Chicago Teachers Union election shows UPC and CORE will be in runoff... Complete count will not be done until Monday May 24
At 8:42 a.m. on Saturday, May 22, 2010, officials of the Chicago Teachers Union announced the final count of ballots that were marked for the slates in the May 21 CTU election. The election results, while not complete, indicate that there will be a runoff between the two slates with the highest number of votes, the United Progressive Caucus (UPC) led by incumbent CTU president Marilyn Stewart, and the Caucus Of Rank and file Educators (CORE), led by King High School Chemistry teacher Karen Lewis.
CORE presidential candidate Karen Lewis and her slate challenging incumbent Chicago Teachers Union President Marilyn Stewart won a decisive number of votes in the union's May 21 election, guaranteeing a runoff on June 11, 2010, between CORE and Stewart's caucus, the United Progressive Caucus (UPC). Above, Lewis spoke to teachers at Chicago's Curie High School on April 27 at a debate among the candidates. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.The results of all the ballots counted were as follows:
PACT..... 3,144 votes
ProActive Chicago Teachers and school employees, whose presidential candidate was former CTU president Deborah Lynch.
SEA..... 1,127 votes
School Employee Alliance Caucus, whose presidential candidate was Ted Hajiharis.
UPC..... 6,283 votes (32.26 percent of slate votes)
United Progressive Caucus, whose presidential candidate is Marilyn Stewart.
CSDU..... 1,273 votes
Caucus for a Strong Democratic Union, whose presidential candidate was Linda Porter.
CORE..... 5970 votes (30.65 percent of slate votes)
Caucus Of Rank and file Educators, whose presidential candidate is Karen Lewis.
Under CTU election rules if no candidate wins a majority of the votes, a runoff election must be held. The runoff is scheduled for June 11.
The total number of votes cast for the "slates" of candidates was 17,797. Officials announced that the total number of ballots counted as of the morning of May 22, 2010, was 19,477. The difference is ballots where voters split their ballots between candidates from different caucuses.
The American Arbitration Association (AAA) handed the election under contract from the Chicago Teachers Union and did the vote counting at their offices at 225 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago.
The final official tallies of all votes will not be known until May 24. The reason is that 34 school ballot boxes were not picked up and delivered to the AAA during the May 21 - 22 election count. Officials assume that a problem with the couriers who were supposed to pick up the ballot boxes from those schools resulted in the large number of schools for which no ballot box had come in at the time of the May 21 vote count. As a result, the canvassing committee voted that the count would continue on May 24 following the pick up of ballot boxes from the schools that were not accounted for.
The schools whose ballot boxes were not at the AAA on the night of May 21- 22 are: Attucks; Austin Polytechnic; Big Picture; Canty: Carter; Clay; Coles; Cockrell; Dever; Dett; Dirksen; Global Vision; Grimes; Grisholm; Henson; Hampton; Henry; IDOC Healy; Johnson; Kellman; Las Casas; New Sullivan; Penn; Revere; Ross; Stock; Taylor; J.N. Thorp; Tonti; VOISE; Warren.
After learning of the large number of ballot boxes that were not at the count, the canvassing committee voted to ask the AAA to return to those schools and pick up the boxes that people assumed had been left in the schools because of delays in the pickups that were noted in several places in the city.
[Full disclosure: George N. Schmidt is a CTU retiree delegate and served as a CORE observer at the AAA for the vote count on May 21 - 22, 2010.
Comments:
By: Wilfredo Santana-Pinto
CTU Union Delegate -Von Steuben High School
Thanks to George Schmidt and Substance (I got to read practically an entire issue) for making the long wait at AAA that much more bearable. I enjoyed talking to you and sharing our experiences in trying to get this union into a position of strength once more. Now that a runoff is apparently inevitable, we will all have to close ranks behind Karen Lewis and CORE if we're to take back our union from opportunists, both established and would-be, who only pose as leaders.
By: bob
the Vote
The Vote
Congratulations to CORE. Even though I was a PACT man you can now count on my support.
Thank you George for being the only education reporter in this town.
By: Theresa D. Daniels
Thanks to George Schmidt and Substance News for the Latest Election News
George, it's good that we can always count on you to work hard and unfailingly for all the right things.
