Message from President Cordelia Anthony
Dear Members,
I always like to start my November Presidents report wishing you a great time with your family and friends as you enjoy a few days together over the Thanksgiving break. Remember to also give thanks for your unions. Unions have historically fought for many worker rights we often take for granted, like the 8-hour workday, minimum wage, paid holidays, and family leave, which contribute to a better Thanksgiving experience. In this message I am also
reflecting on the statement that “Elections always have consequences.” Whether you believe that to be true, whether you are in favor of the outcome, and whether you choose to vote or not in elections, they truly do. There were many union backed candidates that won seats and we thank all those who made calls and supported them, especially the NYSUT members who have now taken office in NY. Around the country many voucher bills were not passed in states which means, voters are aware of the harm they cause the local public education systems. Overall, as it relates to public education and unions, the recent election season has raised concerns, including challenges to teaching accurate curriculum topics, diverse classrooms, and funding cuts.
Although there was a lot of ‘misinformation’ stating there was no connection between the authors of Project 2025 and the President elect. Now, based on actual statements of the contributing authors of the Heritage Foundation and other supporters of the document they are being more vocal about it being a roadmap. If that is true and becomes actual ‘agenda 47’ items starting in 2025 I wanted to share some things in regards to the impact of implementation of certain parts of the document as presented. Thank you to our retiree chapter for this synopsis. So….”What is Project 2025 and Why Should I Be Concerned?"
Project 2025, formally entitled the Heritage Foundation's 2025 Presidential Transition Project, is the ultra-conservative group's plan to maximize presidential power. It is a very long document, but the highlights are truly frightening for public institutions and educators. It includes proposals that would:
- Make it easier for employers to get rid of unions, even in the middle of contracts.
- Ban all public employee unions.
- Eliminate child labor rules.
- Eliminate reproductive freedom nationwide.
- Increase Medicare Part D prescription drug prices.
- Promote and encourage switching from Traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage plan.
- Tax benefits like health insurance.
- Slash funding for Medicaid.
- Eliminate the Department of Education & destroy public education.
- Create a universal education voucher system.
- Make it easier to discriminate based on race and gender.
- Target diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Eradicate climate change initiatives.
Be ready to stay engaged and have solidarity in mind as we may have a lot of work to do! Right now, though, you may not feel like there are things you can do and you may just need to be in self-care mode. Here are some suggestions for anyone who needs it- If possible, reduce your consumption of distressing news. For me that means more Hallmark movies. Connect with your community for support, and engage in mindfulness and self-care practices while concentrating on elements of your environment that you can control. Support your students by empowering them as always with the truth and with integrity. Lastly, you should continue to actively participate in union service, activities, and use your voice. Ultimately, demonstrate kindness, resilience and empathy by showing strength and hope.
