WTU Board Meeting Gets Cancelled Again !

"That nothing is ever solved, or created, by standing still. Movement is the process of the Universe. So move. Do something. Anything. But do not stand still. Do not remain"on the horns of a dilemma." Do not fence sit. Put your foot down on one side or the other, swing the opposite leg over and start walking. You'll know before you take ten steps if you're going in the right direction. Not to decide is to decide. Try to not make choices by default." Neale Donald Walsch

The WTU Executive Board meeting has been cancelled today by WTU President Mr. Parker. This is the third board meeting which has been canceled by our union president without input from WTU Executive Board members. I have posted a copy of the email that I sent to Mr. Parker, Mr. Bordenave, AFT National Representative and all members of the WTU Executive Board and Board of Trustees about my concerns about cancelling our meetings.

October 23, 2008

Dear Mr. Parker (Copied to WTU Executive Board members/Board of Trustees)

I am writing to express my concern that the WTU Board meeting has been canceled again at your sole direction without input from WTU Executive Board members. This is the 3rd Executive Board meeting that has been cancelled by you this year. I am also concerned that we have not yet held a WTU Representative Assembly meeting in either September or October. By continuing to cancel regularly scheduled business meetings signals to our union members that the business of the Washington Teachers' Union is unimportant. Too often, your plans to reschedule meetings never come to fruition.

I would like to suggest that our WTU Executive Board members rather than wait for your direction- in a show of leadership reschedule the WTU Executive Board meeting next week . Given that Attorney Lee Jackson was suppose to present at Thursday's WTU Board meeting, arrangements should be made to have him attend the rescheduled board meeting to discuss the WTU next steps as it relates to our pending tentative agreement.

Our members are quite concerned that we still do not have any more information about the status of our tentative agreement. Certainly our complicity with this type of inaction suggests that our WTU Executive Board members are part of the problem versus actively involved in developing solutions. I await to hear from my WTU Executive Board members who have been elected to represent us as union members.

As an advocate for teachers and providers- I intend to make our union members aware of this ongoing lack of action. Thanks for your attention and I await the prompt response of the WTU Executive Board as well as our AFT National Representative, Mr. Bordenave. I remain

Sincerely,

Candi Peterson
WTU Board of Trustee member/WTU Building Representative (Posted by The Washington Teacher).