Advocating for Our Students' Future

In a world where attacks against public education are on the rise, we all must work together to continue to protect our students and schools against outside forces who bring in agendas that hurt all of our students, schools, and educators. As a passionate advocate for public education and unions, I have dedicated my career to ensuring that the voices of union members are heard and respected. My commitment to the future of our schools and students is not just a career; it is a mission that resonates deeply with the challenges faced by all stakeholders today.

The Importance of Union Advocacy

Unions play a critical role in protecting workers' rights and ensuring fair treatment in the workplace. They provide a collective voice for employees, enabling them to negotiate better wages, benefits, and working conditions. However, the importance of union advocacy extends beyond mere negotiations. It encompasses the fight for social justice, equality, and the protection of fundamental human rights.

Why Unions Matter

• Collective Bargaining: Unions empower workers to negotiate as a group, leading to better outcomes than individual negotiations.

• Job Security: Union contracts often include provisions that protect workers from arbitrary dismissal and ensure fair treatment.

• Advocacy for Rights: Unions advocate for policies that benefit all workers, including healthcare, retirement benefits, and workplace safety.

  
  

I understand these principles deeply. My work emphasizes the need for unions to adapt to the changing workforce while remaining steadfast in my commitment to workers' rights.

A Champion for Change

I have spent years advocating for the rights of workers, particularly in industries that have historically faced challenges. My union journey started years ago as a Teamster while employed at Fedco but it wasn't until I joined the Steelworkers union as a Kaiser Permanente employee that I saw the benefits of my union membership. My union representative fought hard for me against an unfair write up and taught me how to navigate a union contract and speak up for myself. I was influenced by mentors who believed in the power of collective action and I became determined to make a difference. As a CTA member and active union champion in my local union, I never shy away from educating myself and others about changing language and never back down from helping my colleagues defend themselves from injustices. As an ABC Committee member, I have continued my advocating for locals in District M who work hard to change up their unjust and anti-inclusive school boards through helping them gain grant money to power up their school board election campaigns of positive and endorsed allies of public education and of all students.

Key Achievements

• Legislative Advocacy: I have played a pivotal role in advocating for legislation that promotes public education issues through the CTA Grassroots Lobbying Program.

• Community Engagement: As a PAC chair in my local, I worked tirelessly with the committee to engage communities in discussions about labor rights, ensuring that workers understand their rights and the importance of union membership. I also worked to help rebuild the Labor Coalition that had dissolved years before our committee reached out to Fire, Police, and Public employees to re-establish the group. While on PAC, I held several voter registration drives for our members as well as worked with our CTA Political Organizer at that time to educate each Trustee Area about who their Board Member was. We created a Halloween safety tip postcard and on the other side had a picture of their board member and what schools their area covered.

  
  
  
  

Conclusion

I am a passionate and experienced advocate for the future of our union and our schools. I have a fierce dedication to workers' rights and I strive for a more inclusive and adaptive labor movement that hope inspires many. As we look to the future, it is clear that the fight for public education is far from over. By supporting me and helping me to continue to work on behalf of the ABC Committee and CTA members, you can help shape a brighter future for our students and public schools.

The journey ahead may be challenging, but by re-electing me to the ABC Committee, District M, we can continue to work together to defeat of the outside forces working to take down our public schools through the funding that may be needed to strengthen your campaign, through showing up to board meetings to support our students, and whatever it else it takes. Now is the time to stand together, support one another, and advocate for a future where every voice is heard and valued.

*The views and opinions are those of the candidates and not necessarily those of CTA/NEA