1) Ask yourself, "Who does the District want to win?" They are worried for the first time that there will be someone to challenge them. Ms. Porche says you have to have a "working relationship" with the District. But the relationship of compliance is only working for the District, not us. Peg Myers has a pretty good "working relationship" with the District, and Ms. Porche, who has never objected to her actions, seems just as close to the District, sending them my confidential documents with the message: "Here you go! Jennefer." I have scanned and attached this email exchange. I am saddened that such an individual would even be allowed to run for office. CTA knows of these violations and is not reacting.
2) When the contract is violated, the remedy is right in the contract: ARBITRATION (going to a neutral arbitrator to make our case). Ms. Porche sends out her "campaign manager" Ron Marcus to say that I want to file a legal suit against the District that will take years. Mr. Marcus does not know the difference between a civil suit, which can be lengthy and expensive, and arbitration, which takes a few months and relatively little expense. This represents the legal expertise of the current administration. So instead Ms. Porche wants you to organize yourself, site by site, to solve your own problems. Overworked teachers are generally not going to do this, and the District is free to ignore this response. Ms. Porche sees herself as a leader of organizing when she still has not been able to fill more than 5 of the 8 governing board seats.
3) Look at what Ms. Porche lists as her major accomplishments: a) building a website (which was actually created by friend and VP Sharon Quinn); b) "Cultivated relationships inside and outside CVE that produced positive results." Well if the results are so positive, why not list them? This is babble speak.; c) "Implemented an effective, dependable grievance process to ensure enforcement of our contract." Do you think the contract is enforced? Not one issue has been brought to arbitration. Do you believe that you are being required to work overtime? Of course you are. So what is being enforced?
4) The other side has misrepresented that I want teachers to work to contract hours. I never said that. That does not work because teachers are committed to their students. I said that I will pursue a grievance to make sure that overtime work is voluntary and in the control of those generous teachers, and not fulfilling mandatory requirements of the District. I also said that I will force the District to pay for overtime work that they have required. This is the most basic function of a union, and it is lost on Ms. Porche.
5) Some still believe that I illegally used the District email system. The District never had a policy preventing me from using their system for union communication. This is why I have never received so much as a letter of reprimand from them. I proved that at the PERB administrative hearing on May 21, 2013 (an action that I brought against them, not them against me) when Escobedo was forced to admit it under penalty of perjury. I will win this action this Fall. Ms. Porch testified at this hearing on behalf of the district. She said it was not customary practice for the union to use the District email system because of "confidentiality." A couple of days earlier she had secretly turned over my confidential documents to Superintendent Escobedo. Wow!
6) Some say I am too aggressive. In truth, I do not enjoy conflict. But you go to any competent attorney and describe the work being required to implement common core and the hours that we are supposed to be working in our contract, and ask them if we have a case. She or he will say, "What are you waiting for?"
Ms. Porche says I cannot effect change alone. I have a lot of supporters helping me. But the truth is all that she accomplished in a year (make a website, visit schools with cookies, babble speak about positive results) I could do alone in a few weeks while at the same time defending your contract rights. But I do need you now. I need your vote to get started. I would be humbled by your support and work every day to earn the confidence that you have put in me. Thank you for your support,
Manuel Yvellez
Let Teachers Teach
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