Jeanne Freed

New Teacher Trustees for the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund

Final Vote Count:

Jeffrey Blackwell = 7,914

Jeanne Freed       = 6,931

Lois Nelson          = 4,472

Linda Goff            = 4,943

Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to get out the vote!

Jeff & Jeanne will:

• fight for your pension statements;
• hold investors accountable; and
• keep pension money out of privatizers’ hands!

CTPF is bouncing back. Keep us moving forward.

Jeff Blackwell & Jeanne Freed for CTPF Teacher Trustees

Please download the flier (to the right at the top of the sidebar) and distribute it to everyone you know. There is a color version and a black and white. Four per page.

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Jim Cavallero
Nate Goldbaum
Al Ramirez
George Schmidt
Zulma Ortiz

The new steering committee will soon meet to determine specific roles for its members.

There will be a runoff election to determine CORE’s two candidates for Chicago Teacher Pension Fund Trustee. Balloting will be held from Tuesday, September 14th to Friday, September 17th. CORE members should be sure to look  in your inbox for an invitation from BallotBin.com to vote. If you don’t see the invitation by Wednesday, be sure to check your “spam” or “junk mail” folder for the invitation.

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It was the PACT (Pro-Active Chicago Teachers and School Employees) caucus that won the day with their filing in federal court as Lynch vs. Huberman. Within days, federal judge Amy St. Eve issued a temporary restraining order preserving our right to campaign. This decision was crucial in our joint effort to change the CTU’s leadership.

Since that time, PACT and their lawyers have been busy closing the issue. The PACT web site reports that a preliminary settlement of the suit has been reached. Details of the settlement are to be withheld by agreement until final approval by the Board in August.

CORE owes a debt of gratitude to the PACT team for their efforts to promote democracy in the CTU and defend the rights of all members to campaign. We are grateful, as well, for their far-sighted support (along with CSDU and SEA) of CORE in the runoff election to move the CTU forward.

Karen Lewis has been elected president of the Chicago Teachers Union, and CORE has won the leadership of the 30,000-member CTU by a landslide. Lewis, a Martin Luther King Jr. High School Chemistry teacher, headed the slate of candidates from the caucus called CORE (the Caucus of Rank and File Educators) and won a landslide victory on June 11, 2010, in the hotly contested Chicago Teachers Union runoff election. CORE not only won the top four offices in the union, but the other nine citywide offices, and all of the vice presidencies for high schools (six) and elementary schools (17). By the time the final vote counts were announced in the early hours of June 12, it was clear that CORE had completely defeated the United Progressive Caucus (UPC) and the six-year CTU president Marilyn Stewart.

The CORE victory, the size of which became clear early in the evening during the counting of the votes at the headquarters of the American Arbitration Association at 225 N. Michigan in Chicago, was a landslide. Karen Lewis defeated Marilyn Stewart by a vote of 12,080 to 8,326, with the other three CORE candidates for officers in the 30,000-member union each receiving more than 12,000 votes to fewer than 8,300 for each of CORE’s opponents. The final vote tallies were certified by the American Arbitration Association at 3:00 a.m. on the morning of June 12, 2010.

Senn High School history teacher Jesse Sharkey was elected vice president by a vote of 12,000 (to 8,233 cast for his UPC opponent Mark Ochoa).

Displaced elementary teacher Michael Brunson was elected recording secretary by a vote of 12,016 (to 8,200 cast for his UPC opponent Mary Orr).

Eberhart Elementary School Special Education teacher Kristine Mayle was elected financial secretary by a vote of 12,032 (to 8,191 cast for her UPC opponent Keith VanderMeulen).

All six CORE candidates for trustee were elected. They are: Jackson Potter, Jay Rehak, Lois Ashford, Eric Skalinder, Sara Echevarria, and Albert Ramirez. Their margins over their opponents’ were roughly 11,900 to 8,000.

The three CORE candidates for area vice president were elected. The are Carol Caref (Area A), Jennifer Johnson (Area B), and Norine Gutekants (Area C).

All 17 CORE candidates for elementary functional vice president were also elected. They are: Beverly Allebach; Jeffrey Blackwell, Brenda Chandler, Susanne Dunn, Nathan Goldbaum, Alexandra Gonzalez, Francine Greenberg-Reizen, Lara Krejca, Garth Liebhaber, Joseph Linehan, Cielo Munoz, Annette Rizzo, Wade Tillett, Kevin Triplett, James Vail, Cassandra Vaughn, and Terri Wilford.

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CORE’s imagination has allowed us to look beyond business-as-usual failed practices. Although CORE only allows CTU members to vote on official business, we have created coalitions with parents and community groups to give the Union added strength.  We have built and will continue to build alliances with Chicago Unions and be active members of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT).  We believe in having and maintaining a hard working field staff, one that is accountable to the members.  We believe that through solidarity, the 30,000 members of this Union will prevail against the Board of Education’s budget cuts.

Imagination is powerful.

• Imagine a Union that listens to its own membership and involves them in decision-making.
• Imagine a Union that operates by the rules all the time, every time.
• Imagine a Union that builds respect for our profession through effective public relations and outreach.
• Imagine a Union where leaders engage in original, academic education research.
• Imagine a Union that uses modern technology thoughtfully.
• Imagine a Union that brings students, parents, families, and communities together to fight for teachers and students.

Imagine a Union that intimidates the Board of Education with its strength of unity.

Candidates Michael Brunson (Recording Secretary), Karen Lewis (President), Jesse Sharkey (Vice-Presidcent), Kristine Mayle (Financial Secretary)

On June 11, vote CORE, and feel the Power of 30,000.

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6/8/2010 WGN-9 News

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*at the time of the broadcast, the CTU provided no details or documentation for their lawsuit. This may be due to the fact that the charges have no legal precedent and the actual transgression had not yet occurred.

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Karen Lewis on Moving Forward June 3, 2010.

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