Tue Sep 2, 2008 at 12:40 PMBy: RegEd Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Was at Santorini last week - Had the grilled octopus and the skordalia (potato garlic spread) YUMMY! Marilyn will probably just start yelling "You're out of Order". I'm sure today's meeting will be a big tijme practice session. Dallas and Debbie are through, but I have to agree with those egos and they'll take the rest of the union with them. Hope we have one in 2010 after Marilyn and Co. runs through all our dough

Tue Sep 2, 2008 at 2:15 PMBy: Marricat Let The CTU Infighting Continue! To Rodentface
Thank you very much for the clarification but I have heard something else from more than one delegate. If she just wants to stick to the constitution, I don't have a problem with it because the constitution gives the House a right to overrule any action taken by the Executive Council and my opinion based upon experience with a number of organization is that they should only have acted in an emergency (this was not an emergency). Otherwise a course of action should have been recommended to the House of Delegates.

Tue Sep 2, 2008 at 3:20 PMBy: rodentface Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Marricat,

Re: ...a course of action should have been recommended to the House of Delegates.

The Executive Board followed Article XIV of the Constitution to a T. And Article XIV specifically gives the Executive Board the power to hold trials and remove members. Now, the Executive Board is also subject to the direction of the House and is directly responsible to the House, but neither of those things necessarily requires prior approval for the Executive Board's actions. I don't believe there is any doubt on this matter constitutionally. The question that I think will play out is What does it mean for the Executive Board to be subject to the direction of the House and directly responsible to the House? There is definitely room for interpretation there. My guess is it will all be sorted out in the courts at a cost of at least middle six figures to the Union.

Tue Sep 2, 2008 at 3:31 PMBy: rodentface to 3:25 Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Of course - I agree. It will cost the members; the Union is its members, not its leadership. I think, though, that many members have forgotten this crucial fact in every case except when it comes to the dues they cough up each month.

All this will change, and for the better, when rank and file members become active enough in their Union to do something about it. In a member driven Union, the issues we would be discussing concerning Union operations would be much different than the issues we are discussing today.

Tue Sep 2, 2008 at 5:37 PMBy: Retired Principal Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Will any visitors be allowed at the House of Delegate meeting?

Tue Sep 2, 2008 at 7:36 PMBy: To:Retired Principal Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Check csdu.org vs. the ctu website. I no longer depend on finding any useful info. on the ctu website. I'm sure once someone at csdu gets any information they will post it. You can also find delegates information in case it was emailed to them. I have yet to receive any information about the agenda. If and when someone does I am sure it will be posted on here. This is just another attempt for Marilyn to try and keep everyone in the dark. This time it won't work.

Tue Sep 2, 2008 at 8:20 PMBy: Agenda??? Schmagenda??? Let The CTU Infighting Continue! What a waste of trees, ink and carbo footprints. The same old bulls*** budget, more of the politicians who take our money and stab us in the back time and time again. I can't wait until 2010 and these mopes hit the highway. Save your money my friends - Say no to Con-Con and now they start a campaign???? If the people who want our pensions have their way, con-con is a no-brainer. I just hope I can retire in 3 years.

Tue Sep 2, 2008 at 10:16 PMBy: Key News on CSDU.org Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Check out the Delegates Package. Check out MS costly ($14,400+) "message"/justification to Members. Be sure to look at the budget in the delegates package. Any math & accounting teachers out there? And there's plenty more to read and question...like the dues increase to $912 this year. And much, much more!!!

Time to get active members!!! Check it out: www.csdu.org.

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 8:32 AMBy: Union Information Let The CTU Infighting Continue! September 3, 2008 Agenda

Letter to members explaining illegal removal of vice president

and hiring of financial operations manger. Do not we have an elected Treasurer to do this?

More spending.

Dues have increased this year to over $900 for the first time in history of the union.

DUES 08-09 are now $912 when did we vote to increase the dues? This was an illegal pass through they should only be $12 what was last years dues and subtract. If it is over $12 the mebership needs to vote on the increase.

Stewart Excuses

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 9:16 AMBy: To: Prediction Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Let me guess...the glass is always 1/2 empty? You just accept what is (and blog) as opposed to getting active and working for change. Your delegate (who gets paid for being a delegate), never shows up to the monthly meeting, posts information and is never confronted by the school(s) he/she represents. What are you waiting for? A fairy godmother to wave her magic wand?

