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CSEA CONNECTION
by Nidal Kobaissi, CSEA president |
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No Representation Without Participation The title is pretty self-explanatory. We need every member to participate in every possible way. When we have positions that need to be filled on committees, we need to participate. Although every governance committee is filled, more needs to be done. Last December I campaigned for change. The change was not only in our leadership, but also in our union’s image as a whole. Recently I sent out several e-mails, which ended up being appeals to the membership to participate by representing the classified staff on twelve instructional program review teams. Let’s face it, everyone is busy and the classified are understaffed, but we need to do whatever it takes to prove that we are indeed partners in this community and willing to do our part. Your executive board, negotiations team and job stewards have been working hard to ensure that the membership is adequately represented. They are all volunteering their time to conduct our organization’s business. In order to continue providing this level of service, we need to have the support and participation of every member. Please make every effort to participate, even as little as an hour a month. I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but these things need to be said. We are in the process of negotiating our openers and have had a very successful year resolving grievances and slowly increasing member participation. Next year will prove to be even more challenging. We will continue to work hard reshaping the image of the classified and moving our cause forward. In particular, I will focus on the custodial shortages. With your help I know that things will only continue to get better. We can never forget the struggles we endured during the fiscal crisis. We are not out of the woods yet and need to continue to be vigilant in our efforts to keep the classified staff a strong partner in our educational community. The holidays are here and soon we will have a few days off to enjoy feasting and family gatherings. I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday and enjoy your well-deserved break. I look forward to seeing you all again next year. & |
