“Why is it,” Jonathan puzzled, “that the hardest thing in the world is to convince a bird that he is free, and that he can prove it for himself if he’d spend a little time practicing? Why should that be so hard?” (Richard Bach, Johnathan Livingston Seagull 2006, 88-89)
I was trying to think of what I should write for the end of the year. It seems a fitting time to look back, and to look ahead.
Then I came across a FB post about the ongoing government shutdown and how federal workers are working without pay and failure to work is grounds for insubordination under law.
A friend, Terry Reed, posted this in response:
“Don’t let the law be your guide. There are good and bad laws. Dignity, respect, the right to fair pay and benefits should always be your guide. Solidarity is your most potent weapon against a bully, a tyrant, an injustice. There are many ways to show your solidarity and fight back. The creativity the workers have together to formulate plans of mutual interest will overcome the control of the tyrant. Don’t limit the workers ability together to come up with a plan of action.”
I first met T Reed in 2015 when he came to Connecticut to participate in a week long member mobilization. Terry is “retired” from several jobs, starting as a social worker and ending as a labor organizer.
I remember finally getting the chance one evening to sit and talk to him about my brief experience in the movement, what led me to the place I was in, and my hopes and dreams for the movement.
Johnathan Livingston Seagull speaking to his student Fletcher Gull, spoke of things others didn’t:
“He spoke of very simple things- that it is right for a gull to fly, that freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form.”
Terry spoke of things that others didn’t, or at least he spoke of them in a different way. He told me that there is no power under the sun as great as the power of workers standing in solidarity and that legislation and contracts can be good things, but that they can just as easily hold workers back, as chains about their ankles.
Like Fletcher Gull, my eyes were opened to the possibilities before us, if only we had the faith to believe in workers.
At one point I looked to my left and Jan smiled at me.
She knew.
She would tell me later, “you were having a Terry Reed moment.”
She, and so many others have been recipients of these moments.
Terry remains a mentor to many of us.
He’d say he’s just a worker.
He’s right.
But it’s easy to get caught up in the legalities of contracts and laws and the business of running a union and forget a simple principle that Terry reminds us of:
There is no greater force under the sun than the force of workers standing in solidarity.
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Monday, December 24, 2018
A Christmas Wish
On this Christmas Eve I wish you the peace of whatever holidays you and your family celebrate.
I will celebrate the birth of a brown skinned Jewish Palestinian homeless boy who was born to an unwed mother. He probably spoke Aramaic.
Shortly after his birth, he and his family were forced to immigrate and seek asylum in a foreign land because of fear for his life.
He would grow up to work with his hands as carpenter.
At age 30 he began traveling as an itinerant preacher.
He never had a mega church, he met people where they were.
He challenged his disciples to take nothing with them, but to rely on the good will of those they would meet.
He peached a gospel of love for all.
He refused to judge a woman caught in adultery.
He never judged someone based on the color of their skin, the language they spoke, the religion (or lack of) that they practiced, their country of origin, their immigration status, or their sexual identity or preferences.
He said we are all neighbors, all sisters and brothers.
He believed if we had two coats we should give one to the person who had none.
He said possessions should be given away if we wished to follow him.
His last lesson to us was to wash his disciples feet, a lasting reminder that those in positions of influence should serve others. (not the reverse)
His teachings seam a radical message in today’s world.
Apparently, it seemed somewhat radical back then too, because after 3 years of roaming and preaching, the authorities had him killed.
But his message did not die with him.
It lives on.
Yes, it has been corrupted countless times and used to justify many evil deeds, but the pureness of his message cannot be silenced, cannot die.
Even though at times it seems to be gone, a flicker has always survived.
A flicker that can come alive in the words or deeds of a good man or woman.
We often think of King, of Mandela, of Chavez, of Theresa, but even more important, it comes alive in the faces, in the smiles, and in the kind words and deeds of our friends.
You see, Jesus was never rich, never published, never attended university, never travelled far from home. He didn’t blog, or tweet, or post.
He spoke to people and he touched them, with his hands and his heart.
That is what Christmas is to me.
A celebration of that love between people.
It doesn’t matter if we believe he was the son of God, or even if we believe that God exists.
It matters that we celebrate his example.
And follow it.
Merry Christmas.
I will celebrate the birth of a brown skinned Jewish Palestinian homeless boy who was born to an unwed mother. He probably spoke Aramaic.
Shortly after his birth, he and his family were forced to immigrate and seek asylum in a foreign land because of fear for his life.
He would grow up to work with his hands as carpenter.
At age 30 he began traveling as an itinerant preacher.
He never had a mega church, he met people where they were.
He challenged his disciples to take nothing with them, but to rely on the good will of those they would meet.
He peached a gospel of love for all.
He refused to judge a woman caught in adultery.
He never judged someone based on the color of their skin, the language they spoke, the religion (or lack of) that they practiced, their country of origin, their immigration status, or their sexual identity or preferences.
He said we are all neighbors, all sisters and brothers.
He believed if we had two coats we should give one to the person who had none.
He said possessions should be given away if we wished to follow him.
His last lesson to us was to wash his disciples feet, a lasting reminder that those in positions of influence should serve others. (not the reverse)
His teachings seam a radical message in today’s world.
Apparently, it seemed somewhat radical back then too, because after 3 years of roaming and preaching, the authorities had him killed.
But his message did not die with him.
It lives on.
Yes, it has been corrupted countless times and used to justify many evil deeds, but the pureness of his message cannot be silenced, cannot die.
Even though at times it seems to be gone, a flicker has always survived.
A flicker that can come alive in the words or deeds of a good man or woman.
We often think of King, of Mandela, of Chavez, of Theresa, but even more important, it comes alive in the faces, in the smiles, and in the kind words and deeds of our friends.
You see, Jesus was never rich, never published, never attended university, never travelled far from home. He didn’t blog, or tweet, or post.
He spoke to people and he touched them, with his hands and his heart.
That is what Christmas is to me.
A celebration of that love between people.
It doesn’t matter if we believe he was the son of God, or even if we believe that God exists.
It matters that we celebrate his example.
And follow it.
Merry Christmas.
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Protecting Healthcare for all
The ACA is not perfect, but it protects Americans with pre-existing conditions and has brought healthcare to millions of seniors, young people and economically disadvantaged people.
It is the only thing that stands between working families and bankruptcy that can come with one illness.
It is the only thing that stands between working families and bankruptcy that can come with one illness.
The court ruling by a federal judge in Texas must be overturned and we must continue to fight for quality affordable healthcare for all.
We know the groups who have fought for this outcome for years. They are not the friends of workers, the young, the elderly, or the economically disadvantaged.
Labor must, and will, continue to work with our community friends to stand up for ALL people. We know the groups who have fought for this outcome for years. They are not the friends of workers, the young, the elderly, or the economically disadvantaged.
In Connecticut in particular, we must work with our Congressional delegation and our incoming governor, Attorney General, and General Assembly, to show that we in Connecticut stand with ALL people, not just the 1%.
Today is a great day to redidicate yourselves to that effort.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Thank you Ann, Thank you Bernie
Glad that Jan Hochadel and I were able to attend the HPAE retirement party for Ann Twomey and Bernie Gerard this week.
Ann and Bernie’s contribution to the labor movement is nearly impossible to measure.
They both played key roles in organizing their respective hospitals, in expanding HPAE, both in number of members and facilities represented and in influence in the state of New Jersey and the labor movement.
Their leadership has established an HPAE culture based on the organizing model of unionism, stressing member and community engagement to build a voice for workers and the people we serve.
On a personal note, they have each mentored me as I have moved from being a local nurse organizer, to local president, to state officer. Through example and advice, they have been true sister and brother to me.
They leave the HPAE in great hands with new president Debbie White and her leadership tam and AFT Connecticut looks forward to continuing the fight along side them.
Sunday, November 18, 2018
A seat at the table
There is a saying in the Labor Movement, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
This past election CT AFL-CIO members knocked doors, made phone calls, wrote postcards, sent text, and spoke to colleges and neighbors.
The result was the election of many of our endorsed candidates.
This week, AFT CT prez Jan Hochadel was appointed to the Lamont Transition Team.
Also this week, after years of hard work by many people, including AFT Healthcare members, CT Representative Joe Courtney introduced a bill to protect Healthcare and Social Service workers from violence on the job.
Finally this week, Healthcare Workers at Rockville Hospital joined Rockville Nurses in voting overwhelmingly to unionize for a voice in the workplace.
All of these are examples of member engagement leading to our voices being heard.
As a result of the dedication and hard work of our members, we are at the table, where we deserve to be.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
We The People still believe
I’ve been reflecting on last Tuesday’s election and what it means.
Yes, I know, the “experts” will pull it apart and analyze it for me, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
I’m not talking about percentages, and tends, and the rest. I’m talking about what it truly means.
A larger number of people registered and voted than we usually see in a mid-term.
But well before that, people became engaged.
Engaged in the women’s march, in protests against deportations an separations of families, in solidarity with people of other faiths after tragic events, etc.
Engaged in organizations such as Emerge Connecticut, CT Progressive Delegate Caucus, CT Working Families Party, Quite Conor Shouts, etc.
Engaged in a resurgent American Labor Movement.
That’s what I’ve been reflecting on.
I heard that the Republican candidate for CT governor said that they could not match our ground game.
Our people knocked doors, made phone calls, sent postcards, helped register new voters, help with rides to the poles.
It was our commitment to a cause that gave us the organizational ability to do this and it was our organizational ability that gave us the mechanism to get it done.
Jahana Hayes, our newest Congressperson from Connecticut has a way of putting it that I like.
“When you’re a teacher, you don’t pick and choose who you advocate for,” she said. “You don’t choose who comes to your class. You don’t ask kids, ‘Is your mom a Republican or a Democrat, because that’s how I’m gonna decide how hard I’m gonna work for you.
“They come to you and you have a responsibility to leave them better than when they came. I think that’s what government should be doing.”
We reject the notion that we need to pick winners and losers.
We reject the notion that we cannot have great public education, medical care for all, a kind and thoughtful immigration policy, a living wage for all.
On this day when we honor those who served to give us the continued right to be a Government Of the People, For the People, and By the People; I think this election means that We The People still believe.
Yes, I know, the “experts” will pull it apart and analyze it for me, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
I’m not talking about percentages, and tends, and the rest. I’m talking about what it truly means.
A larger number of people registered and voted than we usually see in a mid-term.
But well before that, people became engaged.
Engaged in the women’s march, in protests against deportations an separations of families, in solidarity with people of other faiths after tragic events, etc.
Engaged in organizations such as Emerge Connecticut, CT Progressive Delegate Caucus, CT Working Families Party, Quite Conor Shouts, etc.
Engaged in a resurgent American Labor Movement.
That’s what I’ve been reflecting on.
I heard that the Republican candidate for CT governor said that they could not match our ground game.
Our people knocked doors, made phone calls, sent postcards, helped register new voters, help with rides to the poles.
It was our commitment to a cause that gave us the organizational ability to do this and it was our organizational ability that gave us the mechanism to get it done.
Jahana Hayes, our newest Congressperson from Connecticut has a way of putting it that I like.
“When you’re a teacher, you don’t pick and choose who you advocate for,” she said. “You don’t choose who comes to your class. You don’t ask kids, ‘Is your mom a Republican or a Democrat, because that’s how I’m gonna decide how hard I’m gonna work for you.
“They come to you and you have a responsibility to leave them better than when they came. I think that’s what government should be doing.”
We reject the notion that we need to pick winners and losers.
We reject the notion that we cannot have great public education, medical care for all, a kind and thoughtful immigration policy, a living wage for all.
On this day when we honor those who served to give us the continued right to be a Government Of the People, For the People, and By the People; I think this election means that We The People still believe.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Hatred in America
I remember my parents telling us, one time and one time only, that the only difference with the couple that lived on the side of us was that they went to a different “church”than we did.
