Sunday, May 8, 2011

To the United Interfaith Action Group: NBEA Will Not Support Anti-Teacher/Anti-Union Organizations

May 8, 2011


Jack Livramento
United Interfaith Action

Sr. Marianna Sylvester
United Interfaith Action

Daniel Lesser
Staff Organizer for UIA


This is to inform you that The New Bedford Educators Association has received your email dated May 4, 2011 requesting President Lou St. John’s presence at two upcoming UIA sponsored events.

Please accept this letter as notification that Mr. St. John will not be attending these events because the UIA is part of the Education Roundtable, an anti-teacher/anti-union group, which has organized to use public opinion to pressure the Superintendent, Mayor, and the School Committee to strip New Bedford educators of many of our contractual rights.

This Roundtable has made numerous negative statements about our teachers and school system, and the UIA continues to support those statements by partnering with them. Since the UIA is a member of an organization whose sole intent is to destroy the teacher contract and break the New Bedford Educators Association, we cannot participate in any events which you sponsor. We will not work with any organization that attacks teachers and we will encourage our members to do the same.

We hope that the UIA will re-think its position, cease its affiliation with the Roundtable and publicly denounce all the negative statements made against our teachers, New Bedford Public Schools, and the New Bedford Educators Association.

Sincerely,


New Bedford Educators Board of Directors




cc: NBEA Members
Union Supporters

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here Here. I agree indeed. When the UIA or any other organization is ready to face reality and admit what truly ails this district are and stand beside teachers to support them and the students and parents that are as committed to that education, which teachers strive so ardently to provide, then and only then will we be ready to sit down and discuss what needs to be done. We don't need to waste our time and be manipulated and deceived for the purpose's of certain individuals own political aggrandizement.

Anonymous said...

Well done Board of Directors and Lou. The UIA needs to be much more careful on their selection of "friends". If you want to associate with the Roundtable Maniacs then you all can pound sand together and leave us alone. But DON'T ask us to listen to you at orientation or participate in any events you sponsor. You will see how small your world becomes when you sell out thousands of hard working people in order to attempt to appease a half dozen wild-eyed self-proclaimed "experts".

The Watch Dog said...

Some in the UIA claim to be pro-teacher. To me, it appears they are using some union members in the group. The actions of the UIA say otherwise. Their leaders now must take a stand. The Board has done a great job! "In Lou We Trust."

Anonymous said...

How does Jack Livramento fit into the round table?

Anonymous said...

Jack Livramento is the leader of the UIA political group and he fully supports the roundtable and their beliefs. He's being quiet on this because he's running for school committee and does want to appear to be antiunion and antiteacher before the election.

Tom M said...

The uia is using naive and misinformed nbea members within their ranks to confuse teachers to support uia initiatives. These misguided folks are harming every teacher in New Bedford.

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, if Lavimento gets on the sc, teachers will be in for a rough ride. Sister will be running show from the church.

Anonymous said...

There's a reason why our founding fathers wanted separation between the church and state.

Anonymous said...

According to The Rev. James A. Blair of Fall River, the UIA is more interested in left-wing politics than faith.

http://www.heraldnews.com/opinions/letters_to_the_editor/x675825614/LETTER-UIA-more-interested-in-left-wing-politics-than-faith

parent and teacher said...

There is NO ROOM for any type of Interfaith anything intervening in a secular system. The constitution says so.


....Beware of false profits...

Concerned Public School Employee said...

First of all, lets look into this "inter-faith" group. Seems to me all the "inter faiths" are christian based. I don't see any Muslim, Pagan, Buddhist, or Hindu members. Second, I'd like to see them be more transparent if they are going to get involved in education. I agree with the separation of church and state comments! Come together as a group of individuals that want change not as a religious organization.