|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | print | pdf
Always responsive
PICTURED: In 2002, Tom Hobart celebrates the first recipients of the Not For Ourselves Alone Outstanding Leadership Awards, AFT's Sandra Feldman and NYSUT's Antonia Cortese.
 Hobart has made sure he practiced what he was asking people to do in his columns in New York Teacher. When the union asked members to fast for economic justice for migrant workers, Hobart went without meals for two days. When NYSUT sent delegations to examine how the 1993 free trade agreement was worsening conditions in Mexican border towns, he went on one himself, meeting workers and hearing their difficulties. When the national union asked members to support efforts against the AIDS crisis in Africa, he went to that country to meet children, teachers and doctors for himself.
But first and foremost, he was there when called to meet with members. Glenn Lucas, the union activist on School-Related Professional issues, remembers that several years ago Hobart drove two hours to attend a meeting that, because of the weather, only a handful attended.
"I can't remember him ever saying 'no' to a meeting," said Lucas. "He might have to say he couldn't make it a particular day, or particular time, but he would never turn down a request."
Hobart said it's his main duty as president to respond to requests.
 "I learned from Al, you never ask someone to do something unless you'll do it yourself," he said. "I thought about that this fall when we worked on John Kerry's campaign," he said. As part of the American Federation of Teachers' mobilization, he worked phone banks and went door-to-door in Michigan.
PICTURED AT LEFT: President Bill Clinton accepts a NYSUT VOTE-COPE shirt from Tom Hobart at the union’s annual convention in Rochester in 2001.
NYSUT has played a pivotal role in its national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers, and in the larger labor movement. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney called Hobart "a great leader who has an amazing ability to listen to what others are saying and give great advice. Tom has been very much involved in the trade unions."
Hobart signaled the importance of labor ties by ensuring that NYSUT's affiliated local unions were paid-up members of their AFL-CIO Central Labor Councils.
"That was also a radical idea," said Cole, the former teacher who became a state AFL-CIO officer. "Then we saw first-hand the advantages of being involved."
The clear advantage was AFL-CIO support on the legislative front. Having the trade unions support aid to education, pension improvements and tenure spoke volumes. Teachers returned the favor. A notable early effort came in 1981, when more than 10,000 NYSUT members traveled to Washington for the AFL-CIO's first Solidarity Day.
Said state AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes: "Tom played a vital role in helping to shape and build the state AFL-CIO into a viable political and legislative force." NYSUT members make up about one-fourth of the state's AFL-CIO's more than 2 million union members.
PICTURED: Tom Hobart with Alan Lubin, left, urges support for striking workers at a Glens Falls paper plant in 2001.
|
