Who Wants to Live Forever?

Who Wants to Live Forever?

I do!

But in the event that I don't ...

Today two souls decided how they'd want to go

What souls?  Me and my beau.

Taken from our favorite Highlander scenes

Truest, and purest love in his dreams

Who Wants To Live Forever, by Queen will play

And under the Dania Beach Pier we'll lay

With all our friends stretched on sarongs

Let's just hang out and have some fun

And hear from people who we loved

No big Fan Fare

Just us, sea breeze & air

The music playing

The crashing waves

Our ashes will float

From our favorite place

So on a little bed of roses

With candles set us off to sea

And when it's over

Goodbyes are done

Go on upstairs

And have a cold one!

hahaha  :-)

Now That's a "T n'T" - Terry n' Thor

Original way to exit life's grandest door

Two souls at sea forevermore

Awe!!!!

Guess what...

I'm not afraid of death anymore!

I was born the daughter of Heroes

I was born the daughter of heroes

Don't blame me for that

I had a life to look into the eyes of truth, of justice, of forgiving

I learned at the knee of honor, and nobility

I suckled on the breast of goodness and all that is true LOVE

I have known no other parents but these

I was born the daughter of heroes

In my armor of victory grows their faith and knowing

In my heart rings the solemn wisdom that ages grew

No man can take it from me

It is mine

I was born the daughter of heroes

I Came I Saw

I Came I Saw

And what I saw I didn't like

It was a darkness and a bite

It was a fang within the night

It was from dawn, the day, the night

And I tried within the fight

To redeem whomever wanted

But the takers were so few

In the end, all I could do

Was stand among willing

With an arm up to the sky

And the sun upon my shoulder

And the moon into my eye

So we go these warriors willing

To the fight and to the night

So we go these warriors willing

With the sword into the night

And when the sun arises no one else will know our names

But the warriors, all the willing

Who go now into the fight

The Thing

The thing is....

No one really knows the answers

That's the thing

We pretend we do

We want to sound omnipotent

But we are fools, every one

The sooner we can see that the wiser we become

I had a thing to do

In an instance I was taken

No one knew the reason why

But, it mattered not to anyone... why I lived... or when I died...

I just came and I was here

I had a thing to do

And I did it very well

So, in do time, I bid adieu

My Sons

My sons

You have taught me

You have given me light

You have been my earnest teachers

You have been my thoughts at night

When I questioned who I was, and when I questioned... why...

You were both the answers

As I live... and when I die

Nothing matters of my life to me

Except this thing I know

That I lived to bring you here

That I lived to bring you HERE

Once Upon a Dream

Once Upon a Dream

I lived, but only once

And lived so well that none could fault me

Every deed I dreamed was done

And, I lived in all the laughter

And I fought in every fight

And the fighting brought me laughter

And the laughter brought me fight

A Life Well Lived

 A Life Well Lived...


I have lived, and well I have

I have eaten life

There is nothing I can think upon I left undone

There is nothing left undone

So if I leave, let no one wonder

That my life was all, and one

That I left no road untraveled

And no journey yet undone

A Full Life

I have lived

A full life has been mine

I have laughed and I have loved

I have worried and have wondered why

I have taken every instance, made it mine

I have understood the meaning of the travel

The journey has spoken

No man can take from me what I have earned

It is a seed

The seed is mine

The 99%

The 99%

I am with you
I am one of you
I can cry your tears

I see what they take from us
Greed is a mighty warrior to overcome

No one can endure this truth
Taken from a place of emptiness
How much more?
How much more"

Taken.

I am honor

I am honor
Do not attempt to knock me down
I stand for multitudes
If you push me
You will fall
If you laugh at me
You will understand
If you fight me
You will lose
I am honor

MzP

WHAT UNION MEMBERS NEED IS TRUTH

What union members need is truth!

Recently, at an Executive Board Meeting, one of our members commented that teachers don't know about the assault on education.

