governance of the Union being ignored, worked to defeat Stewart.

Stewart also wants to short circuit the candidacy of the current CTU Treasurer, who has announced that she will run on the CSDU slate for CTU President in the upcoming May officer election. The president is proposing a November 20th referendum to change the constitution, which would give her the legal right to remove any officer by the rubber stamp of her Executive Board. Previously, the Vice President was removed from his elected position via this method when he announced that Stewart was incompetent and shouldn’t run for president in the next election. This expulsion subsequently resulted in a lawsuit that cost the CTU over a million dollars of dues money. Stewart is asking the members to give her this authority so that she can act against her detractors without consequence.

The CSDU is urging members to vote NO on this Constitution Amendment on November 20th.

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