OEA, FCRTA, CEA, CEA-R, OEA, OEA-R, ORTA Central Office, OFT Central (Cols.): want to see us shut down?

From Molly Janczyk, February 29, 2008
Subject: Subject: My Opinion:

I have racked my brain as to WHY the organizations will assist OEA's candidate Tim Myers by doing nothing in the STRS ACTIVE BOARD ELECTION: One thing became clear in my mind:

OEA, FCRTA, CEA, CEA-R, OEA, OEA-R, ORTA Central Office, OFT Central (Cols.), apparently have decided it is better to return to the former quiet and 100% cohesion voting pattern than to go another term with independent thinkers who may raise an issue, promote change, make a wave, etc. It has been an uncomfortable time having to hear dissent on issues and they can no longer tolerate such debate. It matters not if it is productive; it is just plain uneasy for them to endure questions, opinions, research and standing for change until old ways are reviewed and freshened for current times.

CORE and its leaders have disturbed the status quo, forced the removal of the former OEA choice for Exec. Direc. and STRS Board members who formed a block approval for policies at STRS. ORTA Central, OEA and OEA-R did nothing about the misuse of membership funds by the OEA Board members and Exec Direc Dyer. We stepped up and rocked their world bringing media attention to their lack of action and this cannot be tolerated.

ALL the changes at STRS have been due to CORE and its leaders, Leone and Lazares. Policy changes regarding travel, annual checks for sick and vacation leave, bonuses and merit raises for anyone at STRS who simply did their job, severe reduction and elimination of subsidies paid for Staff cafeteria, fitness and childcare on site: all paid by membership. Ethics policy now in place and the passage of SB 133 to deny any Board member who overspends to be removed from the Board and never to allow those who overspent to return. ALL this should have been done by STRS, ORTA, OEA whose STRS Board members were found guilty of ethics violations while the organizations sat silently and watched. Silence often equals complicity.
There seems to be a meeting of the minds of all organizations to do all possible to shut us down. The decision ensures OEA's Tim Myers will get elected and build back to a majority of OEA STRS Board members and there is nothing we can do about it.
In my mind, this began with the 'coup' we were drawn into bringing CEA member Tai Hayden to the board. Tai sits on the OEA Exec. Comm. but we were strongly told Tai held no love for OEA and it was to keep Tim Myers of OEA from being elected. Now, it seems in hindsight all knew Tim would not be appointed and it was a coup to get Tai on the Board by appointment and then run OEA Myers because OEA has the power and money to put Myers' name out to those who do not know him giving him a better chance of being elected than appointed. Tim did not win an election within OEA a bit back with an OEA insider telling me 'Everyone knows how Tim is' (paraphrased) speaking a bit disparagingly of him. Now that same person feels Tim is best for the job. Of course! No matter OEA runs, the loyal guards promote. Tim has called us names and been disrespectful at meetings. No matter, he is the candidate and will be elected. It was a grand plan and by all appearances, we were duped -- plain and simple.
Now, we have an election for an Active representative to sit on the STRS Board. Every educator will know Tim's name with most receiving information straight to their mailboxes and to their homes with "Ohio Schools" Magazine displaying full page ads for Tim. OEA and their local building reps will talk up Tim and then gather their staff together for voting parties in one room, probably gather the ballots and hand deliver or mail by bunches. Many educators will not know Dr. Dan Vincent even is a candidate until they receive their ballot and seen their is another candidate. They will vote as they were told. Slam dunk.

In America, public elections for public seat representation is supposed to allow both candidates to be heard. We, of course, have ONLY ourselves to try to reach educators. NOW, ORTA comes out with a statement that it is inappropriate for their leadership to appear to endorse and distribute flyers for Vincent. They do 'allow' individuals to help circulate flyers. Shocking to me, is that some of that 'leadership' will allow ORTA to dictate their acts.

