Thank you for the invitation to the event, but I will not attend. NBEA will not participate in any event sponsored or co-sponsored by the United Interfaith Action Group.
The UIA political group is affiliated with the New Bedford Education Roundtable, an anti-union/anti-teacher 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.
We have asked the UIA to separate itself from that organization on many occasions, and they have refused. We have asked them to publicly denounce the negative statements made against our union, and they have ignored our requests.
The latest attack against us is in the form of an Innovation School proposal. NBEA supports small schools and small classroom sizes but this has nothing to do with creating small schools. This proposal is about stripping teachers of their contractual rights while creating 6 charter-like schools in New Bedford. They know NBEA is against this proposal but UIA is pushing it through anyway. UIA does not work with the New Bedford Educators Association. They work against us and sadly, they do this even if it means using children as spokesmen to promote their cause.
In closing, NBEA encourages those who support unions and teachers not to attend any event sponsored or co-sponsored by the UIA or the Education Roundtable. An attack against one union is an attack against all unions.
We are one.
Respectfully,
Lou St. John
President, New Bedford Educators Association
From: Jose A. Soler
Sent: Tuesday, March 6, 2012 1:02 PM
Subject: Conmemoration of 5th anniversary of Michael Bianco Raid
Please attend the following event. We need to let people know what the over 300 people detained went through and what over 120 in proceedings (mostly women with young children are still going through. For them the raid is not over yet.
¡Let My People Go!
Exodus 8:20
Commemoration of the 5th anniversary
Of the 2007 ICE raid
On the Michael Bianco factory
Fri. March 9 5:30-9:30 pm
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
233 County Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
(between Fair and Thompson Streets)
· Interfaith service
· Procession
· Vigil and cultural program
Sponsors:
CEDC, Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores (CCT), Fundación Romero, UE Northeast Region, the Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center, United Interfaith Action of Southeastern Massachusetts (UIA), Jobs with Justice Justice at Work, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Casa El Salvador, MIRA Coalition, Immigrant’s Assistance Center
José A. Soler, Director
UMass Dartmouth
Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center
285 Old Westport Rd
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
19 comments:
This is a terrific letter. I am proud of you Lou. You are fighting hard for us. Keep up the good work!
I feel sad that, in this day and age, I too have to anonymously support you, Lou. Your service has been wonderful! You're doing a great job!!
This event deserves support- it focuses on very vulnerable families in their hour of need.
Illegal immigrants break the law. I do feel compassion for those impacted by the raid but at the same time I believe our laws must be followed. Attending the commemoration would have sent a mixed message.
I agree with the last poster. I would never support people that deliberately broke the law. They took the risk and met with the unfortunate circumstances of getting caught and deported. There are consequences to breaking the law. My parents were immigrants and they came to this country before the laws changed in 1965, making the process far easier. It was extremely difficult and they still did it legally. Illegal immigrants cost taxpayers an estimated 100 billion dollars a year and they subvert the law and country they claim to want so much to be a part of. If they love this country so much then they'd want to be a proud contributing citizen like the rest of us.
If we know they are lying about teachers, why do you accept right wing lies about immigration? Despite the talk radio fantasy facts, illegal immigrants are a net economic gain to the US economy. In addition, despite family fairy tales, there is a far harder, not far easier pathway to legal status today. If you are not currently engaged in immigration or do not know someone who is, you have about as much legal awareness as you do economic savvy. Time to turn off the radio and read, methinks. Screw the UIA and screw Fox News fantasizers too.
Can someone name one politician that has stood up to the bully that is The United Interfaith Action?
Thank you Louis St. Jon for representing our union. We are dedicated to the children we serve. It is discouraging to listen and read the negative comments about teachers. We need to support and family involvement to reach our children.
Why are these groups commemorating those that were breaking the law? Maybe I don't fully understand the issue but I think somethings wrong with this picture.
My parents and I came here legally. I love this country and I respect it's laws.
Why hasn't Mayor issue taken a position on this issue. He seemed to have an opinion on everything before the election. Maybe he can't find Neil or Mike to tell him what to say.
Mitch. FFP soon to be FMofNB.
Amen Lou! Well said.
Lou, Thanks for having our backs. Heard you on WBSM with Ken Pitman yesterday. You held your own and did a great job. I'm sick of these righteous, think they have a clue of what goes on in our classrooms people. They are the know it alls deciding how they're going to change our schools. Lets invite them to come into our classrooms to take over for a week, hand them all the teaching, testing, disciplining, putting up with disruptive kids not on their meds, no parental support, or back up from central administration or principals while the teachers observe how the job is to be done. I give them 1 day until the anxiety sets in and they need to meet at the country club at 2:45 P.M. for a drink. After 2 days they'll need anti-anxiety meds to make it through the 3rd day. Everybody is an expert, but no one volunteers to demonstrate how they would get the job done.
No one really knows how much they cost or don't cost because they are ILLEGAL!!! Nothing is reported! They do not all pay taxes and they don't exactly go filling out the census. The bottom line is it is against the LAW. I don't care how hard it is to get citizenship. It's hard to get rich in this country too; that doesn't mean I'm going to start cooking and selling crystal meth.
It's always easier when you don't follow the rules. The right thing and the easy thing are very rarely the same thing. And that's exactly the type of climate we've engendered in our society but most especially in this city. It's sad that breaking the law has become so excusable and justified for so many.
It's always easier when you don't know the facts.
The only fact I need to know is that what they did was illegal and they got caught. Get over it.
I support the law enforcement personnel that did their job.
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