Get active. There are coalitions who are developing strategies to uphold the Constitution and start REALLY protecting CTU members rights. Check out www.csdu.org today.

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 9:39 AMBy: To: Ruth Outrageous Legal Fees I also understand that there is another lawsuit against Stewart and the CTU ready to be filed. Poltrock may be the big winner now, but he better put it in the bank. By 2010 the current administration will be gone and he with them. .

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 12:08 PMBy: To: Marricat Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Take a look at the Delegates Package and financial statement (3 pages) if you want to see budget manipulation of spending.

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 1:24 PMBy: Update Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Dallas is allowed to be at the House Meeting tonight.

the attorneys for CTU will be sanctioned at a later date for lying to Judge that they would not lock Mr. Dallas out of his office or exclude him from his elected duties.

Good work UPC.

Violate the CTU Constitution.

Violate the Trust of the Courts.

Violate the Trust of the membership.

House of Delegates id the supreme body of the union.

“I move that the House of Delegates reinstate the vice president’s membership, under Article 2, Sec. IX of the By-Laws which states: the House of Delegates....may act upon pertinent matters brought before it in due order by any of its members. “If I have a second I’ll speak to it,” and then go on........

You are out of Order!

I object to the ruling of the chair.


At that time immediately there has to be a vote by the HoD to consider the motion irregardless of what the Chair says.
Then it needs to be voted on by the HoD to allow the presentation of the motion.

Bring your cameras and video records to document the illegal activity of Stewart and her UPC.

LP heard your were purple today!

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 2:50 PMBy: To:Prediction Let The CTU Infighting Continue! You gave up to serve members,Nick.You never did.M.S.was not voted in by members.She was voted in because..you know how.
By the way M.S.earned the gold medal as a WORST INVENTION of the 20th Century.

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 4:08 PMBy: The Truth Sets Everyone Free Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Finally!!!! A judge sets things straight! This is what we needed vs. a bunch of people or person pretending to play judge. Looks like it will be downhill for M.S. and her crew! I feel sorry for those sheep who hid behind her vs. standing up and doing what was right. Cheers!!!!! Now lets see those receipts from M.S. and have a "real" audit done.

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 5:04 PMBy: Amazing Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Really this is incrediable. The AFT needs to put our union into recievership regardless of what happens tonight. We need intervention and a new election. If this keeps up the AFT will lose one of its largest locals.

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 9:26 PMBy: prediction Let The CTU Infighting Continue! How did it go?


Was I right?

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 10:51 PMBy: To:Let's get it straight Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Would you pls be more specific?First ,your grammar is little disturbing,Nick.
Secondly,on Spt 11 judge will decide not you.
You guys testified falsely in the court so do not be surprised that judge will not trust you.How about the ARDC,Larry?

Wed Sep 3, 2008 at 11:17 PMBy: prediction Let The CTU Infighting Continue! So I was right.


Nothing Happened

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 12:03 AMBy: prediction Let The CTU Infighting Continue! AFT won't do anything. They will ramrod whatever they want down your throats.

You'll take it and like it.

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 1:48 AMBy: prediction Let The CTU Infighting Continue! So, I was right?

Nothing happened?

Good for you. I hope things work out.

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 6:24 AMBy: rodentface Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Gaining control of the voting procedures was the first step of many.

That's exactly right. The resolution on voting that was adopted at the House meeting will serve as a foundation for delegates in fighting for what they think is right. When so many have lost faith in the vote counting process, something is terribly, horribly wrong. Accurate and -verifiable- vote counting is the first step towards restoring democracy in the House and in the Union as a whole. In the case of the House of Delegates, all issues begin and end with procedure and process, regardless of support or opposition to the topic of debate. Now that contentious votes may be accurately, and transparently compiled, the rest of the procedures and processes in the House that interfere with the ability of the House to conduct its business in a democratic fashion must be addressed.

The order of the agenda, while the President's prerogative, is incompatible to a legitimate democratic process and to the proper functioning of the deliberative body that is the House. Likewise, the failure to utilize Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, (as called for by the Constitution) contributes to chaos and acrimony.

Yes - step by step, inch by inch - on the -issues-. It has only just begun. There is more to come.

