2016.... Round 3 of Unfair Elections!

I have made no secret of the fact that my FB page, BTU NEW U, began taking form as my team faced an unfair and unethical election in 2014. And... here we go again... round 3! The shenanigans I witnessed were so ridiculous that I could not believe they were actually happening before my eyes! So was the case with Anna Fusco​, who at the time was running against me... it's actually the reason we came together as the union POWERHOUSE and VOICE 4 MEMBERS we now are. There were a handful of us watching that election, up close. In the next election... also unfair... and unethical... BUT...Greenies won anyway! By now there were more than a dozen watching the antics of our election committee, and their unfair ploys! But NOW in 2016... there are over 30 of us who know the details of the unfair tactics and abuses of power intimately. Our numbers grow... but the elections do not become any more fair from our vantage point. It appears that every rule that can be broken by the opposition is fine and dandy, while every clever move we try to make is blocked. This year... even BTU staffers are telling union stewards(by phone and putting it in writing!!!) that campaigning is not allowed on school campuses and that Candidates are NOT allowed to be at schools. REALLY? That is not what our contract says. BTU is saying that to Principals and Stewards! Thanks BTU... Interfering in Elections?? YUP!! Wait... it gets better... One of the SBBC School Board high ranking officials also got into the mix, interfering in our election via a formal letter to all school administrators telling them Candidates can not visit schools and no election materials are permitted at schools. She is confusing election laws for partisan elections and election rules for internal elections. Brilliant! Many schools we had set up to visit with us and hear our ideas for BTU going forward have been cancelling on us. Of course... the incumbents and their supporters still get to go to schools since they are "the incumbents." How convenient! Anna Fusco and I get cancelled for 4 appointments at different schools where we had already been invited and approved to go, but Bernie Kemp, the VP of ESPs who was given a $5,000.00 raise when our member dues went up , and weeks after writing a libelous letter about members,(How lucky is he!!??) showed up today at Anna Fusco's school! How brazen! LOL! One has to laugh at these things. As if that is not enough.... to throw our little Greenie Badasses into a tail spin... Into our school mailboxes today, hand delivered by BTU staffers, who normally NEVER go to the schools to service our members... but do take to visiting schools to hand out literature... candies... and other goodies when there are elections underway that they can influence... such amazing timing they have... Today handed out Flyers printed by FEA and AFT for BTU with the name of the opposition team! "Respect" This takes the cake! I have to say... this one surprised even me who has been watching the shenanigans for 3 years. The worst part is that we have made numerous complaints about the use of that word.. "Respect" for their campaign because it has been the slogan for other BTU and FEA campaigns... which constitute using our union resources... a violation... and BTU advertising... another violation! These complaints were found to have had.... "NO MERIT!" HAHAHAHAHA! They have been allowed to hijack that word "Respect" for their campaign. OK... I get it... the election committee makes these decisions and we must just abide... right?? Right!! Hold tight now... because as we are "abiding" knuckles at our teeth... the BTU offices are sending a plethora of campaign pictures using that word... RESPECT... from previous campaigns to advertise almost everything there is to do at BTU... Suddenly... everything is "Respect this..." "Respect that!" Well, then... write some more complaints... you say! Okay...More complaints = More "NO MERIT" replies from the election committee. They (The election committee, now under the supervision of FEA Regional Liaison/Director and past President of FEA, Andy Ford) just do not see how BTU using our union resources to send out their slogan name multiple times over our computer and email system from official BTU sources every other day makes any difference, or creates an unfair advantage during an election. Wonders never cease! No! Wait... they do cease! They cease the minute our teachers get during the teaching day, distributed by our BTU staffers, printed literature with the AFT and FEA insignia stating the name of our opposition... RESPECT... OR SHOULD I SAY DISRESPECT? It's amazing to me. It's baffling. How can anyone take this seriously anymore? How can anyone think that even with the highly respected oversight of Mr. Andy Ford​, that Broward Teachers Union INEFFECTIVE INCUMBENTS, CONTRACT NEGOTIATORS AND COMMITTEE FAVORITES could manage to keep from maneuvering their way into an unfair advantage. Let's not get me started on how they got another BTU employee to run on their "Respect team." Someone who has been out of the classroom 5 years campaigning at schools... just like the last person who has divided our local, and is now acting as VP... the one who seemingly single-handedly re-wrote our constitution to keep GREENIES from slating in this election ... was she that worried??? YES!!! And included gag orders and discipline measures for members.... Shhhh! Silence the masses! Yup... they did it again. The incumbent opposition... to gain an unfair advantage, once again... set someone working at the BTU office up to be an elected official. Wonderful... now there will be two BTU employees which claim they are not employees... running in elections to govern over working teachers and working members!!! Worry not friends... Greenies will still take this election... like we did the last one... and it will be all the sweeter when we do! Our opposition simply does not have the votes or the support of the members, and no matter what shenanigans are played out! BTU IS GREEN! :-) Count on it! Saint Patrick's Day is coming up.... Make sure to tell all your friends in Broward to vote by St. Patty's Day and to vote GREEN! We will need all the luck of the IRISH! :-)