Glickman Saga Response to Letter in Westside Gazzette

• TO: THE READERS OF THE WESTSIDE GAZZETTE:
• FROM: A BROWARD TEACHERS UNION EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER STANDING FOR JUSTICE.
• 
  
• Thank you for voting in ACTION 4 MEMBERS SLATE!
• We now hold 12 seats on the BTU Executive Board determined to be your voice!
• Previously...
• A serious, unprofessional, undemocratic and insulting accusation was levied in writing in a newspaper against "anyone" who dared disagree!  ANYONE!  Really?
• The Westside Gazzette, a local Broward newspaper with deep roots and a history in the Broward County community published a letter written by Ted Florival-Victor, a new appointee of President Sharon Glickman's to the Broward Teachers Union Executive Board. 
• In this letter Mr. Florival-Victor demonstrates exactly, in black and white for all to see, the kinds of attacks those who dare to question President Sharon Glickman are up against.
• To begin with I doubt that the letter that bears his name was written by him since he has no way of knowing all the disclosed facts about President Glickman.  The letter reads like a Glickman press release.

•  When she decided to run for president, it wasn’t because it was a glamorous or powerful position. She did it because she so desperately wanted to see BTU be the organization that it’s members deserve.

  How could this newly appointed eboard member possibly know what "she so desperately wanted?"  I have suspicions that the origin of this letter is Glickman herself.  Nevertheless, it bears Mr. Florival-Victor's name, so I will continue as if it had been written by the man himself.
• In the last two lines of his letter, he accuses and insults every teacher, steward, technical support staff, para professional, local leader and eboard member who dares to disagree with the high opinion his letter declares of the Broward Teachers Union President.  Further, he insinuates that to voice any opinion other than his would indicate an individual has sinister motivations and wishes to work against Broward Teachers Union.

• Sharon Glickman has exhibited all of the qualities and dedication any member could hope for in a BTU President. Anybody who would say otherwise has motivations that are not in the best interest of Broward Teachers Union.

• These are reprehensible accusations that no teacher, steward, eboard member, local leader, or even the individuals quoted in the Westside Gazzette article should have to endure!

•  I find it unfortunate that a fellow eboard member would lower himself to state such a thing in writing, rather than just sticking to the facts! 
• This is a perfect illustration of why BTU seems out of control to many of us on the inside. 
• Some people who defend Glickman;s actions do not understand how to have opposing dialogue and keep it professional. 
• I for one will no longer keep my comments directed privately to FEA , AFT and our BTU Executive Board as they have been for over a year, since the onset of what I and 8 other members and opposition candidates considered an unfair and unethical election.  If someone claiming to defend President Glickman goes beyond supporting her good works and ventures into the arena of accusing "ANYBODY" of having "MOTIVATIONS that are not in the best interest of Broward Teachers Union," I would say they can expect to be held accountable.
• Mr. Florival-Victor, I would like a retraction of your inflammatory accusation!
• We do not all have to agree whether or not President Glickman is directing the union in the way that is best suited for the advancement of our members, but those of us who are elected or appointed as leaders can avoid public scrutiny if we stick to the facts, and not make baseless and offensive accusations.
• I now feel compelled to address your accusations directly, something I would have preferred never to have to do.

• Sincerely,

• Terry Preuss, NBCT
• Career Public Educator
• NSU - SFWP Teacher Consultant
• BTU Executive Board Member 2013-2016
• SBBC District Advisory Council Appointee
• Author, Voices in the Hall, Amazon
• 
  
• 
  
• Dear Mr. Ted Florival-Victor

• 
  
• I am seriously concerned about the letter you submitted that was published in the January 29, 2015 publication of the Westside Gazzette.  It might not have been to your liking, or to President Glickman's or to the SBBC, but in my opinion the article was truthful.  We haven't gotten our raises, and we have lost many rights with our present contract.
• What attack and what lies do you speak of in your letter? Can you be specific?  

• After seeing the outlandish attack printed against BTU President Sharon Glickman that was riddled with lies, I couldn’t help but feel that it would be an injustice not to tell your readers the REAL story.

