The Offical Website of the PJSTA

Solidarity, Loyalty, and Asking Questions

Fellow NYSUT member Bianca Tanis recently wrote a great piece about NYSUT leadership titled A Respectful Revolution: Questioning Union Practice as an Act of Loyalty. Tanis hits the nail on the head in the article. This blog, along with several others, have regularly called out NYSUT leadership for what have been a series of broken promises and behavior that is in the best interests of only the top few officers in the union, not the 600,000 members they represent.

Via @ The Chalk Face…

Does loyalty to one’s union require blind faith? Must one eschew raising questions and concerns to demonstrate solidarity? Over the past few weeks, I have asked myself these questions. Certainly, any organization worth protecting is worth holding up to a high standard and can withstand tough questions, even when such questions are made in the public eye. In recent months, I have found it increasingly difficult to defend, let alone maintain faith in the current state union leadership in NYS, yet I believe steadfastly that the union can and will remain a powerful force for worker protection and student advocacy.

Tanis goes on to articulate her experience with the NYSUT leadership, in particular dealing with a situation in which she questioned NYSUT over spokesman Carl Korn being quoted in a Newsday article saying, “The vast majority of questions do appear to be age- and developmentally appropriate,” when referring to the 2014 ELA and math state assessments. After trying to question NYSUT over this seemingly bizarre comment Tanis received little or no response from the leadership. I urge you to read the entire article detailing her experience.

Tanis calls into question an issue that several of us have been dealing with recently. NYSUT’s leadership simply ignores any criticism or questioning of their behavior. Emails, tweets, and phone calls go unanswered as though they are teaching dissenters a lesson. While they ignore concerns from their membership, those who support the leadership accuse anyone asking questions of being disloyal and destroying solidarity. Some even claim us to be “union busters.” They did it when leadership broke their campaign promise of being “against the Common Core.” They did it when they worked to block a Zephyr Teachout endorsement. They did it one more time when members called into question the back room, double pension deal that suspiciously sailed through state government. Last week Arthur Goldstein echoed the very same concerns that I express here.

I love NYSUT and believe that our statewide union can be a force for good in public education. But members should have their eyes open. They should ask questions. They should hold their well compensated officers accountable. It’s part of the democratic process and it makes us a stronger union.

Notes for Tomorrow’s Conference Day

A few quick notes on tomorrow’s conference day…

We will meet promptly at Majestic Gardens in Rocky Point at 8:30 am.
Please wear your PJSTA shirts.
Breakfast will be served earlier than usual.
Zephyr Teachout, gubernatorial candidate will address our membership.
The district’s portion of the day will follow ours. We will head to Comsewogue High School following the conclusion of our event.

Happy New Year!

A Few More Thanks

After my post from yesterday on who I am thankful for this Labor Day, Jack Zamek left a comment. I thought the comment provided a lot more insight into our history and was worthy of posting here. Thanks Jack!

To Brian St.Pierre. ALSO. Give thanks to Mike Quill, President of the Transportation workers union who started it all with a wildcat strike on Jan 1st 1967. Also, Governor Rockefeller who wanted no more strikes, and was willing to do something about it. He appointed Prof Taylor from the Univ. of Penn. to settle with the Unions. Also, Nick Poulos, Comsewogue Board President, who was willing to make decisions. Also, the original five teachers who worked to change the one page salary agreement to a thirty five page Contract. They were Bob Carr, John Jurich, Walter Rice, Leonard Brass and me. Believe me when I say it was a labor of love. THANKS for the thanks. Jack Zamek

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Posted on September 1, 2014 by thepjsta

Many Labor Day Thanks

Labor Day, a creation of the labor movement, is a special time for union members to reflect on what their unions have done for them. The enhancements to their life that their unions have provided.

Last year I wrote a letter to the PJSTA membership thanking various people for what they have done for my union. I am more grateful than ever for those people today, so I am re-posting that letter below. In addition I am adding a few more names below the re-post of last year’s letter.

To the PJSTA membership…

As we get ready to embark on another school year, Labor Day offers me a moment to pause and express gratitude for the people who have made up my union and allowed me to enjoy the career that I have today…

Thank you Beth Dimino, PJSTA President, for tirelessly working on our behalf for more than ~~four~~ five years now. For working to preserve and enhance a strong contract, and for largely keeping us whole through turbulent times.