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 7:03 AMBy: description? Let The CTU Infighting Continue! anyone want to take a shot at describing the meeting, step by step?
it'd be a great service for those of us who weren't there to have a clear sense of what happened.

-- alexander

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 9:02 AMBy: Marricat Let The CTU Infighting Continue! To: Predictions

You were right and wrong at the same time. I believe something would have happened if Ted had not been reinstated at least temporarily by the courts. It also sounds like something did happen, a voting reform resolution was passed over Marilyn's objection. That wouldn't have happened in the past. I would like to see a copy of the resolution.

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 9:12 AMBy: George N. Schmidt Let The CTU Infighting Continue! One other thought on the CTU House of Delegates meetings...

Every meeting of the House of Delegates since I first became a delegate (Tilden, 1978) has been recorded by a stenographic court reporters.

Those records should be published monthly on the Chicago Teachers Union Website, but most people don't even know they exist.

The monthly publication -- by the CTU -- of the stenographic transcript of each House meeting would certainly give every union member and idea of what was going on during House meetings. Given the fact that this school year teacher members of CTU will be paying $900 in union dues, there is no reason why CTU can't perform this service to its members.

The transcript will be at the CTU office in a few days.

People should ask why it is not at www.ctunet.com.

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 10:39 AMBy: Marricat Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Alexander

I agree with George. No one should be permitted to publish something on this site that would be grounds for a libel suit. A newspaper would not publish these statements and it would be better if you didn't either. I have had comments kicked out just because I chose the wrong word, how are these getting in?

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 11:17 AMBy: Ruth Confusing the Delegates It was so great to see how many delegates showed up for the meeting, especially since they must have all had tiring days in school. This shows that they are receiving and responding to the communications that the CDSU is sending to them. They were primed to support any pro-democratic motion that came to a vote. However, please don’t rule out the fact that others were not allowed to speak or bring motions from the microphones. They were continuously called out of order and the microphones turned off – all in direct conflict with Robert’s Rules. It’s well and good to have the veracity of the vote count established and another to be able to make sure the CTU Constitution on delegate rights are followed. The motion on the vote counting placated the delegates when they should have been assuring that they would be allowed to make motions. When the makers of the motions were called out of order, the entire House should have insisted that the chair be over-ruled. Instead the delegates did nothing because they thought they confusedly and incorrectly perceived that there was nothing left to be done.

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 3:32 PMBy: bernard Let The CTU Infighting Continue! I found the moment when the parliamentarian stated from the microphone approximately “we were the most ill behaved group he had worked with” to be tad out of line. He should recognize by now that the three+ incompetent & unethical officers have driven us to “the means justify the ends”. In other words until Stewart and her embarrassingly inept group creep away, we will continue to fight them. They will have a very difficult stealing another vote (but I know the UPC will keep trying).
The fact that our nearly useless $250.000 yearly paid President called on her highly paid strike breaker pal (Tracie Cobb Evans) to muddled through a numerously revised legislative recommendations list is an insult to every Union member.

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 8:52 PMBy: Karen Lewis Let The CTU Infighting Continue! I cannot agree more with rodentface. This is an issue that has been under attack since the first day I walked into the House. Retiree Delegate Gerald Adler, insisted that House of Delegates had the ultimate authority and was summarily ruled out of order by a succession of presidents starting with Tom Reece. The Constitution is clear, but most delegates either don't have a copy or have never thought it was important enough because of business as usual.

I was amazed at the dignity with which the delegate from Kelly introduced a new voting measure. While I was not suprised at the complaints about how convoluted the measure was, it seemed to be written in such a way as to be explicit so as to defy controversy. I did understand some of our colleagues frustration because as teachers, we know not everyone is an auditory learner, but from what I read, it is fairly simple. Ayes to one side, nays to the other and count off. 1 to whatever. How hard is that? But when those who wish to preserve the status quo claim that we have a perfectly good method now of vote-counting, unfortunately, it is simply not true. Those not aligned with any caucus have vociferously complained about a lack of credibility in recent counts. I for one believe President Stewart when she says she wants a fair and honest account. Let us all give her the opportunity to do so.

Thu Sep 4, 2008 at 10:47 PMBy: You Believe.... Let The CTU Infighting Continue! ..President Stewart wants fair and honest accounts?

