AFT $5,000 check presentation to support Gary schools referendum

Campaign for Gary schools referendum gets support from national teachers union

Contributed By:The 411 News

The usual strategy of teachers seeking a pay raise by threatening walkouts and strikes against their employers has been turned upside down in Gary now that the school district has joined the fight with its teachers union.

It's a picture of collaboration that Randi Weingarten, national president of the American Federation of Teachers would like to see mirrored across the country. Weingarten was in Gary Wednesday to present a $5,000 check to help the campaign for the Gary schools referendum.

On the November 3rd ballot, Gary voters will decide on the referendum question seeking a property tax increase to give more money to teachers and support instructional programs for students.

"Ultimately, we would like to work with you in a partnership on how to invest in our schools and deliver the promise of public education," Weingarten said. "We see this around America where communities get abandoned, businesses leave, and the downward spiral begins. Instead of the state stepping in to help those in need, to see kids get a quality education, communities are left to struggle."

'We've gone for 2 referendums in the past and the third time is the charm," Gary Community Schools Corporation emergency manager Paige McNulty said. Gary voters turned down a property tax increase in 2015 and lost by a small margin in 2016.

"This time there has been a groundswell of community support and I believe it will pass," McNulty said. "It is very difficult for places like East Chicago and Gary to pass referendums. The state has put us in a position to go ask for money in a community that is struggling. It's easier for places like Munster and Crown Point to pass a referendum."

Former Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson was in the welcome party for Weingarten and the AFT. She is among the city leaders encouraging a large voter turnout and support for the referendum's passage.

"We are talking to people, seeing both sides, and helping them to understand the importance and the connections. Whether they're Democrats or Republicans; we hope it translates into a yes vote for the referendum," Freeman-Wilson said.

Freeman-Wilson said the long lines for early voting at the Genesis Center and the numbers of absentee ballots are proofs voters are turning out for the 2020 elections.

The stop in Gary was part of the AFT Votes National Bus Tour, encouraging members and communities to get out the vote. Weingarten was in Gary most of the day, chatting with teachers and local candidates after a morning stop in Chicago.

Next stop for the AFT bus is Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Story Posted:10/18/2020