Local 2226 Elections 2010- Candidate Statements

Submitted by administrator on Wed, 11/10/2010 - 15:05

 

Below please find Candidate Statements of nominees for officer positions in Local 2226, as well as a copy of the proposed Bylaws being put before the members for ratification. 

Candidate Statements, Nominees to the office of Local President

Andrew Tonkovich –Candidate Statement

My experience as a longtime UC Irvine Lecturer, UC-AFT union activist and current president will continue to benefit the local.  As president, I will do my part to defend the Memorandum of Understanding, our singular and best tool for defending and improving our workplace political and professional lives.  I will represent both units, Librarians and Lecturers, and work to coordinate campus campaigns which emphasize the needs of each unit and coordinate these as the effort of a single, united entity.  I will work to support board members and recruit committee members.  I will attend Council meetings and serve as contact for the unit.  My track record as a dependable resource to membership and as advocate on their behalf is strong.  I have worked closely, and well, with management.  I have organized educational and outreach events, including voter registration, intellectual freedom and political forums.  I have been the public face of our local.  My inspiration?  I witness, happily, the enduring political power of our union in a very politically and culturally “conservative” anti-union environment.  On a personal level, I was the first Lecturer in my department to become a Continuing Appointment, the result of the union filing a grievance on my behalf --- and winning.  Finally, there is no justice for Librarians and Lecturers at UC Irvine absent a strong MOU, aggressive defense of its provisions, and strong representation on behalf of those it protects.  Please email me at atonkovi@uci.ed if you have any questions about my candidacy.  In solidarity, Andrew. 

Candidate Statements, Nominees to the office of Local Vice President

Lora Mjolsness- Candidate Statement

I have been employed as a lecturer in the Program of Russian Studies at UC Irvine for the last ten years. I have supported our union in past years by serving on the Professional Development Committee and look forward to expanding my involvement this year. I am committed to the fair treatment of all lecturers at UC Irvine.

Candidate Statements, Nominees to the office of Secretary/Recorder  

Keith Danner-Candidate Statement

It is natural enough to wish that there were a politician or a Union leader that would move politics in our direction, but the real power of working people is collective.  A Union is only as strong as the activity of its membership, and as the alliances that it builds with other grass-roots progressive forces. I plan to facilitate the relationships and communication that will help people to become more active in the Union.   

Candidate Statements, Nominees to the office of Unit 17 Representative

(Elected by members of the librarian Unit).

Mitchell Brown – Candidate Statement

I am running for re-election for the position of UC-AFT Local 2262 Unit 17 representative. Though working with contract negotiations and fighting the University’s massive and lumbering bureaucracy is not always easy, I believe that we continue to make progress and I relish the opportunity to keep the pressure on. 

For the vast majority of the librarians, the contracts are the most important point of contact with the Union. Having a strong contract is important. I will continue to work within my power to make sure that our contracts represent the best interests of librarians.

In closing, I continue my commitment to work with the librarians, lecturers, Mary Coomes (our campus union representative), and members of the UC-AFT Executive Council. All of them have worked diligently to improve the working conditions for our members. I am proud to have played a part in those efforts and look forward to continuing to do so over the next year.

Daniel C. Tsang – Candidate Statement 

 I am interested in becoming your union representative to ensure our voices are heard and issues addressed.  In my 24 years as a line librarian, I have been active in the union, serving in many capacities, including as union rep, bargaining team member, UC-AFT council member, and union local official and grievance officer.

As our libraries face much needed reorganization, I want to be part of this effort to ensure that our working conditions will be improved and that the needs of working librarians are not ignored.

You can make the union stronger by voting in this election.