Fri Sep 5, 2008 at 2:06 AMBy: George N. Schmidt Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Since Substance won't have our reports from September 3 in print until October 1 and on line November 10, I'm hoping that people from the House of Delegates will post their reports here as well as circulate them in the schools to their members. As more and more CPS teachers and others stop by here every day, the chances of that increase.

Alexander, every months there are more than a hundred often very interesting reports from the House of Delegates circulated, school-by-school, by Delegates. Most of these are now written on computers, and many are very funny. It's a massive "Roshamon" (spelling?) since everyone sees something slightly different.

There were more than 700 people seated at Plumbers Hall when the meeting was called to order Wednesday, one of the largest groups in history. A year of teacher bashing and the realization that Marilyn has been rigging the vote counts for more than a year (first exposed here and in Substance after the infamous August 31 no "No" vote fiasco on the contract) has energized people, not demoralized them.

I have a hunch that if you ask, people will send in their Delegate reports for the joy of careful readers here. In addition to devoting an enormous amount of time to serving as a delegate (retirees), our main reporter for Substance (Theresa Daniels) spends dozens of hours every month compiling her reports.

But, as I said, those reports are always on a month delay, and by today hundreds of schools have received reports from Wednesday by their Delegate.

The only place you won't find information worth reading about what happened Wednesday night is at www.ctunet.com -- the official CTU Website. A weekly visit to that joke is a must, so that everyone can see just how self serving and incompetent Marilyn's group really is.

While the rest of us -- here, in the schools, in the homes of parents, and elsewhere -- are slowly adapting to the information world of the 21st Century, Marilyn Stewart and her people are rushing headlong back into the 19th. A quick read of the Chicago Union Teacher combined with a quick visit to the Website is all it takes. And anyone who thinks that leadership of the AFT -- despite all of Randi's promises to Marilyn Stewart -- doesn't know how dumb what's left at the top of Chicago is is...

Have a nice Friday, shipmates.

Fri Sep 5, 2008 at 3:41 PMBy: Double agent (misspelling) Let The CTU Infighting Continue! zipper .....

Sat Sep 6, 2008 at 9:08 AMBy: To: Rufus Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Dallas' CTU membership was reinstated and allowed him to go to the House Meeting. MS and her swat team of legal beagles the members pay for must return to court Thurs. where they will be sanctioned by the judge for BLATANTLY LYING to the judge that they would not fire Dallas or remove his duties until the civil trial was decided. Obviously, Queen Bee is not only above the CTU Constitution, but the law/US Constitution as well. The sanction is very serious business and the Queen Bee turned purple when she heard about it. For more info go to www.csdu.org and get the TRUE facts on the "state of the union"! Unlike the CTU site, csdu.org is updated daily and with info the CTU doesn't want you to know. Spread the word!!!

Sat Sep 6, 2008 at 10:02 AMBy: Marricat Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Does that mean if the Civil Suit takes the whole school year that Ted will remain in office until then? I kind of doubt that Marilyn is going to give Ted any real duties so it will just be what he takes on his own.

Sat Sep 6, 2008 at 10:53 AMBy: Correction Sorry ...via email...

Sat Sep 6, 2008 at 4:15 PMBy: from Kelly H.S. Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Are you writing about H?Shame.

Sun Sep 7, 2008 at 4:53 AMBy: George N. Schmidt Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Whatever happened inside last Wednesday's House of Delegates meeting, one of the most interesting things happening outside was that CTU lawyer Lawrence Poltrock sat outside leaning against a car looking very sad, holding a folder that had "Marilyn Stewart" written on it.

Rumor is that Stewart will now throw Poltrock to the same wolves she tried to throw Dallas to. It would have been better if she had informed the House of Delegates how many billable quarters (quarter hours billed at around $100 per "quarter") she authorized paying Poltrock and his associates, but the delegates haven't gotten that information .... yet....

I will be interesting to see whether Poltrock is sanctioned by Judge Kinnard this coming Thursday. I'll be there to cover that story. Meanwhile, the fact of the record is that Poltrock represented his client (Stewart, as "CEO" of CTU) and told the judge in July that there would be no negative sanctions against Ted Dallas if and when the Executive Board rubber stamped Stewart's charges against Dallas.

Everyone here knows what happened since then.

