April

ADVOCATING

APRIL 2018 CEA ADVISOR 9

CEA, LABOR LEADERS, LEGISLATORS TAKE A STAND AGAINST JANUS Oral arguments heard in a case aimed at weakening unions

“Stand up. Rise up. Lift up.” That was the rallying cry of more than 350 union members on the steps of the Connecticut Supreme Court in Hartford on February 26, as the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments in the case of Janus vs. AFSCME , a lawsuit aimed at weakening unions. CEA leaders were joined by labor leaders and legislators in speaking out to protect workers’ rights to collectively negotiate for decent, equitable pay, affordable healthcare, quality schools, and vibrant communities. Rallies were held simultaneously in three other Connecticut locations: New Haven, Stamford, and Storrs. “ Janus is an attack on all working people, on our teachers, on our children, on our students, on our caregivers, and on skilled labor,” said CEA President Sheila Cohen. “There would be no middle class without the unions, and make no mistake about it, the Janus case is not only an attack on unions, it is an attack on the middle class. When we are attacked, we stand together and fight back.” “We are here as union members to make things better,” said AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier. “It’s up to us Each year, when Connecticut’s General Assembly convenes, Susan Heller Williams is at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford closely monitoring bills that affect public school teachers. As a legislative coordinator with CEA’s Government Relations team, Williams works year-round researching and reviewing legislative initiatives, reaching out to CEA members to develop a legislative agenda that works for teachers, and building relationships with Connecticut lawmakers so that they can better understand the view from the classroom. “My job is to lobby for legislation that improves working conditions for teachers, and I work to beat back proposals that could undermine the profession and the classroom environment,” she says. “That means gathering information from teachers, especially those who serve on CEA’s Legislative Commission, and identifying their issues—from standardized testing to student assault and teacher retirement. We lay the groundwork for what we’re going to ask legislators to pass or reject, and we stay in touch with them on these issues all throughout the legislative session.”

street at the State Capitol and all across Connecticut understand that we will not sit idly by while corporate America tries to beat us down.” House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz and Representatives Matt Ritter, Mike D’Agostino, and Matt Lesser told the crowd to keep up the fight. “Everywhere we turn, our values are under attack,” said Aresimowicz. “Now, more than ever, we need to stand together.” He quoted his colleague Rep. Matt Ritter, who said on the House floor,

visible, and be seen. Be here all the way to November, and together we will work on lifting everyone up, not bringing everyone down.” “ Janus is a battle in a much larger war,” said D’Agostino, who held up a bill he said Republicans introduced to reduce the cost of labor in Connecticut. He said the bill is funded by those who support the Janus case with the goal of making Connecticut the next Wisconsin. (In Wisconsin, teacher contracts were replaced with highly restrictive policy handbooks. For a powerful video explaining what happened in Wisconsin, visit cea.org/issues/ news/2017/aug/02/voices-of- wcea.cfm .) “Keep up the fight,” said D’Agostino. “Organize, organize, organize, and get out and vote in November. This is a battle in a larger war we can—and must—win.” A decision in Janus vs. AFSCME is expected later this spring. Sign up at blogcea.org for updates. For Torrington Building Rep, Union Involvement Creates Closer Ties at School Teachers know what it means to have a full plate. But despite her busy schedule, Torrington art teacher Sarah Mobley has carved out extra time to serve as a building rep in her local. “The union is our voice,” she explains. “Together we are stronger and can do more to get the change we want in our schools. That is a power that union membership provides, and it’s important to be a part of it.” The Southwest Elementary School teacher is in her first year as a building rep. “I found out that my local didn’t have any building reps who teach the arts, so I thought: Well, I’ll step up and take that position,” she explains. “With everything we have to do day to day, it’s easy to develop tunnel vision. But getting involved with the union, I find I feel closer with the teachers in my building and can be a conduit for those who may not be as involved. I enjoy being able to help them and keep them informed.” Mobley says the value of union membership is clear in a number of concrete ways, including the fact that class sizes are smaller than in non-union states. “It’s easier and cheaper to have larger class sizes, but we know it doesn’t work. As teachers, we live that reality every day. Our union is where we can say ‘No, we need to have a cap.’ There needs to be a reason beyond economics why you would put five or 10 additional students in the classroom.”

“Collective bargaining is a part of the fabric of the state of Connecticut, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Collective bargaining lifts people up.” He encouraged teachers and other union members to “be heard, stand up, be loud, be

CEA President Sheila Cohen joined labor leaders from across the state and legislators at a rally in Hartford as the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Janus vs. AFSCME .

now, so we are taking this fight to the streets in Hartford, Stamford, New Haven, and UConn today to make sure the people across the

Susan Heller Williams, Legislative Coordinator

Often, Williams says, CEA

collaborates with other groups to jointly advocate for legislation that multiple stakeholders and whole communities see as beneficial—proposed bills, for example, that protect pensions, health insurance, student safety and privacy, or collective bargaining.

Since joining CEA in 2008, Williams says one of her proudest moments was the successful removal of state mastery exam scores from teacher evaluations. “This victory happened at the State Board of Education, but it was the culmination of coordinated introduced, and we had members meeting with their own legislators back home in their towns. The State Board of Education saw our power as a union. They knew we would win this fight.” Before coming to CEA, Williams served for more than 25 years as an organizer and lobbyist for the American Federation of Teachers. efforts everywhere. We had members speaking at public hearings, we had legislation

The legislative session this year runs through May 9, and the closer it gets to the end of the session, the longer the days for Williams and her colleagues, with meetings and public hearings often stretching into the wee hours. “I couldn’t work somewhere if I didn’t believe in the organization’s goals,” she says. “Teachers make the world a better place, and I’m committed to fighting for their rights and the rights of their students.” Williams comes from a family rooted in social justice and community organizing. “My parents were very involved in the civil rights movement, and my father organized major events in Boston and Washington, D.C.,” she recalls. “When I was 14, I helped organize my first action—a march in Hartford to eradicate hunger.”