After the election: comments from Molly

From Molly Janczyk, May 12, 2008
Subject: The STRS Election: Local union letters

Congratulations to Tim Myers on being elected to the STRS Board.

I wish to comment on a items being circulated by Whitehall and most likely, I think, other local unions. I feel certain regardless of what is said, that Bill L. was the scribe or suggestor of items in a sample letter to the local school districts suggesting they send such letters to actives.

One ex. was Whitehall School District letter. I feel sure that similar letters went out in many if not most or all of the OEA schools. That is fine. We knew OEA had the money and power to completely overwhelm any efforts on our behalf. We expected all out efforts to reach actives. Unfortunately, we expected untruths as well and we got that.

1. CORE has NEVER fought against the 35 yr. rule. I have had that conversation with Bill L., McGreevy and other OEA officials on line and in person. I put out a very comprehensive letter to them and membership that BOTH retirees and actives benefited from HB 190 and precisely HOW each group benefited. I stated that NO ONE wants to take away benefits from one group over another. I HAVE fought to ensure this stand explaining it to any retirees who questioned this issue. The issue has been raised in discussion and this was always the result with NO EFFORT EVER FROM CORE TO FIGHT AGAINST THE 35 yr. rule.

Bill knows this. I continue to be saddened at the lack of integrity in the use of scare tactics so unneeded in what was going to be a landslide without lies (my opinion).

2. Another mistruth: CORE IS NOT against OEA but against OEA officials who have misled membership and who did not take steps to correct the problems with the former convicted OEA STRS Board members. CORE formed when OEA did not step up to provide oversight of the misspending which is verified and for which all the former OEA Board members were convicted of ethics violations.

That is NOT unfounded and hardly irrational. What is irrational is OEA not taking a stand in this cleaning house of its offending STRS Board members.

3. Misleading: CORE knows that OEA stated in the early 90s that legislation for a stream of revenue for health care was unnecessary. Joe Endry, former ORTA president went to the STRS Board back then and informed OEA of this need. OEA and STRS Exec. Direc. Herb Dyer, (OEA's choice for Exec. Direc.) did not feel it necessary. Dyer stated he wanted OUT OF THE HEALTH CARE BUSINESS! No long term planning was done to preserve health care and NOW OEA is working for HB 315, as is CORE, following CORE's efforts to clean up the Board and pursue CORE's number one goal: health care in retirement.

4. Naïve: It is naïve for anyone to think that there is no influence by organizations on STRS Board members. As attending membership clearly sees, the policies and mentalities are evidenced at every meeting. Similar organizational Board members tend to vote the same way, as happened with the former convicted STRS Board members who voted to approve every misspending item 100% of the time. An organization can and does infiltrate thinking and independence is not always evident though it is supposedly required. Block votes are very obvious by the same persons month after month very often.

We attend the meetings. We wish to help actives have health care in retirement. We wish for independent STRS Board members who listen to no organization but only adhere to the Ohio Revised Code to act solely on behalf of membership.

We want everyone to work for the same standard and nothing less. We want the leaders of organizations to stand tall with complete transparency and integrity. Where was OEA leadership in 2003 when all the information came out regarding their OEA STRS Board members who enjoyed $600 hotel rooms in Hawaii and Alaska, paying bar bills and flying from Ohio to NY for $1000? Where were they when STRS Board members awarded your money (interest on contributions) to huge bonuses, to pay for staff childcare, cars, credit cards, lunchroom, fitness center, and so much more. Unfounded? Irrational?

Had it not been for CORE, Leone and Lazares, those former OEA STRS Board members would still be enjoying the ride on your dime.

It remains a travesty that actives are not informed and take the word of organizations over their own research. We did the research and every item was found verifiable. Read the investigative reporters' articles on this issue. Plain Dealer: 6/08/03; 6/12/03 and more; Canton Repository: many articles. Leone and reporter Paul Kostyu of the Canton Repository won journalist awards for their STRS research. Cols. Dispatch, ONN, Cinci Ch. TV, Cols. TV, Dennis Shreefer -- radio talk show, Akron Beacon Journal, etc., etc.

Are they ALL irrational and unfounded?

No one could write the letters from the local(s) who is either not bending or misleading the facts, or who had bothered to actually find the truth.

This is not because Tim won as we knew he would do by a landslide as predicted by us. It is because we cannot seem to see any raising of the bar or complete integrity in doing so.

Molly Janczyk
OEA/NEA Lifetime
CEA Lifetime
ORTA Lifetime
CORE
STRS Retiree