NO ONE has asked for endorsement. We only ask that persons help allow educators information flyers on the OTHER candidate so educators can make up their own minds rather than have this dictator style election occur. One 'leader' told me he would only do so if he had info on both candidates. What a laugh! OEA's candidate has every advantage getting into school mailboxes and homes along with building reps promoting him. CORE Candidate Dr. Dan Vincent enjoys no such privilege and the ONLY way he has of being heard is through membership: educators! And, yet there are educators refusing to help or doing so minimally.

To those wonderful and fair minded RTA officers and members, THANK YOU! We love you and your willingness to simply be fair! We appreciate your hard work and your thanks for change and better policies for your futures and for the futures of young actives. I have learned about you over the years and thoroughly enjoy meeting and adding new contacts each year. YOU are the backbone of ORTA and with you change will occur. You are independent in your thinking and believe in American elections where all parties have a right to be heard by their voters. We only disagree with some 'leadership' outdated policy and want to continually remind all the county membership how much we are ever welcomed and helped locally.

IT IS NEVER YOU, the locals, with whom we disagree! You are the heart and soul of STRS and ORTA. WE fight for you and some of you know this as you have directed questions and concerns to us which we have sent straight to the correct person and remained involved until an answer was given. Leone and Lazares are the only Board members who preface all decisions with :" How will this look to and affect retirees with small pensions who can not afford meds, etc."

We only want to be an alternative to membership to help when others do not. We attend monthly STRS Board meetings for you and give another perspective that you will not hear from OEA and ORTA Central. We let you know how Board members vote and think. We give you additional information to broaden your base to make your own decisions. THAT is WHY we formed and WHAT we continue to do for you.

THANK YOU, RTA MEMEMBERSHIP FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING AND ALLOWING ALL CANDIDATES TO BE HEARD IN THE 2008 STRS ACTIVE BOARD ELECTION ! NO ONE can dictate your acts and there are no consequences except your own conscience and doing the right thing!
All who refuse to allow info of BOTH candidates to be heard in an American school are complicit in the election of OEA's Tim Myers. I have been foolish to think that ORTA Central Cols. and its extreme loyalist, CEA, OFT Central would NEVER disallow voters to learn about both candidates. I am stunned and beyond dismayed. This is an OEA driven and dictated election and that is what all the organizations seemingly want. To keep one candidate from being heard is so beyond anything I can imagine that any citizen would do, that I cannot wrap my head around this kind of one sided thinking.

ORTA attends our meetings, offers nothing and only responds when we are helping them. Otherwise we get ignored and there is no reason to believe that ORTA Central will ever hear us because they have written their directive and would never retract. Not possible. Union and ORTA Mantra: NEVER EVER ADMIT ERROR! I encouraged open meetings and now reject them. THEY would never allow us to attend their meetings and I do not know why they come except to see what we are doing. They are not nor ever will be anything but their own organization with their own mentality. I hope CORE meetings will once again be closed to all who do not WORK FOR and EMBRACE CORE PRINCIPLES. That is ANYONE who fits this premise and all others have their own places to be. If one is not working for us, it seems they work against us. I hate to say that and detest that statement.

ORTA Central has determined this is ok and rights their conscience with printing a statement from both candidates as if that is in any way equal treatment: ORTA Quarterly goes to RETIREES which helps actives, NOT! ORTA Central and top leaders are determined followers and will obey. Those 'leaders' will not distribute flyers to actives and simply state this is a candidate in the 2008 Active STRS Board election for you to research and consider to make an informed decision on candidates for voting.

They rationalize and justify this and there will be no changing their minds. ORTA Central, CEA, OFT Central , CEA-R, OEA-R, FCRTA and ORTA top leadership will ensure this win for Tim Myers. That's it folks. We are problematic; don't fit the mold and need to be discarded. Give you congrats cause it is going to happen. OEA IS going to control the Board again.
Molly Janczyk
STRS Retiree
CORE
ORTA LIFETIME
OEA LIFETIME
CEA LIFETIME