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Political action and much more to highlight Summer Leadership
Election 2008 and political action will be a major focus at MEA’s Summer Leadership Conference July 29-31 at Saginaw Valley State University.
The conference kicks off at 1 p.m. July 29 with a panel discussion featuring state Democratic Party chair Mark Brewer and former state Republican Party chair Rusty Hills, communications director for the State Attorney General’s office.
They will be discussing how their party platforms impact public education in Michigan.
Conference workshops on Election 2008 and political action touch a variety of topics from November’s state ballot initiatives to electing your own employer, the local school board.
Other training sessions cover MEA’s Building Full Capacity Locals initiative and engaging new MEA members in association activities.
One notable workshop—Harlan County USA: A Union Story—will feature the Academy Award winning documentary on the coal miners’ strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Ky., in June 1973. Eastover’s refusal to sign a contract when the miners joined the United Mine Workers of America led to a strike that lasted more than a year and included violent battles between guntoting company scabs and the picketing miners. A discussion will follow on the similarities and differences of today and what we can learn from the miners’ experiences.
For more information on the conference, go to www.mea.org/conferences/slc.