Thank you Christine Pendergast, Fran DiPiazza, and Jim Roth. The three presidents who have represented me throughout my career and have shown me what strong union leadership can do.

Thank you to all of the presidents who came before them, including Bob Carr (thanks Jack Zamek!) and Bill Hippner, who I have had the pleasure of knowing through his role in rep council. These are the people who built a strong contract one battle at a time over the years.

Thank you to the many men and women who have served on our executive boards and rep councils through the years, who have given tremendous amounts of time to form the governing body of the PJSTA.

Thank you to Rich Davis, my union buddy during my first year of teaching, and my first senior building rep. He was the first person who made union work appealing to me.

Thank you to Donna Gardner and Gail Ports who have done an incredible job representing me as my senior building rep in the years since Rich Davis.

Thank you to the PJSTA members who voted to authorize strikes in the 1970’s, showing the willingness to make a tremendous sacrifice, if necessary, for the greater good of our local.

Finally, thank you to the rank and file membership of the PJSTA, throughout our history. We have had great leaders, but our strength is in numbers. It is a whole lot easier for our leadership to take a stand and guide us through difficult times when they know they have 300 PJSTA members at their back.

Through the past several years the PJSTA has taken a leadership role in our region, fighting against the privatization of public education. We have had a substantial presence at rallies and events throughout the state. Our members have taken whatever action necessary when called upon. We have an aggressive and ambitious campaign planned for this year. Our membership will be called upon to take sustained action throughout the year. I know we will rise to the occasion and let our collective voice be heard.

Happy Labor Day… and welcome back to school!

In solidarity,

Brian St. Pierre

Over the past year I have met some incredible unionists over the past year who I am better off for knowing today and who have provided me with an inspiration for what unionists should be. So I have a few more thank you’s to offer this year…

Thank you to our brothers and sisters in the MORE Caucus, the social justice caucus of the UFT, who I have had the great pleasure of working with this past year on a number of issues. Those people included, but are not limited to Mike Schirtzer, James Eterno, Lauren Cohen, Megan Moskop, Norm Scott, and Peter Lamphere.
Thank you to Arthur Goldstein, UFT member who blogs at NYC Educator. Arthur ran for NYSUT’s Executive Vice-President this year and impressed virtualy everyone he came across. Additionally he shows up at virtually every rally and event that we hold out on Long Island.
Thank you to the CORE teachers from the Chicago Teachers Union and their leaders including, but not limited to, Michelle Gunderson, Debby Pope, and Sarah Chambers, among many others. They have carved a path for so many other teachers unions to follow in this country. The CORE teachers from Chicago also proved wonderful hosts when Beth Dimino and I visited this summer.
Thank you to all of the people who put work into the Stronger Together Caucus this year. Our statewide union will ultimately thrive because we have so many people who will not give up the fight for a more democratic union that allows a voice for all of our membership.
Thank you to the members who are new to the PJSTA this year. We are excited to have wonderful new union activists!

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Posted on August 31, 2014 by thepjsta

PJSTA Flashback: 38 years ago!

A friend of ours sent this along. The newspaper clipping below, from the Long Island Press dated September 8, 1976 tells the story of three Long Island locals who voted to authorize strikes. One of those locals was your very own PJSTA! In case your eyes don’t allow you to read it, the part about our local says…

Meanwhile, Comsewogue teachers (Port Jefferson Station) were to hear at dawn today whether night-long negotiations had reached a settlement, or whether they would strike.

Bill Hippner, spokesman for the teachers said their president, Robert Carr, would call the strike this morning if their was no settlement. The 6:30 a.m. meeting was in the theatre at the Arcade shopping center.

As you enjoy your Labor Day weekend, let this article be a good reminder of the courage that our predecessors in the PJSTA showed in order to win many of the benefits that remain in our contract today.

On a side note, Bill Hippner’s work for our union continued long after he retired. As recently as this past May he was still serving as the retirement representative on our Representative Council. If you touch base with him at all be sure to thank him for the immeasurable amount of work he did for our union!