Blake: Work Priorities

RA delegation elections will be cast online this year by members of the Kentucky Education Association.

Striking teachers in Hayward, California have taken their fight to the internet. Jesse Russell reports.

In what is becoming an increasing trend with organized labor, teachers with the Hayward Education Association who have been on strike for eight days have taken their fight to the internet. The group has been posting videos on the video file sharing website YouTube and emailing them out to friends and supporters. One video called “The Truth” has been viewed nearly 4600 times. Another video allows a teacher to speak her mind without the filter of the media:
[YouTube teacher]: Hayward school teachers are looking for a fair contract and we need one immediately so we can get back in the school room and give our students of Hayward a quality education. Not only do we need a fair contract, we also need respect and Dr. Vigil is not showing us respect. When he disrespects the profession of teaching, he disrespects the community and devaluing the students. Dr. Vigil and the Board of Education please get back to the table and resolve this immediately.
The teachers are seeking a 16 percent raise over two years in current contract negotiations.

We did some interviews of various association members and staff to use for the "Strong Affiliates" conference opener.

Each runs about 2-4 minutes and there are seven videos. In total, I reviewed and edited 4.5 hours of footage for this event.

Each was asked the following questions:

1. How has being involved in the association impacted you in your work and personally?
2. How does your association make a difference in the lives of public school children, members and your life?
3. What are you doing within your association to help create change for our children and familis in our schools as well as for other members and yourself?

Some very interesting answers that I think inform our work. Please share with other unit folks that you think might benefit from these videos...

View videos here:

• UniServ Staffer
• UniServ Staffer
• Elementary School Teacher
• ESP
• 5th-Grade Teacher
• 1st-Grade Teacher
• UniServ Staffer