  First, I'd like to understand how you even know the "REAL" story since you were NOT around for any of it!  Also,
  I saw no lies in the Westside Gazzette story, just the opinions of some members who have a right to voice those opinions without fearing the attack of an Executive Board Member Appointee such as yourself.
• All union members have the right to free expression even if they oppose the opinions of the president.  It is written in state and national labor relations law.   
• I support all opinions from our members coming forward, including yours and Dr. Leslie Starr's as seen in her detailed letter of resignation, since this is a free country and a democracy the last time I checked.  But, your inappropriate accusation that "Anybody who would say otherwise (Than your opinions of Glickman) has motivations that are not in the best interest of Broward Teachers Union" is actionable in my opinion, and seems like an attempt to intimidate or coerce the rights of others.  These are not the words of someone who wants to express an opinion.  These are the words of someone who wants to intimidate or cast doubt to the differing opinions of others.
• I can only hope they were added by someone else after you submitted your original letter!
•  These words are wrongly insinuating that if we disagree with the actions of our present leaders that we are somehow against BTU.  How wrong you are!  I am for BTU, very much for it, but I disagree completely with your view of the condition of our union.  Your divisive words seemed poised to put fear into "anybody" who dare speak up, and that is not what democracy is about.  Neither are those the principles our country and our union were founded on.
• Perhaps that a member mentions that she is unhappy with our last contract upsets you.  Perhaps that upsets you because you were placed on the negotiations team shortly after being appointed by Glickman.  You are a teacher, and from what I have seen of you in meetings, you are also a fine, and well spoken man.  I'm sure you did your very best to express your feelings during the negotiations, but you are NOT an experienced contract negotiator, nor were any on the negotiations team, a Glickman decision.
• While utilizing the strength and voices of our earnest teachers during negotiations is valuable, at a time when there is a national assault on education, Florida being one of the most assaulted states with SB 736 breathing an unprecedented and possibly yet to be determined unlawful dragon's fire into our profession, I think experienced, tough negotiators, rather than well-intentioned educators would have been a better defense against the bill's arbitrary and archaic demands on our teachers, unions and districts.
• We did have the worst contract in BTU history.  Some of it may be the fault of new laws, some of funding allocations, but one can not fail to note that the negotiating team was not the experienced BTU team we had in prior years. That you might have been part of that team and might have taken comments made in The Westside Gazzette story personally is unfortunate, but let me assure you that multitudes of teachers felt let down.  Many high school teachers described feeling demoralized by working for 11 dollars an hours instead of their professional pay after the arbitration fiasco.  Others said they felt robbed by the loss of promised and earned step increases.   Now we are told those earned and promised salaries are forever lost.  These are not conditions in which talented, hardworking teachers can flourish, and these were negotiation team decisions made by President Glickman.
• The article did not tell outlandish lies as you call them.  Not at all.  The article told sad and bitter truths that we now live with.  Further proof of the negotiations problems which may or may not be caused by inexperienced negotiators/ educators chosen to stand instead of savvy, trained contract negotiators who understand our county.   April is upon us,  and we have yet to receive the raises that were promised and pre-negotiated last yearI
• Does that seem normal to you?  Does it seem normal to anyone that the leadership team at BTU can do no better for our hardworking members?
• I understand that there is some debate as to whether or not it is the county, or the union, or the state that frustrated teachers and other education professionals must point to, but be assured, teachers are frustrated.  Many are frustrated with BTU leadership, clearly indicated by a dismally low voter turn out.  Only 2000 or so members even voted in the last presidential election.  You called Glickman's win a "landslide," but such was not the case.  In fact she won, according to my recollection, by less number of votes than the number of votes that the election company decided to "invalidate."  To this date, the invalidated votes have not been produced to the Executive Board. Why?
• I know that you are newly appointed, and. you can not possibly understand the unfair maneuverings that those of us who have watched month after month for more than two years understand, so I won't fault you for having a different view of reality that the teachers interviewed in the story, but to say that their motivations are "against BTU" is outrageous, out of line, and really needs to be retracted.  Comments like that offend not just the teachers interviewed, and the  Westside Gazzette itself, but all the rest of us who read the article who might have agreed with some of the points.  Our motivations are not to be judged or questioned by you, or placed in doubt of our allegiance to BTU, our union, that we pay dues to so they can stand for us and defend us.  
• Please stick to our actions, how we serve our union, and to the facts.