Mr and Mrs Siegel were nice people. Their children were grown and moved away.
They were Jewish.
The only Jewish people in our suburban Connecticut neighborhood.
In the 1960s I guess that was a thing.
To me, they were just the Siegels.
I imagine my parents told us this because of some anti-Semitic concern at the time that they did not want us to buy into.
I never thought about it again.
There is such a hatred in America today.
A hatred I do not understand.
The pipe bombs and the synagogue killings are but the latest ramifications of this hatred.
It’s fine to disagree and to debate.
But insults and hate speech breed hate actions and those of us with a public voice have a responsibility to use that voice for peace.
My heart cries for my Jewish sisters and brothers, for the people of Pittsburgh, and for the all Americans.
We are better than this.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Open Letter to the Healthcare Workers of Rockville Hospital
My sisters and brothers of Rockville Hospital,
My name is John Brady and I am Executive Vice President of AFT Connecticut. Prior to this, I was a nurse in the emergency department of Backus Hospital in Norwich.
Soon you will have an important decision that will effect your lives, the lives of your families, and the lives of your patients and community.
For perhaps the first time, you have a vote about what happens at your workplace.
Think about that.
YOU have a vote.
Has that ever happened at work before?
In 2012 we had the same vote at Backus.
Backus had changed.
It wasn't the community hospital that it once was.
Our opinion wasn't appreciated as it once was.
We were no longer caregivers, we had become an "operating expense."
Our neighbors were no longer our patients, they were "stakeholders."
"Efficiency experts" had come through like a tornado and left a shell of a hospital in their wake.
I'll never forget sitting in the living room of an oncology nurse's home, with her and her husband on the couch.
We spoke about our common frustrations with the way things had become in OUR hospital and how, if we stood together, we could change that. As her eyes started filling with tears her husband took her hand.
She said, "John, they took away the peanut butter from MY kitchenette to save money. Peanut butter that I would give on crackers to my patients if I could get their nausea to subside after chemo. When they did that, I said to my husband, ‘I have no hope."
"Today," she said, "you have given me hope."
Are things perfect today at Backus?
No.
But today, our members speak freely and advocate for ourselves, our patients, our community, and our hospital without fear.
When you vote UNION YES, you will join the nearly 10,000 AFT healthcare workers in Connecticut, 31,000 AFT Connecticut members, and 1.7 million AFT national members in having a voice in the workplace.
It is your decision, for maybe the first time in your working lives, your decision.
Better than hope, I promise that never again will you stand alone.
In Solidarity,
John
John Brady RN
Executive Vice President
AFT Connecticut
My name is John Brady and I am Executive Vice President of AFT Connecticut. Prior to this, I was a nurse in the emergency department of Backus Hospital in Norwich.
Soon you will have an important decision that will effect your lives, the lives of your families, and the lives of your patients and community.
For perhaps the first time, you have a vote about what happens at your workplace.
Think about that.
YOU have a vote.
Has that ever happened at work before?
In 2012 we had the same vote at Backus.
Backus had changed.
It wasn't the community hospital that it once was.
Our opinion wasn't appreciated as it once was.
We were no longer caregivers, we had become an "operating expense."
Our neighbors were no longer our patients, they were "stakeholders."
"Efficiency experts" had come through like a tornado and left a shell of a hospital in their wake.
I'll never forget sitting in the living room of an oncology nurse's home, with her and her husband on the couch.
We spoke about our common frustrations with the way things had become in OUR hospital and how, if we stood together, we could change that. As her eyes started filling with tears her husband took her hand.
She said, "John, they took away the peanut butter from MY kitchenette to save money. Peanut butter that I would give on crackers to my patients if I could get their nausea to subside after chemo. When they did that, I said to my husband, ‘I have no hope."
"Today," she said, "you have given me hope."
Are things perfect today at Backus?
No.
But today, our members speak freely and advocate for ourselves, our patients, our community, and our hospital without fear.
When you vote UNION YES, you will join the nearly 10,000 AFT healthcare workers in Connecticut, 31,000 AFT Connecticut members, and 1.7 million AFT national members in having a voice in the workplace.
It is your decision, for maybe the first time in your working lives, your decision.
Better than hope, I promise that never again will you stand alone.
In Solidarity,
John
John Brady RN
Executive Vice President
AFT Connecticut
Sunday, October 21, 2018
We Care
Members of the Ansonia Federation of Teachers were joined by AFT Connecticut, school administrators, politicians, and parents on Thursday in the cold for a rally at Ansonia High School.
The Mayor and Board of alders are illegally withholding $600k in resources earmarked for the schools.
Teachers after teacher came forward at the request of Local President Matt Hough to tell stories of the difficulty of teaching (and caring for) 31 second graders, 7 and 8 years old, of crying at home in the evening because they didn’t know if they could continue the next day, of telling their own children not to follow them into teaching, a profession they love but now find so, so difficult and frustrating.
We rallied in the cold because we care.
Yesterday morning AFT Connecticut members hit the doors with our sisters and brothers of the Connecticut AFL-CIO at multiple locations across the state to visit union households and explain to union members why the unions are supporting candidates who support working men and women. Some of those we door knock for our our own AFT members, like Martha Marx, who is running for state senate.
We run for office and door knock because we care.
Later yesterday, the Norwalk Federation of Educational Personnel celebrated those who survived cancer or other adversity. It was an outpouring of love. The theme was “We survive because you survive,” which recognizes the that the strength of these survivors influences the lives of many others.
We celebrate because we care.
Finally, last night we gathered in Manchester to support Johanna Hayes, a National Teacher of the Year who is running for congress in Connecticut’s 5th CD.
She is an inspiration.
She rejects the argument that we must chose between a strong economy and a nation where everyone can have healthcare, education, fair wages, and a voice. She understands that they are not ideas in opposition to each other, they go hand in hand.
We support her because like us, she cares.
AFT has a slogan-
We care
We fight
We show up
We vote
Our members are doing amazing work, in the classrooms, in hospitals and clinics, and in public service.
We care.
The Mayor and Board of alders are illegally withholding $600k in resources earmarked for the schools.
Teachers after teacher came forward at the request of Local President Matt Hough to tell stories of the difficulty of teaching (and caring for) 31 second graders, 7 and 8 years old, of crying at home in the evening because they didn’t know if they could continue the next day, of telling their own children not to follow them into teaching, a profession they love but now find so, so difficult and frustrating.
We rallied in the cold because we care.
Yesterday morning AFT Connecticut members hit the doors with our sisters and brothers of the Connecticut AFL-CIO at multiple locations across the state to visit union households and explain to union members why the unions are supporting candidates who support working men and women. Some of those we door knock for our our own AFT members, like Martha Marx, who is running for state senate.
We run for office and door knock because we care.
Later yesterday, the Norwalk Federation of Educational Personnel celebrated those who survived cancer or other adversity. It was an outpouring of love. The theme was “We survive because you survive,” which recognizes the that the strength of these survivors influences the lives of many others.
We celebrate because we care.
Finally, last night we gathered in Manchester to support Johanna Hayes, a National Teacher of the Year who is running for congress in Connecticut’s 5th CD.
She is an inspiration.
She rejects the argument that we must chose between a strong economy and a nation where everyone can have healthcare, education, fair wages, and a voice. She understands that they are not ideas in opposition to each other, they go hand in hand.
We support her because like us, she cares.
While at the Jahana event, we had the pleasure to see the Sikander Family. Salma was to be deported after 18 years but members of the community and Labor came forward in support.
Let Selma Stay
https://backusunited-john.blogspot.com/2018/08/let-salma-stay.html
It was the great to see them again and know that when people stand to get her and support each other, good things can happen.
Let Selma Stay
https://backusunited-john.blogspot.com/2018/08/let-salma-stay.html
It was the great to see them again and know that when people stand to get her and support each other, good things can happen.
AFT has a slogan-
We care
We fight
We show up
We vote
Our members are doing amazing work, in the classrooms, in hospitals and clinics, and in public service.
We care.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Inspired
I am sitting at the bedside of my friend. She is waiting to go in to have her port removed.
We were here 13 months ago to get it put in. In that time she has had chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
It’s a story many with breast cancer patients would be familiar with.
In that 13 months I have witnessed incredible strength and fortitude.
Not only has she dealt with cancer, she has done so in a way that can make one forget what she is going through.
She has maintained her house, cared for her family and rescued a puppy.
She has also continued to lead a 31,000 member diverse union with nearly 100 independent Locals, guided us through the Janus decision, increased membership engagement and increased our membership by 1000 members in this post-Janus environment. She has been a force in state politics, influenced national labor policy (serving as an AFT VP), and served internationally as a representative of Public Services International.
Any one of these accomplishments would be remarkable.
All of them together, at the same time as battling cancer, is nothing short of amazing.
And inspiring.
We were here 13 months ago to get it put in. In that time she has had chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
It’s a story many with breast cancer patients would be familiar with.
In that 13 months I have witnessed incredible strength and fortitude.
Not only has she dealt with cancer, she has done so in a way that can make one forget what she is going through.
She has maintained her house, cared for her family and rescued a puppy.
She has also continued to lead a 31,000 member diverse union with nearly 100 independent Locals, guided us through the Janus decision, increased membership engagement and increased our membership by 1000 members in this post-Janus environment. She has been a force in state politics, influenced national labor policy (serving as an AFT VP), and served internationally as a representative of Public Services International.
Any one of these accomplishments would be remarkable.
All of them together, at the same time as battling cancer, is nothing short of amazing.
And inspiring.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Lessons I learned at NIEA Convention in Hartford
When one People wish to dominate another People they often use genocide to strip them of their identity, their land, their language, their freedom, their religion, and their lives.
Colonists to this continent practiced genocide on the Native People.
This week I was honored to attend the National Indian Educator Association Convention in Hartford as part of the AFT delegation of educators, which included Jan and Mary Cathryn.
Honored because I am neither Native American nor an educator.
As I attended the educational sessions and spent time with my new AFT friends, I started to better understand the challenges they face in the classroom and how they approach those challenges.
Some of them are similar to all our educators and some are unique to them.
Just as I cannot fully understand what it takes to stand in the front of a classroom and teach, I cannot fully understand the impact genocide has played on other Peoples.
But I can begin to when I listen with an open heart.
To be sure, it was not the only time in history that genocide has been used by colonists to this continent.
And it continues.
Perhaps not as blatantly obvious now, but every time a person of color, a women, a member of the LBGTQ community, a speaker of a foreign language, or anyone else is discriminated, or held down in any way, it is being practiced.
One night, at dinner, I was asked how, as a white man, I seemed to understand the perspectives of the others in the room.
I’m not sure I truly do, but to the extent it is true, I think it’s because of how I was raised.
My parents taught us that all people are all the same, although they may go to a different church, have different color skin, speak a difference language, etc.
We were also taught that when our ancestors came from Ireland, they faced discrimination on this continent.
Years latter, I would learn that the English had stolen our language, our religion, and our land in our home country.
The question I ask myself is not how I, as a white man. can at least try to understand.
The question I ask myself is how can other white men cannot begin to understand.
All of us are immigrants to this continent and most of our Peoples have faced discrimination at some point in our history.
But many us seem to have forgotten.
Not surprising that I learned lessons at the convention.
It’s what educators do.
Thank you to AFT for this opportunity.
Thank you to my AFT sisters and brothers for sharing their time, their experiences, and their culture with me.
I hope you will all return to Connecticut, the Land of the long tidal river, often.
You are always welcome.
Colonists to this continent practiced genocide on the Native People.
This week I was honored to attend the National Indian Educator Association Convention in Hartford as part of the AFT delegation of educators, which included Jan and Mary Cathryn.
Honored because I am neither Native American nor an educator.