The days after the Executive Board vote, Stewart had Dallas locked out of his office at CTU. He was cut off the payroll. His personal belongings were shipped from CTU to his home and dumped there. He was cut off from union membership. Etc.

So either Poltrock lied to the judge, or he was lied to by the "CEO" of his client. Either way, he has to face the judge this Thursday, and as it stands now, it sure looks like Ted Dallas has not been restored to the office of Vice President of the CTU. What happened last Wednesday didn't change a thing about the misrepresentation that CTU made in court.

And, by the way, the court is likely to have jurisdiction over the Dallas case, just as it had jurisdiction over my case (which ended after nearly four years in May 2008) and over the case involving June Davis, Audrey May, and Diana Sheffer. Here is how.

Ted Dallas was elected on May 18, 2007, to a three year term as Vice President of the CTU. He was not elected "Chief Operating Officer" under the "Chief Executive Officer" despite Marilyn's recent corporate fantasies. And he was elected to that office for a three-year term which ends in May 2010.

Now until the summer of 2008, that term of office was in effect a contract for employment between the union and the officer. The only ways that the contract ended was if the officer died (as Jacqueline Vaughn did in office in January 1994) or left office for some other office (as Robert M. Healey did in July 1984). In the long (75 year) history of the Chicago Teachers Union, no officer has ever been impeached, because there is no impeachment clause in the CTU Constitution, and no officer has ever been removed from office for misconduct because there is no such provision in the CTU Constitution.

By invoking the paragraph they did to "try" Ted Dallas at the Executive Board, the "CEO" and her dwindling cadre of cheerleaders invoked new powers that were never contemplated in the history of the union. The only people ever kicked out of CTU under that provision were strikebreakers. Even Stewart's Recording Secretary, Mary McGuire, has admitted this in her July 20, 2008 letter to the members of the Executive Board. In that letter, Mary McGuire told the E Board members that the invocation of that power was unprecedented:

"Article XVI has never been used in the history of the union to bring charges against an officer... It has, heretofore, only been used to take action against strikebreakers..." (Letter of Mary McGuire to all the members of the Executive Board, July 20, 2008).

If the members of the Chicago Teachers Union want the union to have a "Recall" provision in the CTU Constitution and By-Laws for elected officers, it is well within the powers of the members (or their Delegates) to ask for a referendum and to vote to place such powers into the Constitution. Those powers have not existed and do not exist -- certainly they are not the powers of the Executive Board or the "CEO."

There is a lot of expensively stupid stuff going on at the top of the CTU right now. Marilyn Stewart and her shrinking "team" have been more concerned about lining up for photo ops behind Mayor Daley and dutifully carrying out Mayor Daley's orders than with representing the union's members against the teacher bashing juggernauts that have been roiling the past year.

Marilyn Stewart did not appear at one hearing on the school changes in February 2008.

Marilyn Stewart did not demand that every one of those 19 proposals be rescinded by the Board of Education, but only asked -- at the last minute -- that the Board "postpone" its vote for 90 days. And she did that at a media event (February 25, 2008) where the main speaker (Dal Lawrence of Toledo Ohio) was a union guy talking about how the union was the best partner the boss could have for firing tenured teachers!

Marilyn Stewart went out of her way during the summer of 2008 to divide her own union to let it be conquered by Mayor Daley's corporate agenda, while she spent every opportunity over the summer (especially at the Democratic Convention in Denver) shoring up the mayor and betraying her own members.

And now that school has begun and the messes created by Mayor Daley's minions on the school board and the 5th floor at Clark St. are once again sabotaging hundreds of schools, Marilyn Stewart has devoted hundreds of thousands of dollars of union funds and thousands of hours of union staff work to ...

getting rid of the CTU Vice President illegally.

Marilyn Stewart was not at the August 23 Board of Education meeting, and there were already dozens of major things going wrong in the schools. The "union" leader who took on Arne Duncan at the August 23 Board meeting was not the leader of the Teachers union, but the president of the Principals and Administrators Association, Clarice Berry. Berry was the one who denounced an Arne Duncan merit pay plan as a "Wal Mart Pay Plan" -- which it is.

Meanwhile, Marilyn Stewart has already signed on to that Wal Mart Pay Plan. It's called SMART, and Marilyn Stewart stood beside Arne Duncan to smile and praise that merit pay plan four days after her election victory in May 2007. That was the same time her other minions were putting the final touches on the fast track plan for firing teachers ("Fresh Start").