• Unfortunately, there are many facts that do not cast a positive glow on BTU, especially for those of us who have been on the board longer than yourself and who are at all the meetings and attentively aware.  Frankly, since I was elected, I have been very concerned for BTU because I do not feel that we are focused on the member's needs. I have done as much as I could to try to help.  I even offered to run for vice president and later was asked to run for president.  My slate was discarded and ignored on the ballot unfairly.  Out of 9 competitors in the 2014 election, all but one levied serious complaints against President Glickman's BTU Leaders Slate.  You may not know this, but all of us felt that unfair, unethical and possibly unlawful things occurred during that election.  In its aftermath, none of the requests for information or paperwork have been granted fully. You might not understand how that affects so many of us on the executive board, but it does, and it affects BTU that over 100 election complaints were made and that most were ignored, even after AFT had to be called in because the BTU Elections Appeals Committee had to recuse itself.
• Now a new election cycle is over with in which you were running and still the problems of the last election have not been sorted, and this election is also riddled with many violations and complaints.  In fact, the very flyer you slate handed out had numerous irregularities that under normal circumstances could cost your entire slate to be disqualified. Instead, you were given extra time to fix everything.  Why?  These are not "sour grapes" individuals bringing forth these complaints. They have WON this election.  These are reputable educators and leaders, as reputable as I am sure you consider yourself, and they have legitimate complaints due to violations that they will pursue, even after their VICTORY because it is the right thing to do.
• BTU actually sent out official emails to members defaming the Action 4 Members Slate.  This is a major violation in union law, but also in civil law.  My sources tel me that the libelous statements made against the winning slate will not be dropped or forgotten.  Because every member who voted for Action 4 Members deserves to know that their new elected officials who won 7 seats on the eboard will follow through insure future elections are fair, and just, contracts are better negotiated, and that service is given readily when needed to members.
• You can say all you want about President Glickman's accomplishments, but you can not deny the problems that we have faced as a union since she took over for AFT have been serious to deal with, and have not brought service and security to our members..  Just read some of the posts on teacher FB pages, or on the Broward Teachers Union FB page (if they do not delete the negative comments too quickly) or on the BTU NEW U FB page, where all the Action 4 Members Slate newly elected Eboard members are already connecting with members and giving them ideas for help, even before they take office.  That is real service.  On BTU NEW U we speak openly about the assault on education and teachers tell us how they feel about national and local problems and we do not delete their posts.  We deal with them, both the positive and the negative.
• Teachers are not feeling empowered, they are feeling downtrodden and overwhelmed, and on top of the extra responsibilities many complain of feeling bullied, harassed, and overworked by everything from state mandates, to poor evaluations to unreasonable demands,to the loss of teacher autonomy and creativity.  In the face of all of this we have had a multiple year salary freeze followed by a loss of step and salary increases promised to us when we were hired.  Members need HOPE and they need SERVICE.  They do not need intimidation tactics printed in a popular local newspaper like the Westside Gazzette to further stifle the few voices willing to speak up and ask for CHANGE.
• I got on to the eboard to help our members and what I found was an eboard that talked for hours about many things, but member needs was rarely among the topics of discussion.Why?  Why would the BTU executive board meet for hours on end and not discuss how to help our members in the trenches?  Why were there no sweeping initiatives to empower teacher voices, ensure principals follow the contract, and demand that unreasonable and extra burdensome legislative demands be side stepped or paid as extra wages?  Why?
• So I decided to run for office and what I found shocked me.  Unfair elections. Rules violations.  Unethical behaviors and practices defended by incumbents, later appointed on the elections and appeals committees. I was not expecting to find corruption , but corruption and a will to conceal the truth is what I found.  Sorry to tell you... that is not acceptable, and too many of us have now seen it for ourselves.
• Anyone who tried to speak up was instantly castigated, yelled at, or marginalized.  They even tried it with me!  Not acceptable!  Not acceptable to silence me or ANY member.  It is union law!  It has to be followed!  Voices must be heard. Period.  So... please retract the last statement of your letter. 
• Since being on the Eboard I have been yelled at, spit on, lied to, bullied, and called a variety of names from sore loser, to bitter loser, to queen, to liar.  In all my years of service I have never been so utterly disrespected.  I have served on a number of committees and organization leadership committees in LA, Dade, and Broward county.  I have always been respected and have conducted myself professionally and ethically.
• Along with me there are other members who have conducted themselves ethically and professionally.  They stand with me to say that our voices will not be silenced, not by BTU in outrageous emails and not by your letter.  We demand fair representation by our union, and even after victory, they will not let anyone forget how they have been discriminated against.
•  9 of us were harmed, lied to, ignored, and discriminated against in 2014.  Our names are:
  Henry Sergey
  Christopher Townley
  Terry Preuss
  Anna Fusco
  Leslie Starr
  Ann Marie Burgess
  Wellington Andreas
  Liz Shurak
  Anna Marie Pierpont
  