My husband and I owe you our eternal gratitude for the light you have always shone on the entire complexity of being a teacher in Chicago, as well as the layers of the whole larger global picture.
By: Patti McNally,
Kinzie Teacher/Delegate
Kinzie's ballot box was not picked up by 3:00 p.m. We are an early start school. I called AAA and was told to have a someone from school drive it to 2260 S. Grove St. Thank you, Mike Roche for delivering our ballot box!
Congratulations to Core! Let the fun begin!
By: Allen
Allen
Congratulations Karen and your CORE team. I know how hard you worked. Take some comfort in knowing that over 11,000 members feel as you do; they want UPC out. However, I am sure you know that you must work twice as hard now because that group (UPC) does not know what integrity means.
By: Sharon Schmidt
Why they liked CORE at Steinmetz
This is what many of my colleagues noted about CORE:
The visible, newsworthy action and organizing
The intelligence and commitment of the people
The website
The newsletters
The poster
The t-shirt
(They would have liked Howard and Jesse, too, if more had stuck around last week after school).
The best comment I heard from a friend at work was about the depth of the group: "CORE is more than just one presidential candidate."
The protest on Tuesday should be fun. It's CORE's day.
By: Patricia Breckenridge
Poetic Justice
God's hand touches you and He embraces you at the most miraculous times. Congratulations CORE!
George Schmidt thanks for all you do.
By: Tina B
Congratulations George
for telling us, [ditto on , the only education reporter in town]and for watching, and everything,
Congratulations CORE and yes, let's close ranks and take back this damn union! It's about time!! (Past time, actually.)
By: John Whitfield
More Poetic Justice (reaping what we sow)
When I sow and nourish a good thought, I reap a good action.
When I sow and nourish a good action, I reap good habits.
When I sow and nourish good habits, I reap good conduct.
When I sow and nourish good conduct, I reap good meaning.
When I sow and nourish a good meaning, I reap a good attitude.
When I sow and nourish a good attitude, I reap a life made up of good decision making
when I sow and nourish a life made up of good decision making, I live within my character.
When I live within my character, I can refrain from living, expressing only emotions,
and become the owner of my destiny.
When I am in charge of my destiny, my life belongs to me.
(the above poem was translated into English by my ESL students, written by my brother in law, Miguel Cuaqdra, Nicaraguense)
cuando siembro y cultivo un pensamiento bueno, cosecho una accio`n buena.
cuando siembro y cultivo una accio`n buena cosecho un ha`bito bueno.
cuando siembro y cultivo un a ha`bito bueno,cosecho una definicio`n buena.
cuando siembro y cultivo una conducta buena, cosecho una defincio`n buena.
cuando siembro y cultivo una definicio`n buena,cosecho una actitud buena.
cuando siembro y cultivo una actitud buena,cosecho un vivir en deciones buenas.
cuando siempbro y cultivo un vivir en decisiones buenas, vivo en mi cara`cter.
cuando vivo en mi cara`cter dejo de vivir en mis emociones, y soy dueño de mi destino.
cuando soy dueño de mi destino, mi vida le pertenece a Dios.
By: Margaret Wilson
Retired teacher/parent
George, I too want to thank you for all your hard work. Without people like you, most of us would be in the dark concerning everything that is going on.
Congrats, CORE for being the lead group in taking back the Union. Hopefully, all of us will unite now.
By: JOSE M.
CONGRATULATIONS
CONGRATULATIONS TO CORE ON FINISHING SECOND.
IN THE NEXT ROUND YOU'LL NEED TO GET THE VOTES OF THE CAUCUSES YOU MISREPRESENTED IN THE FIRST ROUND.
OUTREACH IS IN YOUR HANDS NOW. DON'T GET COCKY, YOU NEED EVERYONE WHO VOTED AGAINST UPC TO VOTE FOR YOU. YOU HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO WIN AND EVEN MORE IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL..
By: Patti McNally
Kinzie Teacher/Delegate
Again, Congratulations to CORE!!!
Also, I want to thank PACT, CSDU, and SEA for all your time and effort to bring UNITY back to the CTU. Now is the time for all to unite and show what UNION is all about.