As I attended the educational sessions and spent time with my new AFT friends, I started to better understand the challenges they face in the classroom and how they approach those challenges.
Some of them are similar to all our educators and some are unique to them.
Just as I cannot fully understand what it takes to stand in the front of a classroom and teach, I cannot fully understand the impact genocide has played on other Peoples.
But I can begin to when I listen with an open heart.
To be sure, it was not the only time in history that genocide has been used by colonists to this continent.
And it continues.
Perhaps not as blatantly obvious now, but every time a person of color, a women, a member of the LBGTQ community, a speaker of a foreign language, or anyone else is discriminated, or held down in any way, it is being practiced.
One night, at dinner, I was asked how, as a white man, I seemed to understand the perspectives of the others in the room.
I’m not sure I truly do, but to the extent it is true, I think it’s because of how I was raised.
My parents taught us that all people are all the same, although they may go to a different church, have different color skin, speak a difference language, etc.
We were also taught that when our ancestors came from Ireland, they faced discrimination on this continent.
Years latter, I would learn that the English had stolen our language, our religion, and our land in our home country.
The question I ask myself is not how I, as a white man. can at least try to understand.
The question I ask myself is how can other white men cannot begin to understand.
All of us are immigrants to this continent and most of our Peoples have faced discrimination at some point in our history.
But many us seem to have forgotten.
Not surprising that I learned lessons at the convention.
It’s what educators do.
Thank you to AFT for this opportunity.
Thank you to my AFT sisters and brothers for sharing their time, their experiences, and their culture with me.
I hope you will all return to Connecticut, the Land of the long tidal river, often.
You are always welcome.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Thoughts on the Kavanaugh hearing
The Kavanaugh hearings had me fired up.
I wrote a blistering blog about his demeanor during his testimony, Trumps remarks about Dr Ford, about how America had once been a model for other nations to emulate, and about what we needed to do to get back there.
It was good.
Then I sat down to watch “Won’t you be my neighbor?” the story of Fred Rogers.
Mr Rogers tried to teach us that we were special just the way we are.
He told us to find the good in you and me.
Which reminded me of a song written by Dick Holler and first recorded by Dion, “Abraham, Martin and John.”
It was written in 1968 after the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy.
It speaks to a time of sadness and grief, both for these 2 men and for what they stood for.
We didn’t know if this was the end of the dream of a better society. The country was at war and there was great racial division at home.
Dion’s words reminded us that we had been here before.
Lincoln, Jack Kennedy, King, and Bobby…….
Didn't you love the things they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
All assassinated.
Yet the struggle for justice lives on…..
And we'll be free,
Someday soon it's gonna be one day.
In his own way, Mr Rogers told us to find the good in you and me, and to accept each other just the way we are. He taught tolerance, not hatred; and at the same time, for standing up for principles.
He also taught that it’s not an easy road, but it is the right one.
Abraham, Martin, John and Bobby paid the ultimate price for what they stood for.
Hatred will always try to divide.
We can’t beat it with more hatred.
We beat it by knowing what we stand for and not giving up on the dream.
Didn't you love the things they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
And we'll be free,
Someday soon it's gonna be one day.
http://youtu.be/a5hFMy4pTrs
I wrote a blistering blog about his demeanor during his testimony, Trumps remarks about Dr Ford, about how America had once been a model for other nations to emulate, and about what we needed to do to get back there.
It was good.
Then I sat down to watch “Won’t you be my neighbor?” the story of Fred Rogers.
Mr Rogers tried to teach us that we were special just the way we are.
He told us to find the good in you and me.
Which reminded me of a song written by Dick Holler and first recorded by Dion, “Abraham, Martin and John.”
It was written in 1968 after the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy.
It speaks to a time of sadness and grief, both for these 2 men and for what they stood for.
We didn’t know if this was the end of the dream of a better society. The country was at war and there was great racial division at home.
Dion’s words reminded us that we had been here before.
Lincoln, Jack Kennedy, King, and Bobby…….
Didn't you love the things they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
All assassinated.
Yet the struggle for justice lives on…..
And we'll be free,
Someday soon it's gonna be one day.
In his own way, Mr Rogers told us to find the good in you and me, and to accept each other just the way we are. He taught tolerance, not hatred; and at the same time, for standing up for principles.
He also taught that it’s not an easy road, but it is the right one.
Abraham, Martin, John and Bobby paid the ultimate price for what they stood for.
Hatred will always try to divide.
We can’t beat it with more hatred.
We beat it by knowing what we stand for and not giving up on the dream.
Didn't you love the things they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
And we'll be free,
Someday soon it's gonna be one day.
http://youtu.be/a5hFMy4pTrs
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Graduation Day
Breast cancer has played an enhanced role in my life recently.
A few weeks ago, a friend and mentor lost her battle to it.
Thursday, my friend and work partner “graduated” from chemotherapy.
When the nurses of the cancer center rounded the corner, pomp and circumstances playing on the iPhone, with a “graduation certificate” and gifts, it was extra special.
After a year of chemo, radiation, and surgery, she is done.
While there is further treatment with medication and while the future cannot be guaranteed, her chemo is finished and her prognosis is good.
She had some tough times this past year, but the love of her family, friends, and caregivers, and her own inner strength and faith, carried her through.
Ashley, her primary infusion nurse, was supposed to have Thursday off.
She changed her schedule so that she could be there for the last day.
That kind of care, that blend of skill and compassion, that ability to assess and react to both complex, ever changing medical conditions, and the ability to treat the patient’s emotional needs with empathy, are what makes me proud to be a nurse.
It is also what makes me proud to serve as an officer of AFT Connecticut and VP to my friend and work partner. Our members, in healthcare, education, and public service, practice this blend of skill and compassion every day.
My work partner understands this and leads by it.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Elizabeth Glenn Scott
I met Elizabeth Glenn Scott (Glenn) in 2011 when she came to Backus as an AFT National Rep to help us organize.
We spent hours in the car driving the roads of eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts visiting nurses. After each visit, Glenn would gently debrief with me, offering constructive criticism to improve my skills. She was so good at this and so gentle that I didn’t realize until afterwards how she was coaching me.
She was with me when a nurse told us why she was joining the union, not because of financial concerns because the hospital had removed the peanut butter from her floor, simply to save a few bucks. Peanut butter that she would give to chemo patients.
Glenn was a friend and mentor.
She was also a breast cancer patient.
Glenn and I didn’t see each other often after that organizing drive but we stayed in touch, with FB, texts, emails and calls, especially when something major happened in our lives.
I told her when I became AFT CT VP and when Jan was diagnosed.
I was with Jan when I got the message of her passing. Glenn had lost her battle with cancer.
It hit me hard.
When I asked at our Delegate Assembly for her to be remembered, Jan had to finish my sentence. I couldn’t get the words out.
I dedicated my community service this week to her. She had been proud that we had been arrested for social justice.
Yesterday, after a morning of Labor to Labor door knocking, Michelle and I went to an Ed Sheeran concert.
One of his songs include the following words:
“Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes
But it's the only thing that I know
When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing makes us feel alive”
We make ourselves vulnerable when we follow our hearts.
It’s safer not to care too much.
But it’s not better.
Glenn followed her heart.
That’s what made her a good friend, a mentor, and an activist.
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Labor Day
Labor Day is a day to live up to the code of the great Labor Leader, Mother Jones, who said famously,
“Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.”
This Labor Day, let’s rededicate ourselves to that cause.
So many people have fought to advance the voice of workers, both in Organized Labor, in politics, in religious life, and from the community. Many are well know and many others are simply rank and file members, regulars workers.
Remember them all.
Pray for them all.
Whatever gains we have, we owe to them.
Let us never forget the sacrifices they made for us, some even the sacrifice of their own lives on the picket lines.
So remember, and pray, but even more…..honor them.
Honor them by continuing their work.
There is much to do.
While the stock market does well, while incomes at the top of the wage scale soar, workers at the bottom continue to struggle.
An article in my local paper today points to a United Way report that shows more workers living on the edge, paycheck to paycheck.
The reason?
Their salaries for a full weeks work do not pay a living wage.
They struggle all week, yet make too little to put a roof over their head and food in their children’s bellies.
While we give massive tax cuts to the wealthy, the working poor suffer more.
ORGANIZE! My Labor friends say.
I agree, I agree. Forming or joining a union gives a collective voice for workers, it improves lives.
But I also know the struggles of organizing.
While I have thankfully never had a Pinkerton Man bust my head with a billy club on the line, I know of facing union busting tactics. My colleagues at Backus know the feeling of standing up to a hostile, anti-union management and we know that we could not have been successful without the guidance and support of those who came before us, those already organized.
Our collective responsibility as workers is to remember the dead and fight like hell for the living.
We owe it to those who sacrificed for us, we owe it to the workers of today, and we owe it to the children of tomorrow.
We can do it.
There is a wave of worker activism sweeping the nation. More and more of us are running for and winning political office. More and more of us are organizing into unions everyday. More and more of us are gaining a voice.
It is not easy but it is possible, and it is happening.
So on this Labor Day let us rededicate ourselves to the work ahead.
Solidarity my sisters and brothers!
Happy Labor Day!
“Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.”
This Labor Day, let’s rededicate ourselves to that cause.
So many people have fought to advance the voice of workers, both in Organized Labor, in politics, in religious life, and from the community. Many are well know and many others are simply rank and file members, regulars workers.
Remember them all.
Pray for them all.
Whatever gains we have, we owe to them.
Let us never forget the sacrifices they made for us, some even the sacrifice of their own lives on the picket lines.
So remember, and pray, but even more…..honor them.
Honor them by continuing their work.
There is much to do.
While the stock market does well, while incomes at the top of the wage scale soar, workers at the bottom continue to struggle.
An article in my local paper today points to a United Way report that shows more workers living on the edge, paycheck to paycheck.
The reason?
Their salaries for a full weeks work do not pay a living wage.
They struggle all week, yet make too little to put a roof over their head and food in their children’s bellies.
While we give massive tax cuts to the wealthy, the working poor suffer more.
ORGANIZE! My Labor friends say.
I agree, I agree. Forming or joining a union gives a collective voice for workers, it improves lives.
But I also know the struggles of organizing.
While I have thankfully never had a Pinkerton Man bust my head with a billy club on the line, I know of facing union busting tactics. My colleagues at Backus know the feeling of standing up to a hostile, anti-union management and we know that we could not have been successful without the guidance and support of those who came before us, those already organized.
Our collective responsibility as workers is to remember the dead and fight like hell for the living.
We owe it to those who sacrificed for us, we owe it to the workers of today, and we owe it to the children of tomorrow.
We can do it.
There is a wave of worker activism sweeping the nation. More and more of us are running for and winning political office. More and more of us are organizing into unions everyday. More and more of us are gaining a voice.
It is not easy but it is possible, and it is happening.
So on this Labor Day let us rededicate ourselves to the work ahead.
Solidarity my sisters and brothers!
Happy Labor Day!
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Barbara and John
The other day a friend of mine went home to heaven.
Her name was Barbara Robinson and I had the distinct pleasure and privilege to work with her in the Emergency Department at Backus Hospital. She was there as a nurse when I started as a nursing assistant and she watched, encouraged, and like so many other of my colleges, mentored me on my way to becoming an RN and afterwards.
We shared laughs and cries.
We shared friendship.
We also lost John McCain this week.
I didn’t know him but like you, I knew of him.
He was a war hero, a US Representative, and a Senator.
His politics were not mine, but he did save healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Americans with a dramatic thumbs down vote.
And he stood on principles above politics on more than one occasion, when very few others would.
It’s easy to see how the Senator influenced millions of people.
Maybe not as easy to see how Barbara did.
But between those she mentored and the patients and families she cared for, and her own family who she loved, Barb also influenced millions.