  WE WILL NOT FORGET!!  
• 7 newly elected Eboard members were also harmed, lied to, ignored and discriminated against in the 2015 election,  Their names are:
• Kenny Minchew
• Liliana Ruido
• Betty Warren
• Rochelle "Shelly" Soffer
• Sandra Nunez
• Wendy Vazquez
• Joan King
• 
  
• THEY/WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED.  
• THEY/WE WILL NOT FORGET.
• THEY/WE ARE UNAFRAID.
• TOGETHER, ALL OF US WILL SERVE BTU MEMBERS.
• THE TIME FOR CHANGE HAS COME.  THE TIME FOR CHANGE IS NOW.
• INTIMIDATION TACTICS ARE SO 20TH CENTURY!
• PLEASE HELP US SERVE OUR MEMBERS NOW!
• Sincerely,


• Terry Preuss, NBCT
• Career Public Educator
• NSU - SFWP Teacher Consultant
• BTU Executive Board Member 2013-2016
• SBBC District Advisory Council Appointee
• Author, Voices in the Hall, Amazon

Complaints! Complaints! Shame On YOU!

Complaints!  Complaints!  Shame On YOU!

After over a year of attempting to expose the wrongdoing of the 2014 BTU election, then witnessing it happening once again with the 2015 Election, I realize the pattern of unfair dealings is seemingly entrenched in how things are done in BTU elections.

Recently, as I have exhausted every avenue within my union to find justice, I have had to go to the state of Florida and the United States Labor Board, something I now realize I could have done sooner, and maybe should have.

It never occurred to me that my union, and individuals in it would try to pull the wool over my eyes, but they did, and all I have to say is, "SHAME ON YOU!!!!"

I have found numerous labor laws that were broken during the 2014 election.  Most certainly the main sticking point of the BTU employee who should have been deemed an ineligible candidate, but who ran for office.  Now I realize that many individuals at many levels of awareness knew or should have known that a BTU employee has no business running for elected office.

They knew, and they let it happen anyway.  They manipulated circumstances and their interpretation of the law and used it against dues paying members who just happened to be candidates and complainants.  We are 9.  We have yet to find justice, and we will not forget.

The longer the charade continues the more we learn how many people had to help this process of unfairness unfold at multiple levels, and so all the complainants say... "Shame on YOU!"

Below are some laws BTU Leaders broke that legal teams and unions leaders should have well known.

SHAME ON YOU!

Also included are the original complaints I made.  SHAME ON YOU!

This never should have gone farther than BTU.  It never should have gone to FEA.  It never should have gone to AFT.

SHAME ON YOU!

9 of us were harmed, lied to, ignored, and discriminated against.  Our names are:

Henry Sergey

Christopher Townley

Terry Preuss

Anna Fusco

Leslie Starr

Ann Marie Burgess

Wellington Andreas

Liz Shurak

Anna Marie Pierpont

WE WILL NOT FORGET!!  SHAME ON YOU!!

STATE OF FLORIDA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RELATIONS COMMISSION HANDBOOK

 Pg. 12 PERC Handbook

Managerial, Confidential, Supervisory, and Professional Employees who have substantial independent authority for policy formation, personnel administration, budget preparation, or who assist in collective bargaining negotiations are excluded from a bargaining unit as managerial employees. Employees who aid or assist a managerial employee by working with confidential information concerning the employer’s labor relations functions are excluded from a bargaining unit as confidential employees. Anyone that a party seeks to have designated as managerial or confidential must be given notice. Employees with significant supervisory duties will be excluded from bargaining units containing employees they supervise, but may be represented in a supervisory unit. Professional and nonprofessional employees may be included in the same unit only if each group votes for inclusion.

