SOLIDARITY FOREVER: Debate looms on May 8, while 'Salvation' caucus making school visits, pushing a mendacious disinformation campaign
As the final three weeks of the Chicago Teachers Union election campaign began, members of what a growing number of CTU members are calling the "Salvation" caucus are going around to schools, trying to sell a version of the union's history that, while bearing little relation to reality, reveals a great deal of how far the remnants of the United Progressive Caucus (UPC) and the ProActive Chicago Teachers (PACT) caucus will go to get votes. The election is on May 17 in all schools, with a small number of the union's members voting by mail ballot.
A debate between the candidates is scheduled for the May 8, 2013 meeting of the union's House of Delegates.
Former CTU financial secretary Mark Ochoa (above left) leafletted the April House of Delegates meeting while covering up his new "Coalition to Save Our Union" shirt as his running mate, Tanya Saunders-Wolffe tried to avoid the Substance camera in the background. On May 8 at the May House of Delegates meeting, there will be debates between the candidates for president and vice president, with Saunders-Wolffe facing off against incumbent presidnt Karen Lewis and Ochoa versus incumbent vice president Jesse Sharkey. Unlike 2010, when CTU members had five candidates (and caucuses) to choose from in the May election, 2013 presents a clean two-way choice. Substance photo by Sharon Schmidt.Since the candidates were able to pick up nominating petitions in February 2013, Tanya Saunders Wolffe and her "Coalition to Save Our Union" have been receiving over support from the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune published a "news" story on the Salvation caucus's slate on February 20, 2013 on its front page, and on April 26 Saunders-Wolffe got a third of the Tribune's Perspective page for an attack on Karen Lewis and CORE.
