Spring RA
Jerry Swartz, For MEA secretary-treasurer
MEA Board member Jerry Swartz has 20 years of leadership experience.
President of the Lansing Schools EA, Swartz has served as vice president of
his local, has chaired the LSEA negotiations committee and has served on the
grievance committee. Other service includes Region 8 Executive Committee
member, Region 8 Council delegate, co-chair of the 8-A Coordinating Council,
the MEA Crisis Assistance Program, the MEA Distinguished Service Committee,
Capital Area PAC Committee and the MEA PR Academy.
As a special education teacher of 25 years, I have taught in Kansas, Massachusetts and Michigan. I am proud to be a member of the MEA and a leader in a local that honors democratic principles. I am running for MEA secretary-treasurer and asking for your vote. Your vote for me is a vote for transparency and member oversight in the MEA budget process and operations. I will end budget committee meetings conducted behind doors that are closed to dues-paying members. Our budget committee members should be seen and heard and have authority to impact the budget recommendation.
I consistently vote against closed sessions of the MEA Board and will continue, as secretary-treasurer, to fight for your right to observe us work. At recent RAs, I have championed the fight to give members and the RA more influence over our MEA budget. Your vote for me is a vote to change our culture and increase transparency and accountability to the RA.
As secretary-treasurer and budget committee chair, I will insist that we conservatively and accurately project revenues. If actual revenue exceeds estimates, or if actual expenses come in below estimates, I will actively seek rank-andfile and local leader input regarding the utilization of the excess revenue.
Assistance and training for local leaders and members will be a budget priority, especially for ESP and small locals who don’t have the resources to fight the attacks they face.
I will bring to MEA my experience building bridges with political leaders and other labor organizations. I have fostered coalitions in Lansing and Region 8 with other labor organizations by focusing on the things we have in common. I will help train leaders and members in an effort to expand this “union-building” statewide. I will make reinvigorating true unionism a priority of MEA and its leaders.
I will make modernization of our records systems and utilization of technology key priorities. These initiatives will save time, increase efficiency and effectiveness, reduce staff workloads and make additional resources available at state and local levels.
I appreciate your vote for Jerry Swartz for MEA secretary-treasurer.