SHAME ON YOU!

(2) A public employee organization or anyone acting in its behalf or its officers, representatives, agents, or members are prohibited from:

(1) To interfere with or prevent the right of franchise of any member of a labor organization. The right of franchise shall include the right of an employee to make complaint, file charges, give information or testimony concerning the violations of this chapter, or the petitioning to the union regarding any grievance he or she may have concerning membership or employment, or the making known facts concerning such grievance or violations of law to any public officials, and the right of free petition, lawful assemblage and free speech.

SHAME ON YOU!

447.07 Records and accounts required to be kept.—It shall be the duty of any and all labor organizations in this state to keep accurate books of accounts itemizing all receipts from whatsoever source and expenditures for whatsoever purpose, stating such sources and purposes. Any member of such labor organization shall be entitled at all reasonable times to inspect the books, records and accounts of such labor organization.

SHAME ON YOU!

United States Office of Labor Management Standards states in section Who is Eligible

In certain unions it is customary for members to retain their membership in good standing when they become supervisors. These members may not hold office, however, if their doing so would violate the Labor Management Relations Act, 1947, as amended (the Taft-Hartley Act), which makes it an unfair labor practice for any employer (including persons acting in that capacity) to dominate or interfere with the administration of a union.

SHAME ON YOU!!

We 9 are members who deserved fair representation and did not get it in an unfair election in 2014.

Another unfair election (2015) has come and gone, the incidents in that one differ, but are equally as troubling.

THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THIS TIME, NO MATTER HOW HARD BTU LEADERS TRIED TO STOP THE OPPOSITION... THE OPPOSITION WON!

SHAME ON YOU FOR PUTTING HONEST MEMBERS THROUGH SUCH UNFAIR PRACTICES.

They will also not forget, and are also beginning to file charges against BTU Leaders.

Below are my original complaints.  Like mine there were over 100, as per members of the elections committee.

Of the over 100 complaints AFT "independent counsel" only investigated 3.

SHAME ON YOU!

Complaint:  Feb. 12, this continues:

I am sending in a formal complaint against the group that is called BTU Leaders running in our BTU election for executive officers.  All candidates just received an email yesterday Jan. 26, 2014 stating, no candidates will be allowed to use Union resources. 

The group called BTU Leaders have a Face Book and there are BTU pictures and videos promoting this group. They cut and pasted pictures from the BTU web site and put them on their Face Book.  The cards they are handing out has the BTU Hall behind them.  Based on rule #18 the group is using BTU resources and they are in violation.

To:  Elections Committee

Re:  Complaint

(Preliminary Complaint) 

#1.  I'm filing an official complaint because of the refusal and or failure of all individuals to provide copies of the job contract and of the calendar of events of Kalebra's engagements at various schools, paid for by union dues, leading up to the date of resignation, which I have asked for several times.  This includes President Glickman, Kalebra Williams,  the Elections committee, staff, and the FEA and AFT attorneys.  This information should be forthcoming to any executive board member on any day of the year, whether or not there is an election or an investigation.. 

#2.  I am filing an official complaint because the emergency meeting on 1/21/14, Executive Session, held to clear up issues and ask questions was not an open dialogue and restricted all conversations to people speaking in third person, and restricted the topics we came to discuss to uncover possible elections violations.  We were also told we could not mention names and not discuss the elections.  There was a parliamentarian present, one I am familiar with from other executive committees I belong to, but the suppression of facts and expression, and manipulation of the speakers was counter-productive to our common goal of clearing the allegations made by candidates..  I, for example, was only allowed to look at the president when I spoke.  I was strictly timed, others not timed at all.  The entire process was unfair to many, and was duly noted by many that their free expression was suppressed, not allowing the discussion, nor uncovering of important facts being brought forward to the board, which had been the intent of rescheduling the good and welfare to another night to give full time to discuss conflicts and allegations regarding the elections and candidate facts.  Often President Glickman said, "No, we are not going to talk about that."  The entire reason for the meeting was to discuss the facts we were told we could not discuss.  Now we are forced to go into elections with questions unanswered, and serious conflicts, and allegations muddying the campaign window. 

