Bernero to MEA members: ‘This is the fight of our lives’
Gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero took his campaign to MEA’s Summer Leadership Conference in Saginaw on Tuesday, urging union members to vote in Tuesday’s primary election.
“This is the fight of our lives,” Bernero said, citing frequent attacks on public education, a sagging economy, and the need to invest in Michigan’s future. “…We’re going to win this thing. We can do this with the power of the people.”
About 300 conference-goers applauded Bernero repeatedly during remarks and a question-and-answer session that lasted about 30 minutes. The Lansing mayor was joined by his wife, Teri, a Lansing public school principal.
Bernero faces Andy Dillon in the Democratic primary Tuesday; MEA strongly recommends Bernero in the contest.
At this week’s conference, Bernero answered questions about the outsourcing of school employee jobs (he opposes such efforts), taxes (he said schools need adequate funding and that we may need to revisit Proposal A), and why educators should get involved in politics. On the latter subject, Bernero mentioned ongoing attacks on public education and the teachers and educational support professionals who work with students. He singled out the Mackinac Center and the efforts of some Republicans to “destroy public education as we know it.”
“Education is economic development; education is our future,” Bernero explained. “You’re in the future business and you can’t afford not to be involved in politics.”
He specifically asked MEA members to help at the grassroots level over the next few days, saying “We need you to fight WITH us!”
Association members at the conference got to work immediately, making several hundred personal calls to other members around the state as part of a “Get Out the Vote” effort in favor of Bernero.
MEA President Iris K. Salters called Randy Ston, a member who works at Oakland Community College. Salters told Ston that she’s supporting Bernero and asked Ston if he would, too.
“I am, too,” he replied during a three-minute telephone conversation that was broadcast for all to hear during a conference general session. When asked why he plans to vote for Bernero, Ston replied that he believes that Bernero understands the need for a revolution in the manufacturing industry, an important jobs sector for Ston, who has worked in the technical training field for 43 years.