MTA president speaks out on union democracy and free speech
MTA president speaks out on union democracy and free speech
Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page issued the following statement today.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association is a diverse union of 117,000 education workers in our public schools and colleges. We are a democratic union, which means we encourage learning, dissent, debate, and engagement with ideas, modeling the kind of society we want to live in.
As the largest union in New England, we stand for fundamental values on which the vast majority of our members agree: our commitment to support public education, to win outstanding public schools and colleges for every resident, and to work toward a fairer, more racially and economically just Commonwealth.
I am proud to lead a democratic organization that wrestles with the world as it is, so we may build the world we all deserve."
There are also issues about which our members have starkly diverging views. We do not run from those disagreements; we seek to engage with them. We are confident enough in our values, and dedicated enough to open debate, that we can invite members into a space where they form committees, set agendas and participate in difficult conversations.
We have received a number of emails and calls suggesting that we should not hold a workshop where several MTA members will share their views and expertise on Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. I expect that there will be members in attendance who will agree wholeheartedly with what is presented; there will be members in attendance who could not disagree more. The task force hosting this event, and other committees in the MTA, will sponsor upcoming events on other important issues, including the rising tide of antisemitism. The particular viewpoints expressed in these individual workshops do not represent the official views of the MTA. Our member-led events will always be open to discussion and debate, and we urge our members to learn and participate.
Speaking personally, as a union member but also a Jew, as someone whose father was a refugee from Nazi Germany and who lost 18 family members to the ovens of Auschwitz, it has been particularly difficult in recent months to be accused of antisemitism. I may disagree with views expressed at various events, and at times I will even disagree with actions or language in the actions our Board takes. But I will attend these events, listen and learn. I am proud to lead a democratic organization that wrestles with the world as it is, so we may build the world we all deserve.