We are better for having both of them in our lives and we will miss them.
My friend Chuck, a Navy Corpsman, wished the Senator “fair seas and calm winds” on FB the other day.
I like that Chuck, I echo that farewell.
And Barb….
Your shift is over, your patients are safe, we’ll take it from here. Rest our sister.
Thank you both for your service.
Her name was Barbara Robinson and I had the distinct pleasure and privilege to work with her in the Emergency Department at Backus Hospital. She was there as a nurse when I started as a nursing assistant and she watched, encouraged, and like so many other of my colleges, mentored me on my way to becoming an RN and afterwards.
We shared laughs and cries.
We shared friendship.
We also lost John McCain this week.
I didn’t know him but like you, I knew of him.
He was a war hero, a US Representative, and a Senator.
His politics were not mine, but he did save healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Americans with a dramatic thumbs down vote.
And he stood on principles above politics on more than one occasion, when very few others would.
It’s easy to see how the Senator influenced millions of people.
Maybe not as easy to see how Barbara did.
But between those she mentored and the patients and families she cared for, and her own family who she loved, Barb also influenced millions.
We are better for having both of them in our lives and we will miss them.
My friend Chuck, a Navy Corpsman, wished the Senator “fair seas and calm winds” on FB the other day.
I like that Chuck, I echo that farewell.
And Barb….
Your shift is over, your patients are safe, we’ll take it from here. Rest our sister.
Thank you both for your service.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Let Salma Stay
It has been my pleasure and honor to come to know the Sikander family over the past week or so.
I wish it could have been under better circumstances.
A couple of weeks ago, one of our Field Reps, Shane, came to us with a concern.
One of our members, Eric Maroney, had a former student who’s mother was about to deported.
I met Eric at a rally outside the ICE office in downtown Hartford the following week. He introduced me to Samir, his student, an impressive 18 year old young man about to start his first year at Quinnipiac University, fulfilling a dream of his parents, Anwar and Salma.
Anwar is a warm, gentle man who immediately made me feel like a guest. Several times he thanked me for coming and speaking on behalf of AFT, calling me Mr John.
Salma is quiet, polite, and warm.
Anwar and Salma came to this country 18 years ago from Bangladesh. They are seeking asylum.
They have both worked hard, never had any legal trouble and have raised a fine son and contribute to their community , their state, and their country.
They are as much American as any of us, save the paperwork.
Samir was born here.
ICE was going to deport Salma 4 days before her son started college.
The Rally was to attempt to reverse the decision and delay deportation, something well within ICE’s ability to do.
Yesterday, Salma had her last reporting to ICE. She was told she had till Thursday to leave the country. Her appeals and the appeals of the community and many, many politicians, had gone unheard.
Yesterday 9 members of her family and the community began a 48 hour fast outside the federal courthouse where ICE is located.
Last night they slept on the sidewalk in tents.
I stopped by today to do a wellness check at their request. I took vital signs and asked about medications and how they were feeling, advising them to drink plenty of water, which is all they were taking in.
It was both inspiring and depressing.
It’s sad what our country has become.
Samir told me that we had wanted to participate in the fast but that his mother forbid it.
“I have to obey my mother, especially now, on what may be one of her last days here.”
I ask you.
Isn’t this the kind of family we want in America?
Today, just before 5 pm, at about the last possible moment that they could, ICE reversed their decision.
Salma can stay for a year so that her asylum case can be heard.
I don’t know if it was the rallies, the political pressure, the fast, or all this and more…..
But Salma can stay.
She will see her son go to college.
And we are all better for it.
We are all children of immigrants. All of our families came to this continent seeking a better life for our families. When we forget that, we lose an important part of what makes us Americans.
I wish it could have been under better circumstances.
A couple of weeks ago, one of our Field Reps, Shane, came to us with a concern.
One of our members, Eric Maroney, had a former student who’s mother was about to deported.
I met Eric at a rally outside the ICE office in downtown Hartford the following week. He introduced me to Samir, his student, an impressive 18 year old young man about to start his first year at Quinnipiac University, fulfilling a dream of his parents, Anwar and Salma.
Anwar is a warm, gentle man who immediately made me feel like a guest. Several times he thanked me for coming and speaking on behalf of AFT, calling me Mr John.
Salma is quiet, polite, and warm.
Anwar and Salma came to this country 18 years ago from Bangladesh. They are seeking asylum.
They have both worked hard, never had any legal trouble and have raised a fine son and contribute to their community , their state, and their country.
They are as much American as any of us, save the paperwork.
Samir was born here.
ICE was going to deport Salma 4 days before her son started college.
The Rally was to attempt to reverse the decision and delay deportation, something well within ICE’s ability to do.
Yesterday, Salma had her last reporting to ICE. She was told she had till Thursday to leave the country. Her appeals and the appeals of the community and many, many politicians, had gone unheard.
Yesterday 9 members of her family and the community began a 48 hour fast outside the federal courthouse where ICE is located.
Last night they slept on the sidewalk in tents.
I stopped by today to do a wellness check at their request. I took vital signs and asked about medications and how they were feeling, advising them to drink plenty of water, which is all they were taking in.
It was both inspiring and depressing.
It’s sad what our country has become.
Samir told me that we had wanted to participate in the fast but that his mother forbid it.
“I have to obey my mother, especially now, on what may be one of her last days here.”
I ask you.
Isn’t this the kind of family we want in America?
Today, just before 5 pm, at about the last possible moment that they could, ICE reversed their decision.
Salma can stay for a year so that her asylum case can be heard.
I don’t know if it was the rallies, the political pressure, the fast, or all this and more…..
But Salma can stay.
She will see her son go to college.
And we are all better for it.
We are all children of immigrants. All of our families came to this continent seeking a better life for our families. When we forget that, we lose an important part of what makes us Americans.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
The upside down pyramid
We are all familiar with the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
5,000 people, a few loaves of bread, 2 fish, yet everyone ate and there was plenty left over.
I read that it’s the only story that is in all 4 gospels.
I heard it again last night and this time, I heard something I had missed before.
John writes, “After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”
I’m told that a leader a person who has followers.
By this definition, Jesus certainly was a leader.
Granted, many have twisted his message to serve their own agenda, but that does not diminish his leadership. Or his message.
Most leaders of Jesus’ time (as well as our time) operated from a position on power. They were the kings, the emperors, the chief priests.
Jesus led in a new way.
He never sought personal power of a high position.
As John writes, he “withdrew again to a mountain” to avoid it.
In most organizational structures, power is vested with the leader, usually the president or CEO.
Below them are Vice Presidents, then department heads, and so on, with the workers at the bottom.
This holds not only for businesses, it holds for religious organizations, non-profits, and others.
But a Union is different.
A union should be different.
A union needs to be different.
Members are at the top, below them, elected leadership of locals, and below them, elected state and national leaders.
Jesus taught us this.
In withdrawing to the mountains, and later in washing the feet of his disciples, he showed us how to lead.
Jan refers to this structure as the “upside down pyramid.”
The president is not at the top, the members are.
Leaders serve the members.
It is how it should be.
It is what makes us strong.
5,000 people, a few loaves of bread, 2 fish, yet everyone ate and there was plenty left over.
I read that it’s the only story that is in all 4 gospels.
I heard it again last night and this time, I heard something I had missed before.
John writes, “After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”
I’m told that a leader a person who has followers.
By this definition, Jesus certainly was a leader.
Granted, many have twisted his message to serve their own agenda, but that does not diminish his leadership. Or his message.
Most leaders of Jesus’ time (as well as our time) operated from a position on power. They were the kings, the emperors, the chief priests.
Jesus led in a new way.
He never sought personal power of a high position.
As John writes, he “withdrew again to a mountain” to avoid it.
In most organizational structures, power is vested with the leader, usually the president or CEO.
Below them are Vice Presidents, then department heads, and so on, with the workers at the bottom.
This holds not only for businesses, it holds for religious organizations, non-profits, and others.
But a Union is different.
A union should be different.
A union needs to be different.
Members are at the top, below them, elected leadership of locals, and below them, elected state and national leaders.
Jesus taught us this.
In withdrawing to the mountains, and later in washing the feet of his disciples, he showed us how to lead.
Jan refers to this structure as the “upside down pyramid.”
The president is not at the top, the members are.
Leaders serve the members.
It is how it should be.
It is what makes us strong.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
National Convention
I returned from the AFT Convention tired but pleased and spent this past week trying to catch up with my work in the office.
The convention went very well.
Jan was re-elected National VP, a testimony to her commitment to member engagement and the growing recognition throughout the AFT that this is our future. In reality, it is also our past, as member engagement is not only what built the movement, it IS the movement.
Our 110 AFT CT members were engaged at the convention, participating in committees, caucus, and general sessions. Thank you to all of them for representing the members of both their own Locals and the State Federation.
Social gatherings are also a part of the convention, and our members enjoyed the Convention reception, our own reception, and the sights of the city of Pittsburgh in what little free time we had.
Much of the focus in the convention was centered around the Janus decision.
Anti union groups think this decision will cripple unions, and thus silence the voice of workers. Then, they believe, they can finish their quest toward compete the control of this country by the elites.
What they don’t understand is that our strength comes not from our pocketbooks, our strength comes from our solidarity.
The theme of the convention was, “We Care, We show up, We fight, We vote!”
That theme has been demonstrated in the remarkable success of the large number of members recommitting to their unions, in the courageous teacher and healthcare strikes taking place across this country, in the humanitarian work being performed by our members and in recent successes in new organizing drives.
It was a busy, tiring week.
But this is busy, tiring work.
Besides their own “day jobs,” our members knock doors, rally, testify, volunteer, and work to advance the voice of all workers, union and nonunion, all the time.
They do it because they believe in the movement.
That, sisters and brothers, is our strength.
The convention went very well.
Jan was re-elected National VP, a testimony to her commitment to member engagement and the growing recognition throughout the AFT that this is our future. In reality, it is also our past, as member engagement is not only what built the movement, it IS the movement.
Our 110 AFT CT members were engaged at the convention, participating in committees, caucus, and general sessions. Thank you to all of them for representing the members of both their own Locals and the State Federation.
Social gatherings are also a part of the convention, and our members enjoyed the Convention reception, our own reception, and the sights of the city of Pittsburgh in what little free time we had.
Much of the focus in the convention was centered around the Janus decision.
Anti union groups think this decision will cripple unions, and thus silence the voice of workers. Then, they believe, they can finish their quest toward compete the control of this country by the elites.
What they don’t understand is that our strength comes not from our pocketbooks, our strength comes from our solidarity.
The theme of the convention was, “We Care, We show up, We fight, We vote!”
That theme has been demonstrated in the remarkable success of the large number of members recommitting to their unions, in the courageous teacher and healthcare strikes taking place across this country, in the humanitarian work being performed by our members and in recent successes in new organizing drives.
It was a busy, tiring week.
But this is busy, tiring work.
Besides their own “day jobs,” our members knock doors, rally, testify, volunteer, and work to advance the voice of all workers, union and nonunion, all the time.
They do it because they believe in the movement.
That, sisters and brothers, is our strength.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
All roads lead to Pittsburg?
On a plane as I write this (yes, again)
Off to Pittsburg for the AFT national convention.
Over 100 Connecticut Delegates will represent our 30,000 members.
First, as Vice President, I need to pause and consider what an honor it is to be in this position.
30,0000 of the best Connecticut workers; teachers, paraprofessionals and school support staff, nurses, Techs, healthcare workers, probation officers, social workers, and so, so many other public servants, have selected us to be the delegates that represent them.
It is an honor, a privilege, and a great responsibility.
Our members share the fact that they have all dedicated their work lives to helping others, and they share the knowledge and belief that standing in unity gives them the power to do so.
That’s what a union is all about.
