New Energy at MTA Summer Conference

Greetings,

Last week, members from across the state gathered at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the MTA Summer Conference. In addition to enjoying the wonderful weather, beautiful surroundings and social events, members met to talk about how to make connections, build power in their locals, develop leadership skills, and deepen their professional knowledge.

I experienced a new energy and excitement at the conference, perhaps because the central focus was on reaching out and talking to members in every local so that we can use our collective power to win fair contracts, professional autonomy and respect, and the schools our communities deserve.

You will be hearing more about our All In: Building Union Power campaign, but for now you should know that the MTA has committed to supporting members as you talk to one another about the things that matter most to you, develop a shared understanding of problems, and make plans to act collectively to resolve crucial issues.

At the Summer Conference, the Union Academy opening panel included stories from locals in which members worked together on a range of concerns, including challenging a bullying principal, fighting for an ill member who had been refused health benefits, and using the No on 2 campaign to develop building wide communication structures that then supported a contract campaign.

Also shared was a story about a group of women unionists from across the Northeast who, a week before the Summer Conference, performed a flash mob dance and brought a petition to the UMass Amherst chancellor in support of the MTA’s University Staff Association RESPECT campaign.

The keynote speaker, Stephen Lerner, helped frame our local fights as part of a broader movement to win back power from the 1 percenters. And we heard from panelists from Florida, Wisconsin and Nevada about how one-to-one member-to-member conversations are the cornerstone of union engagement and power.

Members of one local, the Adams-Cheshire Teachers Association, came as a team of four and used their time in the Union Academy to brainstorm a list of building leaders, develop a plan to recruit new members, plan events for the upcoming year, plan a social media campaign to communicate with members, and develop a plan to contact members one to one. This team approach included sharing leadership and identifying new leaders to make the work possible. ACTA President Cheryl Ryan and her team looked to be having a great time while they did the work.

During the conference, I joined members canvassing fellow MTA members in Amherst. It is a very special pleasure to talk to members about their lives, their work and their hopes, and the possibilities for action.

I am looking forward to having more of us talk to each other, experience the joy of collective action and power, and win the schools our communities deserve. This work will include working in coalition with others who share our values.

To that end, I want to draw your attention to this Call for Action at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the State House to oppose Governor Charlie Baker’s bill to allow law enforcement officials to detain immigrants without a warrant. The MTA is supporting the Safe Communities legislation, which respects due process rights for immigrants. This is a critical issue around which to support students and our communities.

Enjoy these last days of summer. I will be back in touch with more about the All In campaign in late August.

Solidarity,

Barbara

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