Neither the SMART (the merit pay plan) nor the Fresh Start (the "Let's help the boss fire tenured teachers...") plan has ever been submitted, in its entirety, to a vote of the members of the Chicago Teachers Union.

That's the kind of leadership you get in a union when the elected president decides she is really a "Chief Executive Officer" and begins having Donald Trump "CEO" fantasies that others help her put into praxis. She should have been stopped long ago, but her advisors, by the union's very very expensive attorneys, by the members of the Executive Board, or by the House of Delegates.

Instead, she has created a record, unparalleled in the 75 year history of the Chicago Teachers Union, of betrayal of every principle of unionism.

So naturally she is trying to fire the one member of her "team" who actually acted like a union person before getting elected and going downtown.

When he was delegate in the schools (most recently, Wells High School) Ted Dallas chaired more PPC meetings, filed more grievances, and helped more union members than Mairlyn Stewart, Mary McGuire, and Mark Ochoa did in their entire careers. If this weren't all so serious as school beings and class sizes erupt again and Arne Duncan prepares to screw the dwindling number of general high schools again, it would be a joke, and Marilyn Stewart would be the face of that joke.

But this is Chicago.

2008.

Happy New (School) Year, shipmates.

Sun Sep 7, 2008 at 5:17 PMBy: Chris to:Please explain Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Dear Please Explain:
There is no recall provision in the Constitution.
According to my understanding it could be done as follow:
1.Disrepute charges etc see TD case- high risk of legal action and costs associated .Accuser could be personally liable.
2.Motion for referendum or recall-The House of Delegates is our superior authority and should decide to recall elected officers.
Again NO RECALL PROVISION EXISTS.

Mon Sep 8, 2008 at 9:27 AMBy: wedding bells Let The CTU Infighting Continue! is someone getting married at the mart?

Mon Sep 8, 2008 at 3:54 PMBy: open or closed campus vote Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Hey, why are we being asked to vote on open or closed campus now?
Is it so the kids can spend more time in the school building? I don't get it. someone please explain...............

Mon Sep 8, 2008 at 8:03 PMBy: re closed campus Let The CTU Infighting Continue! This should have been voted on last May. The vote is really to change the starting and ending time spelled out on the contract for teachers. While most faculty like this arrangement, it should still be done on secret ballot with input only from teachers since they're the ones affected by this change. Since PSRPs' starting and ending times remain the same whether campus is open or closed, they do not vote.

Tue Sep 9, 2008 at 2:59 AMBy: George N. Schmidt Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Aside from the Ted Dallas question (which has apparently been resolved by the courts, even as Marilyn Stewart is sending in a fifth lawyer -- at union expense -- to lose on her behalf), at least as big a question at the September 3 House of Delegates meeting was the union's budget vote in June.

Debbie Lynch correctly moved -- now that a half dozen people are willing to sign affidavits saying they counted the votes at that House meeting and 'NO' won on the budget vote -- to reconsider the vote on the CTU budget from June. Marilyn's people flipped the vote from "No" to "Yes" as we've reported and has been discussed endlessly here. It wasn't the first time she'd done it (August 31, 2007 was the most dramatic, when the "NO" votes simply disappeared) but has the most long-term impact because the members still haven't been given accurate and "transparent" information about CTU expenses.

Marilyn and her people shouted, screamed and bullied down Deb Lynch (almost coming to the point of reprising their "arrest" of Lynch from June 2005, which I reported exclusively in detail, although it was also in the Tribune back in the day when the Tribune had reporters covering news) despite the reality that was in front of the delegates. My hunch is that had Marilyn's "Security" detail (those four off-duty cops who don't wear their badges or any identification, but who patrol union meetings) tried to remove Lynch, it would not have gone as easily as when they did it in June 2005. The majority of the House might have stopped it, leading to some really nasty stuff.

As it is now, Marilyn's claims that the budget will go from Red ink to Black this fiscal year has got to be examined. And one apparent question is whether that $78,000 per month is really interest on that loan Marilyn took out after she allowed the treasury to go from a $5 million surplus (in 2004) to a $3 million deficit (by January 2008) -- a total wipe out of $8 million in less than four years!