That’s why those of us privileged enough to be representing our sisters and brothers in Pittsburgh are taking these planes, trains and autos. We carry the voice of our members to chart the course of our union for the next 2 years.
Yesterday I had the privilege to represent Jan at a press conference with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, AFT President Randi Weingarten, CT AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier, and New Haven Federation of Teaches President David Cicarella.
The message was that the Janus decision will not cripple unions as the Koch Brothers, the DeVos family and other right wing groups hope.
It will not silence the voice of workers.
Workers understand that to be able to advocate for ourselves, our families, our students, our patients, and the public we serve, we must have a voice. And to have a voice we must stand together in unity.
This is the message the 100 plus AFT Connecticut delegates carry to our national convention on behalf of our members.
Our members will not be silenced.
We are strong, we are united, we are the union.
Off to Pittsburg for the AFT national convention.
Over 100 Connecticut Delegates will represent our 30,000 members.
First, as Vice President, I need to pause and consider what an honor it is to be in this position.
30,0000 of the best Connecticut workers; teachers, paraprofessionals and school support staff, nurses, Techs, healthcare workers, probation officers, social workers, and so, so many other public servants, have selected us to be the delegates that represent them.
It is an honor, a privilege, and a great responsibility.
Our members share the fact that they have all dedicated their work lives to helping others, and they share the knowledge and belief that standing in unity gives them the power to do so.
That’s what a union is all about.
That’s why those of us privileged enough to be representing our sisters and brothers in Pittsburgh are taking these planes, trains and autos. We carry the voice of our members to chart the course of our union for the next 2 years.
Yesterday I had the privilege to represent Jan at a press conference with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, AFT President Randi Weingarten, CT AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier, and New Haven Federation of Teaches President David Cicarella.
The message was that the Janus decision will not cripple unions as the Koch Brothers, the DeVos family and other right wing groups hope.
It will not silence the voice of workers.
Workers understand that to be able to advocate for ourselves, our families, our students, our patients, and the public we serve, we must have a voice. And to have a voice we must stand together in unity.
This is the message the 100 plus AFT Connecticut delegates carry to our national convention on behalf of our members.
Our members will not be silenced.
We are strong, we are united, we are the union.
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Be like Paul
Give me a break!
I pick up the paper and the headline reads:
Meals for seniors caught in latest state budget feud
Don’t tell me we are in a fiscal crisis when yachts line the Connecticut shore!
Let me tell you a story……
In achieve Rome lived a man names Saul.
He became famous for his persecution of the early Christians.
Then he had his “Come to Jesus moment.”
From that time on he was known as Paul, one of the great apostles of the Church.
In his letter to the Corinthians (II Corinthians 8:13-15), he said,
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”
Sisters and brothers,
We live in the richest state in the richest country that has ever existed on this earth.
There is no shortage of treasure.
There is no fiscal crisis.
But there is a moral crisis.
We are Saul.
We need to be Paul.
I pick up the paper and the headline reads:
Meals for seniors caught in latest state budget feud
Don’t tell me we are in a fiscal crisis when yachts line the Connecticut shore!
Let me tell you a story……
In achieve Rome lived a man names Saul.
He became famous for his persecution of the early Christians.
Then he had his “Come to Jesus moment.”
From that time on he was known as Paul, one of the great apostles of the Church.
In his letter to the Corinthians (II Corinthians 8:13-15), he said,
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”
Sisters and brothers,
We live in the richest state in the richest country that has ever existed on this earth.
There is no shortage of treasure.
There is no fiscal crisis.
But there is a moral crisis.
We are Saul.
We need to be Paul.
Friday, June 29, 2018
I’m sticking with the union
In 2011 I received a phone call from a fellow nurse. After some small talk, she told me she and others had been talking to a union organizer, and asked did I want to speak with him?
Without hesitation, my answer was yes.
When I started at my hospital 16 years prior it was a place I was proud of. The staff worked together, our manager cared about our wellbeing, the CEO knew us by name and would visit departments on a regular basis.
Most importantly, the patients and their families were the center point of our attention. Everything we did was to support them.
Yes, it was a business, but it was a hospital first.
By 2011 that had all changed.
There was a change in leadership. Managers came and went so fast they never had a chance to develop relationships with the people in their departments. The new CEO? On the rare occasion he came out of the office, people fled, fearful he was on an inspection tour to find something or someone in the wrong.
Supplies were cheapened and staffing became so short that we lacked the time to care for our patients properly.
We were no longer a hospital.
We were a business, that just happened to be a hospital.
Staff went from being a resource to being an operating expense.
Patients and their families were no longer the center point, profit was.
They had taken away our voice, and in so doing, has taken away the ability for us to fulfill our life’s mission.
So we joined together to regain our voice.
Things didn’t turn around immediately.
But this year in negotiations, the Backus Nurses packed the room with 1/3 of our members on a consistent basis.
Not bad for a group that works 24/7, so that the other 2/3 of the members were working at the time or sleeping in prep for the next shift.
That coming together has given us our voice back.
We are now partners at the table, not items on the menu.
The Betsy DeVos’ and Kotch brothers of this world would ask us to give up that voice.
They promise our union dues in return.
I have news for them.
For healthcare workers, for educators, for public employees, for all workers…….
It’s not about the money.
It’s about our voices.
It’s about our souls.
And they’re not for sale.
I’m sticking with the union, because these are my sisters and brothers.
Without hesitation, my answer was yes.
When I started at my hospital 16 years prior it was a place I was proud of. The staff worked together, our manager cared about our wellbeing, the CEO knew us by name and would visit departments on a regular basis.
Most importantly, the patients and their families were the center point of our attention. Everything we did was to support them.
Yes, it was a business, but it was a hospital first.
By 2011 that had all changed.
There was a change in leadership. Managers came and went so fast they never had a chance to develop relationships with the people in their departments. The new CEO? On the rare occasion he came out of the office, people fled, fearful he was on an inspection tour to find something or someone in the wrong.
Supplies were cheapened and staffing became so short that we lacked the time to care for our patients properly.
We were no longer a hospital.
We were a business, that just happened to be a hospital.
Staff went from being a resource to being an operating expense.
Patients and their families were no longer the center point, profit was.
They had taken away our voice, and in so doing, has taken away the ability for us to fulfill our life’s mission.
So we joined together to regain our voice.
Things didn’t turn around immediately.
But this year in negotiations, the Backus Nurses packed the room with 1/3 of our members on a consistent basis.
Not bad for a group that works 24/7, so that the other 2/3 of the members were working at the time or sleeping in prep for the next shift.
That coming together has given us our voice back.
We are now partners at the table, not items on the menu.
The Betsy DeVos’ and Kotch brothers of this world would ask us to give up that voice.
They promise our union dues in return.
I have news for them.
For healthcare workers, for educators, for public employees, for all workers…….
It’s not about the money.
It’s about our voices.
It’s about our souls.
And they’re not for sale.
I’m sticking with the union, because these are my sisters and brothers.
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Answer the call
I’ve been busy with conventions and fundraisers, and rallies, and town committees, and lobbying.
I never intended to get this involved.
It was a call from a Mary Ann at work that got me involved in our organizing drive at my hospital.
It was a call from Jan that got me involved with AFT Connecticut.
It was a call from Susan that got me involved with my town’s DTC.
(Maybe I need to stop taking calls? LOL)
I’m definitely not alone.
Jan got involved when the state threatened to close the school she was teaching at.
She stepped up to president of her local when their president stepped down.
She became AFT Connecticut president and a national VP only when asked repeatedly.
Answering the call is what our parents and grandparents did when the world was threatened by Nazi Germany and Imperialist Japan.
Answering the call is what fills the roles of little league coaches and scout leaders and church leaders and town political leaders.
Thank God, people answer the call!
It’s easy to criticize those who answer the call to the many forms of public service.
We would be well served to remember why it is called “public service.”
No, people are not perfect.
Yes, some people abuse their positions or make decisions that leave our heads shaking.
But when ordinary people fail to answer the call, a vacuum is created.
And when a vacuum is created it is filled, often by someone or something that does not serve us well.
My grandfather was a longtime state senator in RI.
In fact, for years he was president of the state senate.
I didn’t understand the significance or the many gavels on the piano in the living room of this house.
Now I know, each gavel represented a session of the senate.
Each gavel represented his answering the call to public service.
My parents did not enter politics, but they voted in every election and taught us that this was our civic right and responsibility.
Each of us needs to find the level of public service engagement that is right for us.
For some it will be as a volunteer in a youth program, a church program, at local schools.
For some it will be as a union building rep, or serving on a town committee, or as president of the PTO, or a volunteer firefighter.
For some it will mean leadership in a union or in governmental politics.
But all of us should answer the call to vote.
People immigrated to this country, people died in wars, because they answered the call so that we could have this basic civic right and responsibility.
In Connecticut, we will hold a primary on August 14 and a general election on November 6.
Please register, please vote.
Please answer the call.
I never intended to get this involved.
It was a call from a Mary Ann at work that got me involved in our organizing drive at my hospital.
It was a call from Jan that got me involved with AFT Connecticut.
It was a call from Susan that got me involved with my town’s DTC.
(Maybe I need to stop taking calls? LOL)
I’m definitely not alone.
Jan got involved when the state threatened to close the school she was teaching at.
She stepped up to president of her local when their president stepped down.
She became AFT Connecticut president and a national VP only when asked repeatedly.
Answering the call is what our parents and grandparents did when the world was threatened by Nazi Germany and Imperialist Japan.
Answering the call is what fills the roles of little league coaches and scout leaders and church leaders and town political leaders.
Thank God, people answer the call!
It’s easy to criticize those who answer the call to the many forms of public service.
We would be well served to remember why it is called “public service.”
No, people are not perfect.
Yes, some people abuse their positions or make decisions that leave our heads shaking.
But when ordinary people fail to answer the call, a vacuum is created.
And when a vacuum is created it is filled, often by someone or something that does not serve us well.
My grandfather was a longtime state senator in RI.
In fact, for years he was president of the state senate.
I didn’t understand the significance or the many gavels on the piano in the living room of this house.
Now I know, each gavel represented a session of the senate.
Each gavel represented his answering the call to public service.
My parents did not enter politics, but they voted in every election and taught us that this was our civic right and responsibility.
Each of us needs to find the level of public service engagement that is right for us.
For some it will be as a volunteer in a youth program, a church program, at local schools.
For some it will be as a union building rep, or serving on a town committee, or as president of the PTO, or a volunteer firefighter.
For some it will mean leadership in a union or in governmental politics.
But all of us should answer the call to vote.
People immigrated to this country, people died in wars, because they answered the call so that we could have this basic civic right and responsibility.
In Connecticut, we will hold a primary on August 14 and a general election on November 6.
Please register, please vote.
Please answer the call.
Sunday, June 17, 2018
I ain’t afraid of no ghost
The Supreme Court decision on the Janus case has been expected for weeks now.
It could come out tomorrow, but it certainly will come out within the next week before the end of the Supreme Court’s session.
It is widely expected that the court will rule against working men and women.
It will because the makeup of the Court is more conservative than progressive.
This country will be “Right to Work” for public sector workers and then the attention of the Billionaire Class will turn to private sector workers.
Don’t be fooled by the term “Right to Work.”
We call it “Right to Work for Less.”
It has nothing to do with your right to work, it is the legal ruling that is meant to weaken the role of unions and the voice of workers.
It attempts to do this by making the payment of union dues optional.
The Billionaire Class believes this will bankrupt unions and stifle the voice of workers.
But workers have been preparing for this ruling for over a year.
We understand that even with fully funded unions, our financial resources are dwarfed by the financial resources of the Billionaire Class.
We cannot compete financially with them.
But what the Billionaire Class fails to understand is that the strength of workers does not lie in our finances, our strength lies in our solidarity.
And the Billionaire Class cannot take that away form us.
