If you are similar to me, you are probably nervously anticipating the beginning of the school year. I hope all of you have had a summer filled with health, happiness, and relaxation! I can’t believe that it ended so quickly. Before I get into the bulk of my message, I want to acknowledge all the 12-month LEA members who worked hard to get the district ready for us, thank you! As I sit here and type this message on Labor Day, I am reflecting on the successes of the LEA and the importance of having a union. I was elated to see in the board minutes the paying out of tuition reimbursement to our members. That would have not been possible without a successful negotiations. I am thankful to know that we have a contract for two more school years at a time when so many locals do not have a contract (over 120 locals have no contract to begin the school year).

In short, I am grateful to all of you for all the work that has been done to make us successful. This does NOT mean that we do not have our fair share of challenges (trust me, the LEA inbox fills up quickly everyday!), we do. However, it does mean that we have strong systems in place to address these challenges even when we must organize around an issue. We succeed as a union when we, collectively, work together to achieve our goals.