Vote  for  a  Progressive,  Representative,  Active  Union!  

Newham  teachers  and  schools  are  facing  tough  times.  In  addition  to  drastic  funding  cuts,  we  are  threatened  with  selective  education.  This  means  more  cuts  for  our  schools,  both  maintained  and  academy.  Onerous  workload,  poor  performance  management  and  assessment  demands  mean  long  hours,  rising  stress,  illness,  exhaustion  and  low  morale;  teachers  are  being  driven  out  of  the  profession  and  pupils’  education  suffers.      

We  are  in  urgent  need  of  a  strong  local  association  to  support  teachers  in  schools,  defend  conditions,  resist  workload  and  management  pressures,  and  insist  on  fair  practices.    

This  election,  you  can  vote  for  a  team  of  classroom-­‐based  NTA  Officers  and  Committee.  We  are  a  good  strong  team,  younger,  more  diverse,  with  a  wealth  of  active  union  experience,  better  able  to  understand  and  respond  to  the  pressures  and  changes  we  are  dealing  with  every  day  at  work.    

Seven  of  us  teach  in  primary  schools,  well-­‐placed  to  lead  on  the  primary  assessment  and  SATs  campaigns;  seven  are  current,  or  recent,  secondary  sector  reps  who  support  members  daily;  four  are  involved  in  the  sixth  form  sector  action  over  cuts  and  workload.  Five  of  us  were  on  the  Increased  Membership  Participation  Working  Party,  whose  recommendations  will  help  build  an  active  union  branch  in  Newham.      

WE  WILL  ensure  greater  union  democracy;  establish  network  meetings  at  different  sites  to  involve  more  members  and  address  specific  issues  facing  those  in  academies  or  threatened  by  privatisation.  We  will  sustain  school  groups  taking  action  in  defence  of  pay  and  conditions,  using  the  new  ‘Action  Short  of  Strike  Action’  (ASOS)  guidelines;  we  will  promote  equality,  anti-­‐racism,  LGBT+  awareness  and  defend  inclusion.  

MOST  IMPORTANTLY  –  TO  ACHIEVE  THIS,  WE  MUST  ELECT  A  NEW  NTA  SECRETARY                                                                    Louise  Cuffaro  is  NUT  rep  at  Avenue  Primary.  She  has  been  an  active  NTA  officer  and  committee  member  for  many  years.  She  has  proven,  through  consistent  principle  and  determination,  that  a  strong  school  union  group  can  successfully  defend  individual  teachers  and  working  conditions  for  all.  In  2014,  she  led  a  successful  strike  at  Avenue  that  won  a  union  amendment  to  school  pay  policy.  Louise’s  evident  abilities  and  her  determination  to  build  an  active,  democratic,  fighting  union  are  what  the  NTA  needs  now!      

FOR  A  STRONGER  LOCAL  UNION,  VOTE  FOR:  

Secretary:  Louise  Cuffaro  Vice-­‐President:  Tasneem  Khonat-­‐Riley  Membership  Secretary:  Rob  Behan  International:  Miriam  Scharf    Editor  and  Press  Officer:  Rob  Ferguson  

Teacher  Primary  Rep  Louise  Cuffaro    Secretary  Newham  Teachers’  Panel:  Louise  Cuffaro    Equal  Opportunities  Officer:  Sonia  Ali  Teacher  Support  Secretary:  Carolyn  McGrath    Young  Teachers:  Tasneem  Khonat-­‐Riley  Teacher  Governor  Rep:  Kateryna  Konstantynova

Also  vote  for  our  NUT  Conference  delegates:  

Sonia  Ali      Rob  Behan  Louise  Cuffaro  George  Fuller  Rob  Ferguson

Iain  Hale  Jake  Jones  Paul  Paluch-­‐Edwards  Moyra  Samuels  Miriam  Scharf

Conference  Delegates  play  a  key  role  in  deciding  Union  policy.  You  need  school-­‐based  delegates  who  will  vote  for  progressive  policy  that  defends  you  and  the  rights  of  the  children  you  teach.