This country was founded when workers, tied of having no voice, tired of being ruled by a king and those with the money and power, rose us and demanded that voice.
The recent teacher strikes in states that are already “Right to Work for Less” have reminded us that this basic human need to exercise our voices cannot be taken away when we stand united.
So I am glad we are preparing for this court decision. It has increased our solidarity by increasing our conversations with one another about our need to stand as one.
I ain’t afraid of no ghost and I ain’t afraid of no Billionaire Class.
I stand in solidarity with my sister and brother workers, and together we are strong.
It could come out tomorrow, but it certainly will come out within the next week before the end of the Supreme Court’s session.
It is widely expected that the court will rule against working men and women.
It will because the makeup of the Court is more conservative than progressive.
This country will be “Right to Work” for public sector workers and then the attention of the Billionaire Class will turn to private sector workers.
Don’t be fooled by the term “Right to Work.”
We call it “Right to Work for Less.”
It has nothing to do with your right to work, it is the legal ruling that is meant to weaken the role of unions and the voice of workers.
It attempts to do this by making the payment of union dues optional.
The Billionaire Class believes this will bankrupt unions and stifle the voice of workers.
But workers have been preparing for this ruling for over a year.
We understand that even with fully funded unions, our financial resources are dwarfed by the financial resources of the Billionaire Class.
We cannot compete financially with them.
But what the Billionaire Class fails to understand is that the strength of workers does not lie in our finances, our strength lies in our solidarity.
And the Billionaire Class cannot take that away form us.
This country was founded when workers, tied of having no voice, tired of being ruled by a king and those with the money and power, rose us and demanded that voice.
The recent teacher strikes in states that are already “Right to Work for Less” have reminded us that this basic human need to exercise our voices cannot be taken away when we stand united.
So I am glad we are preparing for this court decision. It has increased our solidarity by increasing our conversations with one another about our need to stand as one.
I ain’t afraid of no ghost and I ain’t afraid of no Billionaire Class.
I stand in solidarity with my sister and brother workers, and together we are strong.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Do we stand together, or stand alone?
When we nurses at Backus Hospital decided that the conditions for our patients had gotten bad enough we complained to management.
When multiple individual complaints and pleading brought no change, we decided to speak with one voice.
It was not easy. Management faught us every step of the way, but we stood together because we had tried standing separately to no avail.
Management spent around a million dollars trying to convince 400 nurses not to unionize.
A million dollars!
Why?
All we wanted was a voice so we could care for our patients properly.
They claimed they were looking our for us nurses, protecting us from an outside entity (the union) that would take our money and our voice.
What they failed to understand is that the only outside entity trying to take from us was our own management.
“The Union” is not a thing.
It is not an “outside entity.”
It is not a “third party.”
The union is a group of workers standing together to work collectively on things that are of importance to us, because we realize that unless we stand together, management has all the power.
And that’s why management was willing to spend a million dollars to keep us from unionizing, they want to retain power and control. (Also, remember this, they were not spending money out of their own pockets, they were spending hospital funds.)
A similar situation is playing out across our nation.
So called “Right to Work” groups are telling workers, “drop out of the union, save your union dues, give yourself a raise.”
Again, why?
Is it because they care about workers?
They care about power.
They know when they have power they can write the rules to favor themselves.
Like the nurses at Backus, all workers have a decision to make, a decision that has been ours to make since we started being employed by someone else.
Do we stand together or do we stand alone.
When multiple individual complaints and pleading brought no change, we decided to speak with one voice.
It was not easy. Management faught us every step of the way, but we stood together because we had tried standing separately to no avail.
Management spent around a million dollars trying to convince 400 nurses not to unionize.
A million dollars!
Why?
All we wanted was a voice so we could care for our patients properly.
They claimed they were looking our for us nurses, protecting us from an outside entity (the union) that would take our money and our voice.
What they failed to understand is that the only outside entity trying to take from us was our own management.
“The Union” is not a thing.
It is not an “outside entity.”
It is not a “third party.”
The union is a group of workers standing together to work collectively on things that are of importance to us, because we realize that unless we stand together, management has all the power.
And that’s why management was willing to spend a million dollars to keep us from unionizing, they want to retain power and control. (Also, remember this, they were not spending money out of their own pockets, they were spending hospital funds.)
A similar situation is playing out across our nation.
So called “Right to Work” groups are telling workers, “drop out of the union, save your union dues, give yourself a raise.”
Again, why?
Is it because they care about workers?
They care about power.
They know when they have power they can write the rules to favor themselves.
Like the nurses at Backus, all workers have a decision to make, a decision that has been ours to make since we started being employed by someone else.
Do we stand together or do we stand alone.
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Citizen Carla
Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the naturalization ceremony of a dear friend, Carla Borlaug, with her family and friends.
Carla is a loving mother, wife and friend, and the Unites States is much, much better that she chose to become one of our citizens. We are better for it.
The road to citizenship is long and difficult.
The 54 people who took the oath yesterday had to work for years to get to that point and did not take these steps lightly.
I would think that they now know more about this country and what it stands for than most Americans who were born in this country.
The ceremony was moving.
54 candidates and their families and friends crowded the federal courtroom.
When the judge entered the room we stood.
The federal immigration agent presented the candidates to the judge as being qualified.
Then Carla and the other candidates stood, raised their right hands, and took the oath of citizenship, pledging to protect the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Then, after just pledging to “renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty,” the elderly judge spoke to our newest citizens, telling them that his own parents were immigrants to this country.
He offered this advise:
Vote and be involved in your government.
Learn English as best you can but remember your native language and culture and pass them on to your children and grandchildren.
Take every opportunity that your time and resources allow to learn.
Practice the religion of your choice or none at all.
Exercise your new rights including the right to peacefully protest.
I was proud at that moment to be an American.
Carla took no oath to any elected official or ideology.
Her oath was to the Constitution.
In this area of heightened nationalism, this elderly judge and these new citizens were a refreshing reminder that we do not pledge allegiance to a nation, a person, a party, or an ideology.
We pledge allegiance to an ideal.
Liberty and Justice for all.
Congratulations Carla.
Thank you for the reminder.
Carla is a loving mother, wife and friend, and the Unites States is much, much better that she chose to become one of our citizens. We are better for it.
The road to citizenship is long and difficult.
The 54 people who took the oath yesterday had to work for years to get to that point and did not take these steps lightly.
I would think that they now know more about this country and what it stands for than most Americans who were born in this country.
The ceremony was moving.
54 candidates and their families and friends crowded the federal courtroom.
When the judge entered the room we stood.
The federal immigration agent presented the candidates to the judge as being qualified.
Then Carla and the other candidates stood, raised their right hands, and took the oath of citizenship, pledging to protect the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Then, after just pledging to “renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty,” the elderly judge spoke to our newest citizens, telling them that his own parents were immigrants to this country.
He offered this advise:
Vote and be involved in your government.
Learn English as best you can but remember your native language and culture and pass them on to your children and grandchildren.
Take every opportunity that your time and resources allow to learn.
Practice the religion of your choice or none at all.
Exercise your new rights including the right to peacefully protest.
I was proud at that moment to be an American.
Carla took no oath to any elected official or ideology.
Her oath was to the Constitution.
In this area of heightened nationalism, this elderly judge and these new citizens were a refreshing reminder that we do not pledge allegiance to a nation, a person, a party, or an ideology.
We pledge allegiance to an ideal.
Liberty and Justice for all.
Congratulations Carla.
Thank you for the reminder.
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Standing for Social Justice
We were at the poor people’s campaign rally in Hartford again this past Monday and will be there again on Tuesday at 3:00.
No, we did not get arrested again this week.
But four activists did.
A reporter wanted to talk to me.
Actually, he wanted to talk to Jan, because the arrest of the president of one of the state’s largest unions sends a message. I resisted the urge to tell him that Jan was with me, only 20 feet away, and answered his questions myself.
He wanted to know about the experience of being arrested, about whether we were nervous beforehand, and about our motivation.
I told him the Hartford Police Officers were professional, polite, and respectful.
(The next day some of us had to appear at Hartford community court, and everyone there was equally professional, polite, and respectful. Throughout this, many officials expressed support for the stand we had taken. We were given 3 days of community service, which we will proudly serve)
As far as motivation, the decision to take an arrest for social justice is a very personal choice.
Speaking for myself, I felt that if Jan had the courage to take a stand, the least I could do is stand with her. Additionally, 3 of our members and 2 of our staff were arrested with us.
How could I ask them to do something that I wasn’t willing to do myself?
But there’s more to it than standing with my president, members and staff.
We celebrate Memorial Day this weekend. A day dedicated to those who gave their lives for the values this country should stand for, so eloquently stated by Abraham Lincoln. We are a nation dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. These are the values that I learned from my parents, my teachers, my church.
However, as a society, we often fail to live up to that dedication, and in so doing, we dishonor the memories of those who gave their lives.
While we may “believe” that all are created equal, we often do not treat all people as equals.
Social injustice (racial, gender, religious, class, etc) continues in our society.
The wealthy have the power and so often are unwilling to share it.
It is up to us to stand up for the principles this country was founded upon, stand up and respect the memories of those who died for these principles, stand up against the voices of hatred, bigotry, and nationalism, and stand up for ALL people.
Sometimes, standing up means you have to take a knee, or an arrest.
We elect those who serve us.
We need to ask all candidates…..
Do you stand for social justice?
Which side are you on?
No, we did not get arrested again this week.
But four activists did.
A reporter wanted to talk to me.
Actually, he wanted to talk to Jan, because the arrest of the president of one of the state’s largest unions sends a message. I resisted the urge to tell him that Jan was with me, only 20 feet away, and answered his questions myself.
He wanted to know about the experience of being arrested, about whether we were nervous beforehand, and about our motivation.
I told him the Hartford Police Officers were professional, polite, and respectful.
(The next day some of us had to appear at Hartford community court, and everyone there was equally professional, polite, and respectful. Throughout this, many officials expressed support for the stand we had taken. We were given 3 days of community service, which we will proudly serve)
As far as motivation, the decision to take an arrest for social justice is a very personal choice.
Speaking for myself, I felt that if Jan had the courage to take a stand, the least I could do is stand with her. Additionally, 3 of our members and 2 of our staff were arrested with us.
How could I ask them to do something that I wasn’t willing to do myself?
But there’s more to it than standing with my president, members and staff.
We celebrate Memorial Day this weekend. A day dedicated to those who gave their lives for the values this country should stand for, so eloquently stated by Abraham Lincoln. We are a nation dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. These are the values that I learned from my parents, my teachers, my church.
However, as a society, we often fail to live up to that dedication, and in so doing, we dishonor the memories of those who gave their lives.
While we may “believe” that all are created equal, we often do not treat all people as equals.
Social injustice (racial, gender, religious, class, etc) continues in our society.
The wealthy have the power and so often are unwilling to share it.
It is up to us to stand up for the principles this country was founded upon, stand up and respect the memories of those who died for these principles, stand up against the voices of hatred, bigotry, and nationalism, and stand up for ALL people.
Sometimes, standing up means you have to take a knee, or an arrest.
We elect those who serve us.
We need to ask all candidates…..
Do you stand for social justice?
Which side are you on?
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Walking the walk
Seven years ago, the nurses of Backus Hospital voted to form a union.
This year, we sent five nurses to the Virgin Islands on a humanitarian mission and one nurse to jail.
Seven years ago we were afraid to say the word “union” out load.
Yesterday I stood in the middle of the street in front of the State Capitol in Hartford and sang “we are not afraid.”
We have found our voice.
Today we use that voice to help those in need.
I am proud of my sisters who gave a week of their lives to help children in the Virgin Islands and I am proud to have stood with my sisters and brothers in Hartford for social justice.
