Happy Thanksgiving

I hope this newsletter finds all our members healthy and excited for the upcoming Thanksgiving Recess. As promised during the summer, this school year has certainly been like no other in public education to date. From wearing masks every day to teaching students via zoom, our membership has had to deal with countless new educational technologies and pedagogies over the last few months. Undoubtedly, even in the face of a global pandemic, the educators of the PFT have managed to overcome such adversities and succeeded in continually providing a world class education to the children of Plainedge. It certainly has not been easy, but the level of professionalism we have all shown clearly demonstrates the amount of dedication we have to our students, public education, and Plainedge as a whole.

           

Beyond education, it has been a difficult time for some Americans. Many are still struggling to figure out how they will make the next mortgage payment or afford to pay for this week's groceries. There are too many Americans who must wait on lines for hours in order to get the food they need to feed their families, and many more who remain hungry and homeless. There are businesses that are closing, families being forced to make some hard decisions, and lives left in financial ruin as a result of the pandemic. Yet, there is hope on the horizon. Many vaccine trials are entering their final phases before approval for wide spread use, and, with any luck, we will be able to get our lives "back to normal" at some point during the upcoming year.

With all the hardships in mind, as we begin this holiday season, I would ask our members to reflect on all we have to be thankful for here in the PFT. While many hard working Americans struggle to provide for their families, we are fortunate to be part of a union that negotiates fair salaries, health insurance, job protections, and many other benefits, which enable us to take care of our families. We have rights and guarantees at work that other employees in this country can only dream about, and we are part of a union family made up of over 330 members who support each other on a daily basis. The individual members in our union are doing well because our union thrives as a whole. As one of our former Presidents, John F Kennedy, once said, "A rising tide lifts all boats". I know the members of the PFT will continue to do everything in our power to ensure our union continues to thrive for many years to come, and, for that, I am very thankful!

I wish all of our members a very Happy Thanksgiving, and I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming holiday movie event on December 5th!

In Solidarity.