#3.   I am filing a complaint that the BTU employee, Kalebra Williams, had to violate elections and candidacy rules by working at the BTU until the day to file for candidacy, therefore using union resources.  She had to get signatures, plan her campaign, take campaign pictures, etc. ON BTU time and using BTU resources to one degree or another.  It is humanly impossible to stop working on Jan 9, and be a candidate at the same instance.  It is also impossible to plan a campaign, take election pictures and set up your website in the time period in question.  BTU time and resources had to be used, and an investigation is warranted.

#4.  I am filing a complaint due to the ambiguous and conflicting information surrounding Kalebra William's employment.  Resignation dates have conflicted, employment information has conflicted, job description, dues paying status, etc., must be verified to candidates.  Ms. William's job description has been to some degree to campaign for new members, organizing, recruitment, etc., as a BTU representative and employee.   She was possibly later given managerial duties which might have made her ineligible to pay BTU dues and remain a member. Candidates asking for this information have been denied it, myself included.  She has gone to schools, while other BTU members are teaching, and other candidates have no access to teachers, met with teachers, gotten personal information via FEA/AFT Resources and their time.  (At least that is what happened on 1/23/14 at Olsen Middle School when others doing her same recruitment duties attended my school and I witnessed gifts being given to teachers and food and treats.  Also, I am told by numerous teachers the same occurred at their schools with Kalebra Williams)  The personal information and contacts from the BTU resources collected on BTU paid time can now be used to contact members.  The affiliations made using BTU resources and paid by BTU members, has put this candidate at an unfair advantage, creating a conflict of interest.  Also, members may be misled as to her role, when giving presentations, representing BTU, using AFT and FEA resources, and giving gifts, and food at various schools, all BTU resources, or paid through BTU, and may confuse her role as a BTU employee, now on the ticket as a VP. To my knowledge, based on the little information I can gather given the suppression of dialogue, obstruction of facts, and concealment of paperwork, she worked until either Dec. 19 as per President Glickman, or Jan 9 as per SBBC sources.  I have not been provided clear responses to any questions or requests for information, however, the ambiguous and conflicting information leads me to believe that the eligibility may be in question, that the elections committee might not have done their due diligence is verifying the candidate, and that from a purely ethical standpoint this candidate demonstrates both an unfair advantage and an unethical (NOT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THOSE BEING SERVED) means of arriving at her candidacy since she was essentially paid by BTU to "campaign" for herself, and as a BTU leader and organizer, and Share My Lesson AFT.FEA representative until the day she wrote her resignation letter.

FYI

At this time, since no information is allowed to be seen or discussed, I am writing this complaint in the BLIND without having seen the documents or the calendar of events I requested. As in the complaints above without even being afforded an opportunity to ask questions or clarify the allegations and complaints coming to the executive board, of which I am a member, I feel a tremendous feeling of injustice to the elections process.  This is written to comply with orders that I write a complaint, but I withhold the right to add to and amend these complaints since they are written to meet a deadline and there may be more information and facts to be added at a later time.

At this time I feel that it is highly unethical to run an elections process as it is being done at BTU.  I also feel that it is unethical to allow a candidate who was essentially paid by the other candidates to have access to members, their personal information, their time, their sensibilities,  while presenting as BTU leader, using BTU resources, etc.  This being done while other candidates had no access to members and were performing teaching duties, using the BTU, AFT, FEA Share My Lesson resources and logos, feeding members, giving treats and gifts, etc.,  is highly unfair and unethical, and I am sure it must break some PERC or Florida rules in addition to the rules of ethics.

So many complaints and questions have come in, so few facts have been forthcoming.  I think a full investigation is in order.  I feel that facts are being suppressed without cause. I have served on a number of leadership quorums and committees in both Dade and Broward.  I have never seen anything like this in my life.  The number of allegations and the lack of clarity in addressing those allegations is complicating the elections process and the candidates' campaigns.

Please help!

Sincerely,

Terry Preuss, NBCT

BTU Executive Board Member

Official Complaint After Viewing the contract which contains grievous conflicts of interests and violations.