Our civil disobedience was the beginning of 40 days of peaceful resistance against social injustice.
https://moralmondayct.org/ct-poor-peoples-campaign-ppc/
We are using our voice.
It was an honor to stand with AFT Connecticut’s Greg, Meagan, Alisha, Stephanie, John, Jan and and sisters and brothers from other unions and movements, and be joined by others in 40 other state Capitals.
When we were organizing to gain our voice at the hospital, managers would pull me into tiny rooms to read me the riot act about attempting to form a union. These meetings are called “captive audience meetings.”
My cell was bigger than these rooms, my cell mates were better company, and I am not afraid and will never give up my voice.
My strength comes from my sisters and brothers.
Leaders lead, and no one exemplifies that better than my friend and president, Jan.
You know the phrase “I would follow her through the gates of hell”?
Yesterday we followed her through the gates of a cell.
The Hartford Police were for the most part respectful and should be commended for this.
I am sorry we caused them more work but they understood and supported our efforts.
I am not sorry for standing up for justice and I am not afraid.
This year, we sent five nurses to the Virgin Islands on a humanitarian mission and one nurse to jail.
Seven years ago we were afraid to say the word “union” out load.
Yesterday I stood in the middle of the street in front of the State Capitol in Hartford and sang “we are not afraid.”
We have found our voice.
Today we use that voice to help those in need.
I am proud of my sisters who gave a week of their lives to help children in the Virgin Islands and I am proud to have stood with my sisters and brothers in Hartford for social justice.
Our civil disobedience was the beginning of 40 days of peaceful resistance against social injustice.
https://moralmondayct.org/ct-poor-peoples-campaign-ppc/
We are using our voice.
It was an honor to stand with AFT Connecticut’s Greg, Meagan, Alisha, Stephanie, John, Jan and and sisters and brothers from other unions and movements, and be joined by others in 40 other state Capitals.
When we were organizing to gain our voice at the hospital, managers would pull me into tiny rooms to read me the riot act about attempting to form a union. These meetings are called “captive audience meetings.”
My cell was bigger than these rooms, my cell mates were better company, and I am not afraid and will never give up my voice.
My strength comes from my sisters and brothers.
Leaders lead, and no one exemplifies that better than my friend and president, Jan.
You know the phrase “I would follow her through the gates of hell”?
Yesterday we followed her through the gates of a cell.
The Hartford Police were for the most part respectful and should be commended for this.
I am sorry we caused them more work but they understood and supported our efforts.
I am not sorry for standing up for justice and I am not afraid.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
The Road Ahead
The 71st annual AFT Connecticut Business Convention was held yesterday.
I submitted my written report as Executive VP and it’s in the packet, but let me share some thoughts behind the report.
Every day brings new challenges, not just to our union, but to all unions and the entire social justice movement.
This is nothing new, it has been going on for ages.
At the heart of it is a fundamental difference in how we see our roles as humans inhabiting this small, fragile planet.
Some believe in the old adage, “from each according to their means, to each according to their needs,” and some do not.
Because of this, there are powerful people who wish to remain so. They are willing to use their resources to retain this power.
They are willing to fund lawsuits and legislative campaigns and politicians who will fight to end collective bargaining, the right to organize, pay equity, equality, and economic and social justice, because without a voice, those who are marginalized have no hope.
These are the challenges we face every day.
But we face them together.
A special thank you to our AFT CT members, my fellow officers, and many from around the country for the support you have shown us this year.
Jan expressed the same sentiment in her remarks to the convention when she spoke of her battle this year with cancer. She spoke of how the support has helped her.
Randi spoke of the inspiration that Jan has been because of the way she has fought both cancer, and the powers who challenge us daily.
I agree completely with both of them.
Jan is an inspiration to us all, and that inspiration is possible because of the strength that flows from our members.
At our convention we honored some of our members who gave of their time and treasure to help AFT sisters and brothers in need this past year in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Texas, Florida, and Alaska. They did so because they understand the “U and I in Union,” as our current campaign states.
They, like our other members, understand that we are stronger together.
They understand that we have a responsibility to help a sister and brothers in need.
They understand that this solidarity is what it means to be in a union and in the social justice movement.
Like the support that Jan spoke of, these fundamental beliefs are what we are all about.
They are the reason that, despite Supreme Court cases, despite horrible attempts at “right to work for less” laws, despite powerful interest aligned against us, we will carry on.
Because we are sisters and brothers.
And sisters and brothers take care of each other.
I submitted my written report as Executive VP and it’s in the packet, but let me share some thoughts behind the report.
Every day brings new challenges, not just to our union, but to all unions and the entire social justice movement.
This is nothing new, it has been going on for ages.
At the heart of it is a fundamental difference in how we see our roles as humans inhabiting this small, fragile planet.
Some believe in the old adage, “from each according to their means, to each according to their needs,” and some do not.
Because of this, there are powerful people who wish to remain so. They are willing to use their resources to retain this power.
They are willing to fund lawsuits and legislative campaigns and politicians who will fight to end collective bargaining, the right to organize, pay equity, equality, and economic and social justice, because without a voice, those who are marginalized have no hope.
These are the challenges we face every day.
But we face them together.
A special thank you to our AFT CT members, my fellow officers, and many from around the country for the support you have shown us this year.
Jan expressed the same sentiment in her remarks to the convention when she spoke of her battle this year with cancer. She spoke of how the support has helped her.
Randi spoke of the inspiration that Jan has been because of the way she has fought both cancer, and the powers who challenge us daily.
I agree completely with both of them.
Jan is an inspiration to us all, and that inspiration is possible because of the strength that flows from our members.
At our convention we honored some of our members who gave of their time and treasure to help AFT sisters and brothers in need this past year in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Texas, Florida, and Alaska. They did so because they understand the “U and I in Union,” as our current campaign states.
They, like our other members, understand that we are stronger together.
They understand that we have a responsibility to help a sister and brothers in need.
They understand that this solidarity is what it means to be in a union and in the social justice movement.
Like the support that Jan spoke of, these fundamental beliefs are what we are all about.
They are the reason that, despite Supreme Court cases, despite horrible attempts at “right to work for less” laws, despite powerful interest aligned against us, we will carry on.
Because we are sisters and brothers.
And sisters and brothers take care of each other.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Another trip around the sun
I was sharing with a friend tonight a few thoughts on the celebration of my 63rd trip around the sun
I can’t believe that I started today in tropical Florida and ended it in my favorite pizza place in Danielson with chocolate cake.
I know it’s 2018 and all, and air travel has been around for decades, but that still amazes me that it’s possible.
And I’m grateful it still amazes me.
In spite of being all grownup, I can still see the world with the eyes and faith of a child at times.
I’m blessed for that.
Perhaps that’s why I had the faith to take the leaps to become a nurse, help form a union, run as VP of a 30,000 member labor federation.
God has blessed me.
God knows I have had challenges.
But I’ve never had to face them alone.
My wonderful wife and family, my nursing colleagues, my work partners, and my members are always there to walk with me.
I have no great words of wisdom
Perhaps that’s my greatest gift.
God has helped me find my voice.
Now my job is to use that voice and help others find their voice.
I can’t believe that I started today in tropical Florida and ended it in my favorite pizza place in Danielson with chocolate cake.
I know it’s 2018 and all, and air travel has been around for decades, but that still amazes me that it’s possible.
And I’m grateful it still amazes me.
In spite of being all grownup, I can still see the world with the eyes and faith of a child at times.
I’m blessed for that.
Perhaps that’s why I had the faith to take the leaps to become a nurse, help form a union, run as VP of a 30,000 member labor federation.
God has blessed me.
God knows I have had challenges.
But I’ve never had to face them alone.
My wonderful wife and family, my nursing colleagues, my work partners, and my members are always there to walk with me.
I have no great words of wisdom
Perhaps that’s my greatest gift.
God has helped me find my voice.
Now my job is to use that voice and help others find their voice.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
DTC
I few weeks ago I was approached by a friend about my Democratic Town Committee.
She said the committee was in need of support as those serving on the committee had done so for years and were looking for new people to become involved.
My answer was, “Of course, I’ll do what I can to help.”
I’m now chairman.
Political Town Committees are nothing more than the residents of a political party in a town who gather together to promote values and candidates that they believe in.
I have avoided being involved, even though I have worked on campaigns and even been a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, mostly through my activism in the union.
When I called the chairman and told him I wanted to get involved, he asked where I had been all this time.
It was a legitimate question and my “I was busy” was a poor excuse, although not completely untrue.
I’m not sure I understood the importance of being involved for most of my life.
Interesting, because I grew up looking at my grandfather’s multiple gavels from his years of service as President of the Rhode Island Senate and hearing how Irish immigrants became involved in politics.
Anyway, since becoming involved in my organizing drive at my hospital, and especially since becoming AFT CT Vice President, I see how if we don’t have a seat at the table, we’re on the menu.
So I find myself Chair of the Sterling Connecticut DTC.
We’re a small rural town of under 3500 residents, fairly equally split between democrats, republicans, and unaffiliated, with far too many unregistered.
My hope is that along with the dedicated members who have served so long on the committee, we can involve newer members and increase voter roles and participation.
I invite all town democrats to contact us and become involved to the extent they can and wish.
(And in your own town committees)
We are on Facebook https://facebook.com/SterlingDTC/
She said the committee was in need of support as those serving on the committee had done so for years and were looking for new people to become involved.
My answer was, “Of course, I’ll do what I can to help.”
I’m now chairman.
Political Town Committees are nothing more than the residents of a political party in a town who gather together to promote values and candidates that they believe in.
I have avoided being involved, even though I have worked on campaigns and even been a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, mostly through my activism in the union.
When I called the chairman and told him I wanted to get involved, he asked where I had been all this time.
It was a legitimate question and my “I was busy” was a poor excuse, although not completely untrue.
I’m not sure I understood the importance of being involved for most of my life.
Interesting, because I grew up looking at my grandfather’s multiple gavels from his years of service as President of the Rhode Island Senate and hearing how Irish immigrants became involved in politics.
Anyway, since becoming involved in my organizing drive at my hospital, and especially since becoming AFT CT Vice President, I see how if we don’t have a seat at the table, we’re on the menu.
So I find myself Chair of the Sterling Connecticut DTC.
We’re a small rural town of under 3500 residents, fairly equally split between democrats, republicans, and unaffiliated, with far too many unregistered.
My hope is that along with the dedicated members who have served so long on the committee, we can involve newer members and increase voter roles and participation.
I invite all town democrats to contact us and become involved to the extent they can and wish.
(And in your own town committees)
We are on Facebook https://facebook.com/SterlingDTC/
Sunday, April 8, 2018
The Road Ahead
This week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to Alaska to be part of a Public Employee Organizing Blitz.
And, this week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to the Virgin Islands as part of a team on a healthcare mission to hurricane ravaged islands.
And, next week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to Parkland, Florida to continue to provide support to the teachers and students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Taking time from their own busy lives, these dedicated members are on the road to help their sister and brother AFT members in Alaska, Florida and the Virgin Islands because they recognize that we are bigger than our individual workplace or Local or even State Federation. We are part of a 1.7 member family that is AFT.
And, we are part of the greater union movement.
My utmost thanks goes out to them all, my heart travels with them and my pride in being a small part of this family runs over.
It is both ironic and fitting that several months ago, we chose a slogan for the AFT Connecticut convention in May,
“The Road Ahead.”
These dedicated members, being literally on the road, are showing us the road ahead.
Our members in Alaska this week are part of a Public Sector Organizing Blitz, something that has gone on for at least 7 years, where members and staff come together in a week filled with honing organizing skills and practicing those skills through mapping of units, door knocking, and site visits.
It is an exhausting and fulfilling week.
It literally changes lives.
If you ever get the opportunity to go, take it.
Our members in Parkland next week are from the Newtown Federation of Teachers.
