Corrupt Union Leadership ?

In the just concluded elections, there were several seats up for grabs on our local high school board. One candidate was a teacher from the local elementary school district. The high school teachers association endorsed him. BUT, they did not contact the elementary school associations who have many, many members living within the high school district, asking for their support for this candidate. Nor did this candidate even ask teachers in his own district to support him at the ballot box. OR, perhaps I just didn't get the message. Maybe he did ask for support, but the local leaders failed to communicate with their membership. Maybe the high school teachers association leaders failed to ask any of the other locals for their support.

This candidate is also a negotiator for the local elementary school district. His position is appointed. The teachers of the local elementary school association have no say in who negotiates on their behalf. Leadership NEVER asks for our opinion, ideas or suggestions. And if we question their actions at a rare general meeting, we are told, "Trust your negotiators", or "You teachers at (school name) are always causing trouble," or their favorite one, "We already decided."

Yet, these union leaders spend beaucoup dues money attending "Leadership" conferences in Monterrey, California, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and sometimes, in Hawaii. You'd think "COMMUNICATIONS WITH MEMBERS" would be something to learn about at these expensive conferences. Maybe I expect too much from these local leaders.

Yes, I know I could become an agency fee payer. Yes I know I could run for a local leadership position. But, sadly, I also know that their election process is corrupt. I have, several times, observed "ballot counts." I have seen every ballot from a school marked with the same write-in candidate; every ballot with the same name, written in the same manner using the same writing instrument. In the last election, the chosen leadership candidate did not get enough votes to clearly win the election, so the leadership junta declared the election invalid and it was held again, this time with the proper candidate winning the election. They refuse to provide safe, tamper-proof ballot boxes or an organized system of voting. Yes, we have by-laws. They only follow the by-laws they want to follow. The local uniserve dick is in league with them, going so far as to help them change the by-laws to make it harder for members to hold leaders accountable or have secure, non-corrupt elections. CTA leadership made it very clear that they don't give a shit about any of this because several members contacted them and never even received a reply from CTA.

IS this a small slice of what America has become ?