The reason for Lynch's motion and why the majority of the House still wants to know what should have become transparent in June is that Marilyn has still managed to lie her way out of every factual question about where those $8 million went. And "Jackie and Tom (Vaughn and Reece) and Debbie (Lynch) did it!" no longer impresses anyone, except as a laugh line.

The CEO of CTU is where the buck stops, but so far she's managed to waste $8 million of those bucks and keep the House from getting any more information than it had a year ago.

Tue Sep 9, 2008 at 7:53 AMBy: Wedding bells: The answer Let The CTU Infighting Continue! This is going to be one of the most surprising "unions" since Jacko & Lisa Marie...sure hope Sandy S. didn't have her future hubby write the pre-nup. Then again, he hasn't won a case in a long time.

More cronyism at the Mart? Sure! The break-up of P&P? Gossip Girl hears "Little J" will be surprised & none too pleased by the news. xoxo

Tue Sep 9, 2008 at 9:40 AMBy: nice wedding gift Let The CTU Infighting Continue! 200k for a case that ctu will loose.

good work Stewart well it was john o and lp who pushed the issue

Tue Sep 9, 2008 at 10:41 AMBy: Lou Pyster Let The CTU Infighting Continue! FYI

On August 27, 2008 the Board members approved in Board Report 08-0837-AR7 the following:

"The Chief Executive Officer's representatives have reached a settlement, subject to Board approval, whereby Nicole Jackson will voluntarily terminate the Uniform Principal's contract, at Wells Community Academy High School and withdraw EEOC Charge No. 21BA82365 in exchange for assignment to a certificated administrator position effective from the present through and including August 10, 2010, with no loss of pay and benefits."

There was no report of any Wells tenured teachers being terminated.

Wed Sep 10, 2008 at 10:44 PMBy: To Is it True??? Let The CTU Infighting Continue! You know it's true - you probably introduced them when you were collecting your 6-figure salary from the mart offices. But now that you've been sent packing, you're trying to cause trouble. That's the problem with you types. Same coin flip side. Just wishin' you had old boy's ducats. When he takes his bride on their honeymoon with your pension funds, shed a few tears. You could hope what happened to your special friend happens to fat boy. Can't seem to get the image of all that huffin', puffinstuff in a speedo on a beach in the Caribbean out of my head. But you should know about a bunch of huffin and puffin.

Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 12:15 PMBy: Back at cha! Let The CTU Infighting Continue! You're most certainly welcome! Is he still alive? I heard the speedo caused a bit of a problem on the honeymoon night. I heard it was still stuck. Enjoy the wealth, then you can have conjugal visits in Joliet.

Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 1:35 PMBy: wishful thinking Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Boy, I wish we could get an accurate report on the court procedings. It seems that everything reported here is just abut the opposite of what really took place. Some people are willing to fictionalize and fabricate
just to put out the message that they want, not necessarily the message that was reallygiven. In other words, DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING (OR POSSIBLY ANYTHING) that you read on this blog.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 9:35 AMBy: To:wishful thinking Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Do you have a mixed feelings regarding your future @the Mart?All info are public records and can obtained online.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 12:04 PMBy: Been around the CTU for 14 years Let The CTU Infighting Continue! George, you write, "The controversial nature of the Executive Boards proceedings which found Mr. Dallas "guilty" of the charges against him and expelled him from the union, are now back under the juristriction of the court, as opposed to the jurisdiction of the CTU".

Are you saying that whatever happens in the appeals, Dallas is and will continue as the Vice-President regardless of what the CTU or the AFT say/rule on? Will he be removed after the appeal to the functionals? Does the November court date ensure his presence as a union leader at least until then?

If someone out in cyberworld does not know the answers, please do not guess, or at least say you are not sure. Thank you

Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 3:10 PMBy: Karen Lewis Let The CTU Infighting Continue! To Been Around, etc.

The problem with the procedure in the Dallas removal should be crystal clear. The Executive Board is made up of the Functional Vice-Presidents and the committee chairs. Going to the Functional Vice-Presidents on appeal is a joke since they are the majority of the E-Board anyway.