By: kugler
Meeting Notice - Monday, May 24th
MEETING NOTICE
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to the cause. We garnered enough votes to take us to runoff, just falling 1.9 points behind the incumbents. Taking in account all of the other opposition groups, 2/3 of CTU voters said NO MORE business as usual.
Please help us win again on June 11th.
Join is for a Meeting and Celebration.
Open to all those who support CORE in the June 11th Runoff Election
Monday, May 24th 2010 4:00-6:00 PM
Letter Carriers Hall
3850 South Wabash
Food will be provided.
We will be raising funds, so please bring your checkbook.
We all need to work together to take back our union.
Send this notice out to your email lists and post on your websites.
In Solidarity,
John Kugler
kuglerjohn@comcast.net
By: xian from CORE
Collaboration
Jose: I'm not sure what misrepresentations you are referring to. I think we all tried our best to win, but with the exception of UPC ran very clean campaigns. If you felt that there was some inappropriate contact during that effort, I'm sorry to hear that.
But you are absolutely right--in order for the union to survive, we must all come together at this point. I don't think anyone is gloating--I haven't seen any--there is merely the momentary happiness of a good result on years of effort. As you say, the work continues and will continue long past June 12.
Let's keep it respectful as we are all part of the same struggle :)
By: Michael E. Brunson
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
I cannot adequately express the depth of heartfelt gratitude I have for everyone that worked so hard to bring CORE this far.
I thank every CTU member that voted for CORE and feel a deep obligation to meet your most positive expectations.
I thank George for being there where everyone needed him the most at the most opportune time.
And I am once again awed by whatever it is (name it as you may) that holds this wonderful Cosmos together and keeps us all from tumbling into chaos and insignificance.
Michael E. Brunson
CORE Candidate for Recording Secretary
By: Sam
Support CORE
I was helping PACT for this election. It is now time to think of what is good for us. Stewart and her support of Huberman politics, or a strong union that will fight against turnaround schools and for our rights?
I am throwing my support to CORE and I congratulate them on their hard work. Good work and let's retire Stewart and her minions!
By: Burma Green
City Wide Substitute Teacher
Congratulations to everybody. You are the new leaders that will make a difference in the union for the City of Chicago, Thank you Karen and Jackson and your team for the vision of the new way.
Every now and then new leaders come forth you are that the dream team that's making a change.
Burma Green
By: Joe from CORE
Thank You
Thanks to everybody for their support. I joined CORE only in October because I could no longer stand on the sidelines and I had to do something to take back this union. I was overjoyed last night to see over 2/3 of the Union felt the same way. I am sure that there will be a lot of mudslinging in the weeks to come. Some of it will be UPC hacks trying to stir up trouble. Other people will simply be fearful that change is coming and change is scary. However, when I see the strength of so many people at so many schools saying enough is enough, I feel beyond confident that we are moving in the right direction. Let's make the May 25th rally the beginning of a new era for the Chicago Teacher's Union and the Chicago Public Schools--Not one caucus, but all of them going out there and making our voices heard four our jobs, our dignity, and the children of Chicago.
By: MacDuff's Ghost
The 'River Wards' and 34 ballot boxes?
Is it just me, or do others want to know where those missing 34 ballot boxes are? This sounds like an Afghanistan style election. Who has been keeping those boxes since Friday? Have they been opened?
This is Chicago! Remember Nixon versus Kennedy in 1960? Close elections can be "won" or "lost" when the "river wards" some in late. Is it only a coincidence that the headquarters of Chicago's teach union is on the Chicago River.
Is anybody going to ask serious questions about this "problem" or is this whole discussion in La La Land?
By: chgotchr
river wards
The election is being overseen by a neutral organization. The missing ballot boxes seem to belong to smaller schools that won't change the overall outcome. I know that in Chicago one should be aware of the problems that exist during elections, but if there was a serious problem, I think that George would have sniffed it out by now. The end result will be the same. Even if the ballot boxes are stuffed, they can't be stuffed with more ballots than the number of teachers at the school.
