MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, SEPTEMBER 2018
We hear a lot of talk about the Others these days. In politics, they are the other party unworthy of our consideration and respect. In sports, they are the other teams that do not deserve to share the same league. In film, they are portrayed as a pair of maintenance workers who defy a government agent and assist in the rescue of a sea creature. In the labor movement, they are the members of labor unions. We are the Others.
There is no place in the labor movement for divisiveness, and we must constantly be on guard for those who attempt to divide us. As we look around this room, we see members of several bargaining units. We all have responsibilities towards each other and must not fall into the trap of considering each other simply as the other bargaining units. This also holds true within our organizations, where many are led to believe that some are less worthy. Once again, they are the Others who some mistakenly believe do not deserve the same protections as the rest of us.
It is with these expectations that our adversaries have placed us under attack. Most recently, they have attempted to divide us by disguising the right to membership in a labor union with free speech. Make no mistake about it. Our work conditions are all the result of endless years of collective bargaining agreements, as are our benefits, salaries, health, safety, class sizes, seniority…. The list goes on.
The fact that our membership remains at 100 percent is a clear indication that despite our trivial differences, we all recognize the importance of preserving what has taken nearly a century and a half to accomplish. This is not something that intelligent workers are willing to give up on so easily. What took many years to gain could be lost in a moment of time. We know this, and quite frankly, it insults our collective intelligence for anyone to suggest otherwise. We need only to look at what has become of the teaching profession in states like South Carolina and Wisconsin to see the horrors that await us if we do not remain vigilant.
Our relationship with District Administration and the Board of Education has never been better. Let us continue to build on that relationship from a position of strength. From such a position, all stakeholders will certainly benefit, particularly students, parents, and the Lindenhurst community. I have said it many times in the past. There is no better place to work as a member of the education community.
I wish you all a very happy and successful school year. Thank you for your continued support, and please do not fall into the trap that our adversaries have set for us. In the world of labor, there are no Others. There is only us.
Respectfully Submitted,
Michael Pastore