leadership + unity

[peter george]

I posted this message on the members first website but I thought everyone would like to comment. The unity team for the next election has been announced. GISBORNE REPPER _ BYRNE. Talk about a rose between two thorns. Even if we give Repper a 9 out of 10 that leaves an average of three each.

This team represents everything that has been wrong with our union over the past ten years. They represent clandestinity.They are dictatorial. They are heavily politicised.They follow self -interest.They fail any test of accountability. They have no shown no interest in being proactive for their members in leading the educational debate. Rather they are a reactive group.

I implore everyone to use their vote to elect whichever team goes up against unity. Their credo of leadership and unity is in fact an antithesis of the practices they follow.

[Gail Reed]

The campaign to elect MF will be costly. All MF supporters are asked to make a one off $50 donation to fuel this campaign. Log on to Membersfirst and hit the donation button. This matter is imperative, Unity are not cash strapped. Let us level the playing field. On Thursday I will be making my donation.  

[Secondary Teacher]

I agree Gail.  I have already donated, and I urge all Union members who are dissatisfied with Unity, to donate  to Members First's  Campaign - MF need our monetary support.  Check out the MF Forum, and click on DONATE and follow the prompts.

[GDM]

Sorry for the spanner, but why do MF need a lot of money? If they work through this and other sites and have a grass roots campaign this should be enough. This whole union thing is becoming too political (not as in Lib and Lab) .
Why should union members have to put extra money into their union?
Just a thought.
Cheers
Graeme

[maxiMIM]

Graeme,

I guess we would like to support MF financially because they will need to be doing a lot of campaigning to get over the apathy of keeping in the last leader just because they don't know the new kids on the block.

I am happy to support an MF advertising campaign, and provide a bit of petrol money so they can get re-imbursed for some of the travel they will need to do to get to a lot of schools, or afternoon coffee gatherings...

MF, although on a ticket, are a group of teachers who want to do the RIGHT thing by MEMBERS, hence their name.  Many have felt the current leadership has been lacking in that department!  Members voted MF into ordinary Exec positions in order to keep the leadership honest.  

But, from what I have been lead to understand, they have been thwarted in nearly everything they try to do.  (Even when decisions are carried, I've been told the response to enact them is EXTRAordinarily slow!  Remember, MF are not in the office everyday to ensure things happen as they are meant to!  Plus the person who controls the office is the Gen Sec, and control it he does!!!!!!!  Nothing will get past him if he doesn't want it to!!!)  This is what Marko was alluding to in his posts on PLATO.  He, like a lot of the MF team, were astounded at the shenannigans resorted to, to thwart properly carried motions.  Plus, the president has a swag of "rules" she can call on that nobody else knows - as I witnessed in one session that I observed - that can put the spanner into the works.  (I'll concede that maybe just our ignorance in such matters.)

And then there is the recent decision to go to Narrogin in support of the teachers suffering there.  It was a "Yes" vote to go.  But then suddenly there is a back step on the original decision - someone has received "advice".  It might "inflame" the situation!  Maybe some got cold feet?  Maybe NSHS doesn't deserve to be supported??  (I would like to say more here, but perhaps this is not the proper forum - a lot more has been said on the UNION forum, so if you are a member, go check it out!)  Anyway the meeting gets switched back to Perth.  MF still sent representatives to Narrogin to keep to their promise to support the NSHS members.  (Not all could go as they made sure there would be enough members to be present at the meeting, and some live too far away.)  

I am very unhappy the way NSHS have been treated, as well as the EH2.  Members need to ask themselves whether we have seen a leadership that speaks up for members who have been wronged.  

We deserve to have a leader who is passionate for the welfare of teachers, a properly resourced public education system and about listening to and acting on behalf of teachers.  

And I know who that person is!!!!

[Michelle Westlake]

"And I know who that person is!!!!"

Hear, hear, Maxi!

[Gail Reed]

Graeme, this is how I see it. Feel free to disagree. We the grass rooots union activists,  among other things, need to put money in the MF coffers. In doing so we keep this group accountable to us. A leadership that has no active base in the membership is irrelevant. If those on the ticket pay for the campaign themselves then they may feel no obligation to the members they represent. MF need to run a advertising campaign, posters,newpaper ads all paid for not by themselves but by their, if I may be so archaic,  "rank and file" supporters. This will give them strength.