By: George N. Schmidt
Ballot boxes and problems
I don't know the exact number of ballot boxes that came through AAA Friday, but it was probably a little under 600. I'll get that count tomorrow. What I was doing as the boxes came in (at one point, about 250 in one 15-minute period) was to go through them, counting all of them, then look to see if there were a bunch of them that were all brand new and in the same load. (That would have indicated that boxes had been inserted into the pile, or substituted for legitimate boxes). I didn't announce that or make a big deal out of it; just did it.
Nothing. All night.
So that trick wasn't being played, at least for the boxes that were counted on Friday night, May 21, and Saturday morning, May 22.
It's true that AAA is a neutral third party. They even imported their workers from different cities for the different rooms; the ones who opened the ballot boxes, for example, were from Philadelphia. At the same time, AAA Chicago has gotten a great deal of very lucrative work from the CTU since Deborah Lynch's administration began using them in 2003. And the people they've worked for since 2004 have been UPC.
While it may not have been illegal for the AAA Chicago leader to spend too much time with one of the UPC leaders Friday night, let's just say there was a little less neutrality than might be thought, at least on an individual level. One of the puzzling things about the night was that the UPC leader seemed to be getting information long before the rest of us did, and by dawn I was beginning to suspect a stall to see if the remaining three of us (all credentialed by CORE) would go home. As everyone knows, I sign on for such duties to be there, sleepless for as long as it takes, until the final numbers are officially announced. That was also true for the other two non UPC people not on the canvassing committee (Lou Pyster was there as a committee member, and I'm sure also as PACT; everyone else went home earlier).
As of now, we have no reason to think that those 34 (or so) missing ballot boxes are out there somewhere as a result of anything other than an honest mistake. Which is what AAA has said, as well as CTU.
However, when they come in, we'll be spending more time in the room where the boxes are opened than I did Friday night. And I will examine each sign in sheet for round tabling, which has happened before.
I think everything will work out fine. But I was part of the union staff team that set up the first routes for these pickups back in 2003, and at the time I noted that they needed more pickup people than they had, because the routing was unrealistic. (During previous lives, I was a cab drive, and I know both the city map and the map of CPS schools by heart in my head). You can't, for example, get from Austin, to Flower, to Marshall, to "Best Practices," to Whitney Young, stopping at each school to make a pickup, in two hours or less. Even if traffic is perfect.
So back in 2003, we got AAA to expand the number of people doing pickups, just to be on the same side. I don't know whether that number was cut back to the old computer assisted routings for this iteration of the election, because I don't have access to the routing information. Given how CTU is always talking about how expensive everything is (except all the pay and perks going to Marilyn Stewart, it seems), it's quite possible that they tried for force the driver doing the Hegewisch through South Shore route to do the impossible.
And that would explain why Clay, Taylor, New Sullivan, J.N. Thorp, Global Visions, Las Casas, and Warren are still out there somewhere. (You could illustrate a geography lesson plan for kids with that routing by the way; fun, isn't it; but don't think a GPS is going to make sense out of the time lines, since they vary by the hour in the course of a Chicago day)...
That's just one example.
The guy who oversees this year's election is the same AAA guy we met with back in 2003 when I was helping set up a sane pick up system. But I don't know whether someone saved a few hundred bucks by cutting back the number of drivers out there Friday. All we know is that that route from the East Side up into South Shore didn't get to AAA Friday night.
We'll see what happens from this point on.
Trust your "neutral" third parties, but always count the change. Switzerland learned that a long time ago. It makes for healthier relationships.
By: chgotchr
thank you George
Thank you for the clear eyed explanation and watchfullness. UPC has learned well from Crook County how run an election in their favor. You and others are the firewall between actual democracy and tyranny in the union dressed up as democracy.
By: Norm
Editor, EdNotesOnline
We are heartened here in NYC over the results. It gives people pretty down over our election a few weeks ago that there is a future.
By: Claudia L. Pesenti
Teacher/Librarian
Thanks for substance, SUBSTANCE!
By: Sharon Schmidt
Can't wait for more of the story
Good, informative article, George.
I can't wait for your update about the 20 hours you spent with the CTU Rules and Election and Canvassing Committee and the UPC count watchers.
We missed you last night. Thanks for being there with the other vote watchers to make sure it was an honest count.