I first want to thank all those who voted for me and the Unity slate. I am humbled and proud to have earned your vote.
We have a lot of work to do.
There are too many reports of members not receiving ballots, or not getting them with enough time to vote. The overall turnout rate was once again well under 20% of membership. As leaders, we have not done nearly enough to systemically reach out to our members, ensure that their contact information is correct, that they are being heard and included in decision making, and that they feel that the elections in the WTU matter.
One of the first things that myself and Unity will be discussing is how we can get to work immediately to gain more information on what happened in this election and working together with all of our members to decide, as a membership, what we should do to move forward and build trust.
I look forward to working with all of our members to bring greater democracy, transparency, organizing and action to the Washington Teachers Union. This is just the beginning!