What is also clear is that this is a colossal waste of time, energy and money that the CTU could use to help teachers terminated from the so-called turnaround schools and fight the corporatization of our school system. In addition, the fact that our president has decided all this should be done in secret, without question is hugely problematic. Only in the worst of dictatorships is this kind of purge seen. The one place disenfranchisement should never occur is in a Union. If there is nothing wrong with the process, then why the secrecy? We weren't allowed to bring it up at the May or June House meetings and then we got a pre-emptive letter saying anyone who brought up this issue would be ruled out of order. Does the Constitution clearly state that any member of the House can bring up any subject that is pertinent to the Union? If so, why is this, of all topics, verboten??? What could be more important?? How did school delegates get access to internal Union documents?? Especially when we are told constantly in the House of Delegates, we can't even see officer contracts, when some random delegate can see expense reports?

Brothers and Sisters, we can and should do much better than this. I hope we can move forward together in real unity and solidarity and put this ugly, petty infighting to rest.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 5:15 PMBy: George W's friend Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Marilyn Stewart is nothing but a cast off from George W's administration. Democracy means nothing to them or the sheep that follow them. They only care about themselves and their rich friends.

Hopefully what comes around goes around.

She is a pathetic leader.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 5:34 PMBy: Recall! Recall! Let The CTU Infighting Continue! People are waking up to her dictatorship! We have had enough!
Her legacy is going to be as bad as George Bush. Marilyn aren't you proud of yourself.

Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 6:11 PMBy: Time for Marilyn to Go Let The CTU Infighting Continue! We need to recall this woman! Let's get started!

Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 10:23 PMBy: Suprised Let The CTU Infighting Continue! Do you want to say that our lovely fat pretty woman (subject to perception)knowingly and willfully spent a lot of money for the purpose to make our union weaker?Do you think that the HOD could make her liable for the financial loss?

Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 11:56 PMBy: Marricat Let The CTU Infighting Continue! The judge didn't take away the power of the Executive Board because they never had the power to fire an elected official in the first place. He's just holding the Union and the Executive Board to the same standards that any other group would have to follow. I think Marilyn should be responsible for paying the Union members back every cent that she's wasted.

Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 4:53 AMBy: George N. Schmidt Let The CTU Infighting Continue! For years, Chicago Teachers Union officials have ignored the Landrum Griffin Act. One of the most immediate results of compliance with the Act would be that CTU would be forced to report (in an LM-2) all of its expenses in detail. A lot of the silly arguing and posturing about CTU finances would be cleared up all at once if CTU were to file the required financial disclosure material (the LM2) under Landrum Griffin. It's time that CTU voluntarily complied with the reporting. This is already done by AFT, IFT, New York (Local 2), and other locals. In Chicago, Local 73 of SEIU (where I worked a couple of years ago) files its LM2 reports every year. Local 73 represents the second largest group of unionized workers working for the Chicago Public Schools.

The union leadership should be forced to file the LM2 reports, and to prepare and file them going back about ten years. Then a lot of this stuff would suddenly go away.

For example, the LM2 for Randi Weingarten's local (United Federation of Teachers, New York City, Local 2 AFT, AFL-CIO) was filed by Randi (Rhonda) Weingarten on December 6, 2007 for the year 2006. It is 219 pages long. By reading it, anyone can learn how much every officer, executive board member and other staff person was paid, how much the union paid to outside lawyers and other vendors, etc.

Reading the LM2 report for SEIU Local 73 (which represents security, custodial, and some other workers in CPS) you would learn that President Christine Boardman's total compensation for 2006 was more than $140,000, etc.

Why is Marilyn Stewart allowed to get away with not disclosing what Randi Weingarten and Christine Boardman have disclosed every year?

And the LM2 reports are available on line at the U.S. Department of Labor site. Anyone who wants to can go there and learn a great deal about almost all unions -- except the Chicago Teachers Union.

Last thing:

I'm convinced that Marilyn Stewart would not have tried to get away with all the apparently crooked self-dealing by some staff (Go Promotions; Newsmakers) and added perks for her inner circle (the 53 week "year" for staff; the pensionable car allowance, etc.) if she had been forced to disclose information via the LM2 reports.

And that is why the federal government passed that law 50 years ago. Union members deserve better than the treatment we've been receiving from Marilyn Stewart. Basically, what we've gotten since the extent of her financial mismanagement became clear is "Don't blame me..." and "It's everybody else's fault..." but "It's none of your business, really..."