They are members of a fraternity that no teacher wants to belong, a fraternity of school shooting survivors.
Their goal is to help the newest members of that fraternity, in ways only they can.
This is their second trip since the shooting.
Our prayers are with them.
Our members in the Virgin Islands are not on vacation.
The Virgin Islands, like Puerto Rico, were devastated by 2 hurricanes last fall.
As a result, they have a housing shortage and the nursing shortage has become so severe that the schools are 10,000 basic hearing, vision and dental screenings behind.
These screenings catch problems before complications set in and students fall behind in their studies.
5 of our nurses will be part of a team of 26 AFT Healthcare members from around the country who will do their best to screen as many as possible over this coming week.
I have a particular pride in this group.
Our 5 members are from my local, the Backus Federation of Nurses.
It is wonderful to see that the work and struggles we went through 7 years ago to organize have led to a local with members willing to sacrifice for their sisters and brothers of the AFT Virgin Island Teacher’s Local.
It is fitting because without the help of AFT Connecticut, AFT, and the greater labor movement, we would never have been successful in organizing.
The challenges ahead are immense but to me the road ahead is not dark.
We are a diverse union and in that diversity is our strength.
Our members are showing the way.
And, this week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to the Virgin Islands as part of a team on a healthcare mission to hurricane ravaged islands.
And, next week, members of AFT Connecticut will travel to Parkland, Florida to continue to provide support to the teachers and students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Taking time from their own busy lives, these dedicated members are on the road to help their sister and brother AFT members in Alaska, Florida and the Virgin Islands because they recognize that we are bigger than our individual workplace or Local or even State Federation. We are part of a 1.7 member family that is AFT.
And, we are part of the greater union movement.
My utmost thanks goes out to them all, my heart travels with them and my pride in being a small part of this family runs over.
It is both ironic and fitting that several months ago, we chose a slogan for the AFT Connecticut convention in May,
“The Road Ahead.”
These dedicated members, being literally on the road, are showing us the road ahead.
Our members in Alaska this week are part of a Public Sector Organizing Blitz, something that has gone on for at least 7 years, where members and staff come together in a week filled with honing organizing skills and practicing those skills through mapping of units, door knocking, and site visits.
It is an exhausting and fulfilling week.
It literally changes lives.
If you ever get the opportunity to go, take it.
Our members in Parkland next week are from the Newtown Federation of Teachers.
They are members of a fraternity that no teacher wants to belong, a fraternity of school shooting survivors.
Their goal is to help the newest members of that fraternity, in ways only they can.
This is their second trip since the shooting.
Our prayers are with them.
Our members in the Virgin Islands are not on vacation.
The Virgin Islands, like Puerto Rico, were devastated by 2 hurricanes last fall.
As a result, they have a housing shortage and the nursing shortage has become so severe that the schools are 10,000 basic hearing, vision and dental screenings behind.
These screenings catch problems before complications set in and students fall behind in their studies.
5 of our nurses will be part of a team of 26 AFT Healthcare members from around the country who will do their best to screen as many as possible over this coming week.
I have a particular pride in this group.
Our 5 members are from my local, the Backus Federation of Nurses.
It is wonderful to see that the work and struggles we went through 7 years ago to organize have led to a local with members willing to sacrifice for their sisters and brothers of the AFT Virgin Island Teacher’s Local.
It is fitting because without the help of AFT Connecticut, AFT, and the greater labor movement, we would never have been successful in organizing.
The challenges ahead are immense but to me the road ahead is not dark.
We are a diverse union and in that diversity is our strength.
Our members are showing the way.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Lessons of Easter
To the Christian world, Easter is a big day.
But to me, it’s not the fact that Jesus rose from the dead that is so amazing.
It’s how he lived his life and what he taught by his words and example.
Born homeless, to an unwed mother, forced into exile for his own safety while still an infant, persecuted and killed for his beliefs, and still he said, “forgive them father, they know not what they do.”
He knew what it was to be poor.
He knew what it was to be an immigrant.
He knew what it was to be beaten.
He knew what it was to be persecuted for his beliefs.
He knew what it was to be “us.”
He chose to be friends with the outcasts of his society, and was criticized for it.
He did not judge, he forgave and led by example.
To some, his rising on Easter is proof that he is God, and man.
To me, it is a day to celebrate the Movement.
The Movement that chooses love over hate,
Justice over privilege,
A voice for all over a voice for a few,
And truly believes that our neighbor is the foreigner we meet on the side of the road,
And that we are all sisters and brothers.
His teachings and example are the teachings and example for the Movement.
They are the teachings of Gandhi, King, Chavez, and so many more.
Christians believe that he was God, made man and that our duty is to follow the example he gave and the lessons he taught.
We must ask ourselves two things.
If he was God, why did he choose to live a life as he did, in poverty, befriending those on the margins of society, teaching love, forgiveness, and acceptance?
Are we following him?
He rose on Easter.
He lives on in us.
But to me, it’s not the fact that Jesus rose from the dead that is so amazing.
It’s how he lived his life and what he taught by his words and example.
Born homeless, to an unwed mother, forced into exile for his own safety while still an infant, persecuted and killed for his beliefs, and still he said, “forgive them father, they know not what they do.”
He knew what it was to be poor.
He knew what it was to be an immigrant.
He knew what it was to be beaten.
He knew what it was to be persecuted for his beliefs.
He knew what it was to be “us.”
He chose to be friends with the outcasts of his society, and was criticized for it.
He did not judge, he forgave and led by example.
To some, his rising on Easter is proof that he is God, and man.
To me, it is a day to celebrate the Movement.
The Movement that chooses love over hate,
Justice over privilege,
A voice for all over a voice for a few,
And truly believes that our neighbor is the foreigner we meet on the side of the road,
And that we are all sisters and brothers.
His teachings and example are the teachings and example for the Movement.
They are the teachings of Gandhi, King, Chavez, and so many more.
Christians believe that he was God, made man and that our duty is to follow the example he gave and the lessons he taught.
We must ask ourselves two things.
If he was God, why did he choose to live a life as he did, in poverty, befriending those on the margins of society, teaching love, forgiveness, and acceptance?
Are we following him?
He rose on Easter.
He lives on in us.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
New conscience protections are disingenuous
A recent letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from AFT President Randi Weingarten spoke against proposed rule changes regarding the ability of the Office for Civil Rights to impose new procedures to enforce existing laws concerning the rights of health professionals to participate in certain medical procedures.
I thank Randi for her advocacy on healthcare issues because this proposed rule is offered under the false pretense that it protects a healthcare worker from having to participate in a procedure based on his or her religious or ethical beliefs.
Although originally founded as a teachers union, the AFT now represents public service workers and healthcare professionals too. In fact, the AFT is the second-largest representative of registered nurses in the country. As such, we embrace our duty to advocate for all healthcare workers and our patients.
When I first heard about the proposed rule, it sounded like a reasonable protection for healthcare workers. But, when I read the rule, I realized it would not only allow the Civil Rights Division to respond to complaints from healthcare workers, it could also interfere with the rights of patients to receive care.
You see, under current law, healthcare workers are already protected from being forced into participating in any procedure they object to, based on religious beliefs or concerns of conscience.
So why the proposed rule change?
Could it be because under the new rule, healthcare providers would have the right to refuse to treat a patient, not based on the procedure, but based on the patient’s income, race, ethnicity, gender, background, political or religious beliefs, sexual identity, or almost anything? The new rule would also extend these rights to healthcare institutions. These new rules are clearly an attempt to institutionalize discrimination based on who the patient is.
As a registered nurse, it’s my right — legally and ethically — to refuse to participate in certain procedures based on my beliefs. I do not need any new rules to guarantee me this right. I also have a moral obligation to provide care to every patient equally, and I have the same moral obligation to refer any patient to a provider who feels differently than I do, and who can provide them the care they seek.
Healthcare professionals, like everyone, have varying ethical beliefs when it comes to certain procedures. Some of us may object to performing or assisting in abortions, or administering vaccinations, or providing certain end-of-life care, or participating in lethal injections. I vigorously defend their right to object, and the rules as they stand now protect their rights as well.
However, there is no place in healthcare for a provider (or facility) to decide whether to participate or provide a procedure based on a person’s religion, politics, sexual orientation, race or legal status. This proposed rule is not only unnecessary in protecting healthcare workers’ right to practice according to their ethical beliefs, it is potentially harmful to the very patients we have dedicated our lives to care for.
This blog has been posted on AFT Voices at:
https://aftvoices.org/new-conscience-protections-are-disingenuous-e502d37f5d36
This blog has been posted on AFT Voices at:
https://aftvoices.org/new-conscience-protections-are-disingenuous-e502d37f5d36
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
I am not a captive
I testified today in Hartford.
Seems like I’ve been doing a lot of that recently.
This time it was before the Judiciary Committee in favor of a bill on Captive Audience Meetings.
I told the committee of my experience in 2011 when, along with my fellow nurses at Backus Hospital, we grew tired of not having a voice and thereby not being able to advocate for our patients, and after trying to get management to listen to us and failing, we formed a union.
I told them of the multiple captive audience meetings I survived.
Meetings in which a manager would pull me into a small room, close the door and then stand in front of it, and tell me that my “union” activities were harming my patients and my coworkers and that I should back down from the effort.
I told them that these meetings were so traumatizing that I would debrief with my organizer (thank you Ole) after the meetings, much as I would after caring for a child in the ER who didn’t survive.
I told them how at one point, two managers cornered me in a 10 foot by 10 foot storage room and berated me for my efforts.
One committee member stated that this sounds much like the size of a prison cell (6 ft X 10 ft) and how it must have felt like I was in a cell at the moment.
Another member said she considers herself a strong person who can stand up to anyone and that my story sounded intimidating even to her.
The chair, whom I have known for some time, said he never thought of me as someone who would back down from intimidation.
While I appreciate that statement, the truth is I am quite sensitive.
I told him this, and that it takes a lot to make me overcome my sensitivity, but not having a voice to advocate for my patients and fearing that some of the younger nurses might be vulnerable to intimidation, allowed me to have the courage to stand up and gain a voice.
Workers should not need to overcome management coercion or intimidation to come together and form a union and gain a voice.
My experience has made me stronger, but it was not easy.
I pray that any work I do makes it easy for others.
Seems like I’ve been doing a lot of that recently.
This time it was before the Judiciary Committee in favor of a bill on Captive Audience Meetings.
I told the committee of my experience in 2011 when, along with my fellow nurses at Backus Hospital, we grew tired of not having a voice and thereby not being able to advocate for our patients, and after trying to get management to listen to us and failing, we formed a union.
I told them of the multiple captive audience meetings I survived.
Meetings in which a manager would pull me into a small room, close the door and then stand in front of it, and tell me that my “union” activities were harming my patients and my coworkers and that I should back down from the effort.
I told them that these meetings were so traumatizing that I would debrief with my organizer (thank you Ole) after the meetings, much as I would after caring for a child in the ER who didn’t survive.
I told them how at one point, two managers cornered me in a 10 foot by 10 foot storage room and berated me for my efforts.
One committee member stated that this sounds much like the size of a prison cell (6 ft X 10 ft) and how it must have felt like I was in a cell at the moment.
Another member said she considers herself a strong person who can stand up to anyone and that my story sounded intimidating even to her.
The chair, whom I have known for some time, said he never thought of me as someone who would back down from intimidation.
While I appreciate that statement, the truth is I am quite sensitive.
I told him this, and that it takes a lot to make me overcome my sensitivity, but not having a voice to advocate for my patients and fearing that some of the younger nurses might be vulnerable to intimidation, allowed me to have the courage to stand up and gain a voice.
Workers should not need to overcome management coercion or intimidation to come together and form a union and gain a voice.
My experience has made me stronger, but it was not easy.
I pray that any work I do makes it easy for others.
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