FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Terry Carter, Spokesperson
213-700-5617 | tcarter@seiu99.org
Blanca Gallegos, Communications Director
213.387.8393 x219 | bgallegos@seiu99.org
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Santa Monica—Members of SEIU Local 99, including Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District custodians, cafeteria workers, instructional assistants, and other classified workers, have endorsed former SMMUSD teacher and coach Patrick Cady and community volunteer Laurie Lieberman for School Board.
Members interviewed candidates for School Board at their Town Hall meeting Friday, September 10, 2010. After several hours of hearing from the candidates, reviewing their written statements, and caucusing afterwards, the school employees cast their endorsement votes.
“We are looking for candidates who recognize the commitment, expertise, and insight of the employees working at our schools,” said SEIU Local 99 Chief Steward Keryl Cartee-McNeely. “We believe that Coach Cady’s experience in the District will give him insight into the day-to-day workings of our schools. And we liked Ms. Lieberman’s commitment to looking everywhere for resources to preserve and expand school services.”
“As an experienced educator and laborer, I’ve been preparing for the role of School Board for the past 35 years,” said Cady. “I believe we should go directly to workers if we want to understand how to improve what we do and solve problems. The District cannot be run from a top-down model. It must be flipped upside down.”
“Without classified employees, the District could not function as an organization and students could not be educated,” Lieberman said to the group.
In addition to Cady and Lieberman, two previously endorsed incumbents—Oscar de la Torre and Ralph Mechur—retain their SEIU Local 99 endorsements.
SEIU Local 99 members at the Town Hall also endorsed several local Santa Monica ballot items, including Measures Y (.5% Transfer/Use Tax), YY (advises that half of new tax revenues go to our schools), and RR (improved just cause protections for renters).
SEIU Local 99 is a union of more than 43,000 dedicated education workers who guide our children from preschool and kindergarten, through grade school, high school, and at community colleges. We are teachers, paraeducators, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, first responders, and others working in schools, colleges, and administrative offices throughout Southern California. We are part of SEIU International, the fastest-growing union in North America with 2.1 million members.