#1 Kalebra's contract clearly states there is a mandatory a 30 day cancellation notice needed to cancel the agreement.  That 30 day notice was not given, as seen in her letter of resignation.  That would make her contract valid through at least Jan. 14, making it impossible for her to be eligible to run in the elections which would require her to submit candidate paperwork on Jan. 9.  She did not give a 30 day cancellation.  This not only means she is clearly ineligible, it could also mean she is still officially an employee on the books, and contractually, and therefore not eligible for the leaves, and benefits afforded individuals who duly give their 30 day notice.  An investigation is warranted and sanctions as needed.

#2  The committee stated that Kalebra was eligible without viewing her contract, which clearly states she is not eligible to interfere in campaigns, nor is she a "BTU" member in good standing according to the contract.  Either the committee or the legal counsel did not offer the original complaint due process.  Either the committee or legal counsel hurriedly decided she was "eligible" and sent this in writing to the candidates and the e-board.  This is an egregious violation of responsibility that the committee or legal counsel must now answer for.  How can a candidate be determined eligible, when it was the contract that was in question, if the contract itself was never viewed.  This is simple negligence and must be thoroughly investigated, questioned and understood.  If eligibility was determined solely on BTU membership, how was it overlooked that the candidates contract stated clearly that she was not a member and could not be if she took the "management" job.  That is a clear stipulation in the contract and one that can not be over looked under any circumstances because it is a clear conflict of interest clause.  If the Dues were paid, it was in error.  If it was not in error, the candidate was still unable to "interfere" in elections, which she clearly did, and photographic proof is available.  I think that by stating eligibility without due investigation either the elections committee, legal counsel, or both are violating the rights and expectations of members and other candidates.

#3  Kalebra's contract clearly states she is management and unable to be a dues paying member.  She can therefore not be a member in good standing.  Even if her dues were paid, it was in error.  Whose responsibility was it to cancel her dues and has that been investigated?  My complaint would be that dues should have been canceled rendering her unable to run under any circumstances or interpretation of that contract.

#4  Kalebra consistently admits that she used union resources to engage with, and get to know teachers.  She admits this both on her speech and on the BTU Leaders website.  All the positive points she points out were  things done by Kalebra using union resources, and when she herself was a union resource.  The grants she wrote, the help she gave members, all done while she, herself was acting as a union resource, on union time, and using a union paycheck and expense account, as well as union computers, phones, etc.  My complaint is that if union resources are not allowed to be used by candidates, and the candidate herself has been a "Union Resource" for 3 years and was at the time of taking her picture for her campaign, this is a big violation.  Further by mentioning all the things she did using those resources and wile being a resource herself, she further violates the elections rules and her own contract.  All the evidence needed is to view Kalebra's own incriminating literature, and video.  Both should be pulled immediately, and as a union resource, using union resources to promote BTU's agenda she consummately violates the intent of that ruling, that union time and resources should not be used by candidate.  She used them while still a BTU employee in preparing her campaign and uses them still to promote all the things she, as a union resource, did with many other union resources.

#5  Kalebra's contract has a "non-interference" clause.  This specifically prevents her from participating or interfering in campaigns and elections.  The intent of the clause is to insure that  both employee and employer are fully aware that running in an election or interfering in one in any way is a grievous violation.  She did both by inserting herself into a photograph while employed, initiating her intent to campaign and be part of the election while she was an employee, bound by a contract preventing the same.  This was done intentionally and maliciously with the intent to violate the standing contract and then attempting to conceal this violation.

#6 Kalebra and President Glickman (and perhaps others)  knowingly allowed Kalebra to violate her own contract, and knowingly violated her contract along with her.  It is the President's responsibility to oversee hiring, firing, promotions, etc.  President Glickman knowingly violated the contract between BTU and Kalebra in order to serve herself and her election and in order to assist Kalebra to do the same.  By so doing, they were both obstructing justice and misleading the board and the membership.  Violating not only the contract, but elections rules, and the rules of fairness and ethics.

#7  Complaint that the attorney opinions were not provided to us timely, or at all.  In fact the names of the attorneys were not given to us so that we could ask questions that were not fully answered by the elections committee in the promulgation, nor by Alan and John while viewing the contract.  It is our right to know the names of the attorneys who overlooked these blatant contractual problems with Kalebra's candidacy, and who wrongly advised either the president or the committee that the contract could not be viewed by me, which caused a grievable delay in ascertaining the facts.