I am part of a union family. It’s in my blood. My mom was a union steward for the nurses at Boston City Hospital. My grandfather was a union steward for the Boston firefighters. My uncle served as a union steward for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Unionism and activism are in my DNA. They are an important part of who I am and what I believe.
As a local leader, I have been involved in the Franklin Education Association for over 20 years. I have served our members as a building rep, secretary, negotiations chair, grievance chair, vice president and now president of our large local association. Along with my team, I have crafted many budgets, written contract language and settled several contracts for all of my units, recruited members to strengthen our association, mentored new presidents, and trained representatives on what unionism is and looks like. Upon the arrival of the "new" evaluation system, I trained superintendents across the state about its true purpose and use.
Currently, I am serving my second term on the MTA Board of Directors. In this role, I exercise my judgment and voice to advocate for the needs of our members across the state. Whether it be budgets, expenditures, policies or procedures, I challenge the status quo to ensure that you are benefiting from your investment with the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
In addition to my Board responsibilities, I represent you on the Member Materials Committee and Electoral Review Committee, and I serve as Chair of the Southeast Massachusetts Education Action Network. Also, I serve on a national task force that researches developmentally appropriate curriculum and play for young learners. In each endeavor, I work on your behalf and in accordance with your expectations as MTA members.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association mission statement speaks to being a member-driven organization with democratic principles, acceptance and support of professionalism and unionism, and utilizing the power of collective bargaining. We must address social justice issues and advocate for respect and dignity within our association and communities. My goal as your next MTA Vice President will be to fulfill our mission statement for ALL MTA members and staff, not just a select few. We have a large number of underrepresented members who deserve to have their voices listened to and heard.
My bottom line is this: The MTA has to become a "user-friendly" association. There are 115,000 members, many of whom are disenfranchised and disappointed as the current officers are disconnected from what our members need or want. A great first step in making MTA member-focused is to ASK and LISTEN to members. As your next MTA Vice President, I am determined to build new relationships by extending my hands, lending my ears and using my voice to impact the direction of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. I am Donna Grady and I ask for your vote on Saturday, May 21. I appreciate your support and all that you continue to do for our union.
