Message from President Cordelia Anthony
Dear Members,
As March winds down and we look forward to our Passover and Easter Break I wanted to touch base with you. If you have the trick for not being tired right before a break I need you to share it with me because as I write this message we have 5 wakeups before the break begins and my brain and body are both exhausted. There’s always so many things on our plates as educators and we sometimes are even left with the feeling that we aren’t doing enough. Please know that you more than deserve EVERY break that is in our work calendar. We all have to start finding ways to “work smarter, not harder” as one of my fellow LI union Presidents says in his messages all the time. When our break begins, do your best to rest even harder, I recommend you do a whole lot of nothing!!!
I’m asking you to save the date Sunday April 23rd 10a-12p for a Day of Unity to support our Lawrence Teachers Association. These LTA members truly need this show of support from their fellow Long Island union members. They have been without a contract for 12 years! Please wear RED that day. Thank you in Advance!!
In the local and national union update I want to let you know the anti-union forces and those that attack public schools and educators don’t ever give up. Whether it’s the ultra billionaires trying to push hard for charter school expansion (TAKE ACTION with your legislator), or prevent unionizing at local warehouses or coffee shops; (btw Support the Starbucks workers in Farmingville as often as you can) or printed or online media pieces; or even groups secretly video or audio recording educators and piecing together twisted messages to support their claims. I want you to be clear that the majority of this is funded by the same people that are a part of national network groups like the Council for National Policy (CNP); the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the Heritage Foundation, Liberty Council and more. The same people that were behind the Janus case and others and are now making it their goal to push their beliefs to all. Whether they do that by union busting which will destroy the middle class, or privatization of schools so they can control what is taught. If you follow the money or see the names of the people on the boards of these groups or that are a part of these organizations you will not be surprised as to their agenda. Be vigilant, stay united and strong, search out facts when needed and you won’t be easily swayed into falling for and being a part of things that are harmful to our families and livelihoods.
Lastly, just the FFT Civil and Human Rights Safe Center Donations in honor of Women’s History Month will be collected next week before we leave for break. If you were not able to make a personal hygiene donation there is a weblink where you can support the work they do by making an online monetary donation. It’s also not too late to be a part of their first annual 5K Run on 4/1. Here is the link :https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Bethpage/TSCLIAprilFools5k