 

Elected  Unopposed:  Assistant  Secretary:  Iain  Hale;  H&S  Adviser:  Zillay  Khan;  LGBT+:  Jake  Jones;  Newham  Teachers  Panel:  Louise  Cuffaro,  Iain  Hale;  Safety  Committee:  Annila  Iqbal,  Zillay  Khan,  Halima  Khatun,  Carolyn  McGrath;  Regional  Council:  Iain  Hale,  Kateryna  Kostantynova,  Susan  Phillips    Teacher  (Secondary)  Rep:  George  Fuller;  Delegates  Newham  Trades  Council:Ruth  Craven,  Andy  Brown,  Halima  Khatun,  Annila  Iqbal,  Susan  Phillips

Vote  for  Change  -­‐  Vote  for  a  Union  that  Represents  the  Interests  of    NUT  Members  in  Schools  and  Colleges

 

PLEASE  VOTE  FOR  OUR  CANDIDATES:  

Vice  President:  Tasneem  Khonat-­‐Riley  As  a  classroom  teacher  I  know  the  issues  we  face.  I  am  active  in  our  school  union  group  that  has  defended  members  working  conditions  and  on  appraisal  outcomes.  We  also  had  a  successful  strike  on  pay.  I  want  to  help  build  similar  success  in  other  schools.  I  have  been  a  union  officer  and  committee  member  for  the  last  2  years.  I  have  been  a  member  of  the  Working  Party  on  Increased  Membership  Participation,  whose  recommendations  I  now  want  to  put  into  practice  to  build  our  local  union.  I  support  inclusion  of  teaching  assistants  in  the  National  Education  Union  plans.      

Membership  Secretary:  Rob  Behan  This  year  I  was  elected  joint  NUT  rep  with  Paul  Paluch-­‐Edwards  at  NewVIc.  We  have  an  active  union  group,  organising  against  the  cuts,  threatened  redundancies,  increased  workload  and  continual  pressures  on  staff.  I  want  to  encourage  NUT  reps  in  recruiting  and  supporting  members,  especially  NQTs.  I  hope  to  expand  the  number  of  school-­‐based  reps  and  have  regular  NTA  NUT  rep  meetings.  Improving  electronic  communication  with  members  will  be  a  priority.    

Editor  and  Press  Officer:  Rob  Ferguson            I  have  been  an  active  union  member  in  the  NUT  for  10  years  with  long  experience  as  a  trade  union  rep.  I  am  experienced  in  liaising  with  the  press  and  journalists.  I  have  taken  an  active  role  in  promoting  national  union  campaigns  and  as  a  national  anti-­‐racist  campaigner.  With  a  strong  local  union  team  I  will  help  ensure  a  higher  profile  for  national  and  local  campaigns,  creating  a  positive  image  of  the  Newham  Association  and  our  union’s  educational  values  amongst  the  wider  public.    

Equal  Opportunities  Officer:  Sonia  Ali              Having  two  young  children  I  appreciate  the  difficulties  facing  parents  in  finding  time  for  union  activity.  My  priority  is  workload.  It  is  killing  us!  As  EO  this  year  I  attended  the  Working  Party  on  Increased  Participation.  Our  recommendations,  especially  Tuesday  training  sessions,  will  help  members  find  it  easier  to  get  involved.  Collective  action  on  workload  using  the  ASOS  guidelines,  and  spreading  this  across  Newham  schools,  is  my  ambition.  As  with  all  our  candidates,  I  support  the  union’s  commitment  to  Stand  Up  to  Racism.      

Teacher  Support  Network  Secretary  (TSN):  Carolyn  McGrath            As  an  EAL  teacher  in  Newham  for  almost  30  years  and  currently  NUT  school  rep,  I  see  how  hard  it  can  be  for  teachers  to  take  care  of  themselves;  the  school-­‐day,  work  pressures  and  home  life  are  increasingly  difficult  to  combine.  I  want  to  improve  communication  with  members  to  ensure  everyone  knows  how  to  access  the  wide  range  of  support  the  NUT  offers.  I  look  forward  to  working  in  a  new  NTA  officer  team  to  improve  the  conditions  health  and  well-­‐being  of  members.    

International  Officer:  Miriam  Scharf              I  have  a  deep  commitment  to  the  national  union’s  involvement  in  international  solidarity  work.  As  IO  this  year,  I  initiated  work  on  Middle  East  and  North  Africa  Solidarity  (MENA)  and  Egypt  Solidarity  at  national,  London  and  local  levels;  I  continued  our  long-­‐standing  Palestine  Solidarity  Campaign  work.    I  am  involved  with  local  refugee  support,  including  visits  to  Calais.    

WE  WILL  ensure  that  YOUR  subscription  is  used  to  campaign  for  NUT  members  in  schools,  to  support  and  defend  YOU.  WE  WILL  align  OUR  local  NUT  association  to  national  union  and  more  forward  looking  and  progressive  policy.