Time for a Change? Yes, but not at the expense of our history, our legacy, and our strength!

 

By now, we all should have received the letter from Norm informing us of his impending and well deserved retirement. I have mixed feelings about the announcement. On the one hand, I am happy for Norm. After almost 40 years of fighting the good fight for higher education workers in Cook County, Norm will finally be able to relax and spend more time with his expected grandchildren and the rest of his family. He will have time for travel and to pursue his hobbies and other personal interests. He will finally be able to reap the benefits of his tremendous career.

 

On the other hand, I am now even more concerned about the future of our Union, the Cook County College Teachers Union. Several months ago, a small but vocal faction of our Union, whom I will call the “Anybody But Norm Coalition” came up with a strategy. Attack Norm while he was down and pressure him to retire, leaving the field open for them to take over the office of president while holding on to the other officer positions. Unfortunately for them, they underestimated Norm, who has always been a fighter and relishes a battle. They also underestimated many of us who felt that it was in the best interests of our Local to maintain the quality of leadership, the strength, the dedication to the members, and the legacy of the best collective bargaining contracts in the state that our Union has enjoyed under Norm Swenson’s leadership.

 

Since change is now inevitable it makes sense to make sure it is change for the better. Who better than Perry Buckley and the Independent Union Progress Coalition to lead our Local in the 21^st century? The “Anybody but Norm” slate offers you the same tired officers, some of whom are already retired, who conspired to force Norm out and cause this situation in the first place. When Norm realized that these constant political attacks would distract him and his team during negotiations for four City College contracts, he did what he has always done. He put the interests of his members above his own and vowed to devote all his attention to the critical negotiations taking place in Chicago. He has agreed to continue negotiations as long as it takes, but only if Local 1600 has a president and officers he can trust.

 

The Independent Union Progress Coalition (IUPC) has assembled a slate of officers who are energetic, experienced, hard workers who have vowed to make the interests of all of the Local 1600 members their first priority. Obviously, we can’t promise to win every battle but, if do not we win on your behalf, it won’t be for lack of effort. We promise to work together, as a team, to fight for your rights under your contract, to negotiate under a strategy of keeping what we have(no give-backs, no take-aways) while making strides during these tough economic times, to include all members in our struggle,   to hold democratic House and Executive Board meetings where every member’s views are respected and where a spirit of free and open debate is encouraged.

 

In the last few years, the IUPC caucus has supported not increasing your dues by freezing the per capita charge for the IFT and AFT, having a leadership training institute to train new union leaders, establishing the office of Vice-president for Classified members to assure equal representation for all members, organizing part-time faculty and classified staff, and establishing a half-million dollar strike fund. Our candidate for president, current Local 1600 grievance chair, Perry Buckley, has been relentless in his tireless efforts to enforce our contracts through the grievance process and, at the same time, is now serving as Norm’s assistant during what will probably be the most difficult and pretentious negotiations with the Chicago City College Board that our union has ever had.

 

Every candidate on our slate is an expert in their field of choice and a proven leader in the areas to which they aspire to serve. Perry and our slate have, through hard work and years of service to our members, earned your support. We need your support to be able to continue to work on your behalf. Help us to continue to help you. Send a message to the “anybody but Norm” faction and to our respective Boards and administrations.

 

Vote for proven leadership!

Vote for strong, improved contracts!

Vote for officers who work hard and put your concerns first!

Vote for Perry Buckley and the IUPC slate.

 

Thank you for your time and for your continued support.

 

 

Bill Naegele, President, South Suburban College Faculty Association  

And IUPC Candidate for Local 1600 Legislative Chair.
email address: billnaegele@yahoo.com