#withwozney for Strength to Advocate: voice before position

NSTU members are looking for a president with the ability to advocate for public education and our profession with passion, insight and clarity in a variety of ways. As our public spokesperson, this role is the most visible one our president delivers and arguably the most important.

So, how can members know what type of spokesperson they are getting when they cast a vote? I’m a big believer that the past record of a candidate is the best predictor of their future performance.

I’m proud to offer NSTU members a prominent, effective record of speaking up for members’ interests in many ways. Members can vote with confidence not only because of how I have spoken, written and communicated via social media since I first took on an elected role with the Halifax County Local in 2016.

Members can vote with confidence because I spoke out long before I had any union position to speak of.

Teachers want a place at the table
(Information Morning from CBC Radio Nova Scotia, November 2015)
READER’S CORNER: Teachers’ No sign of deep malaise in education system (The Chronicle Herald, December 13, 2015)

A vote with Wozney isn’t one you cast in hopes that I will suddenly develop strong skills as a spokesperson.

It’s one you cast knowing full well that the voice you elect never feared repercussions from the employer without the safety of a union position, and whose voice has been raised intelligently and effectively for an extended period. No need for voter’s remorse on May 23- for Strength to Advocate, elect Paul Wozney.

Strength to Advocate #withwozney: the power of the president to write

A vote #withwozney gives NSTU members a president with strength to advocate.

As president, communication that elevates the cause of public education and the status of our profession demands skill, conviction and polish as a speaker, interviewee, writer, social media presence and more.

A vote #withwozney supports someone who did all of this before they had a position, and has continued to do so after they obtained a position.

You won’t have to hope that I can communicate in a way that resonates with members and the public. You can know that I already have.

This piece has been read over 22,000 times, and teacher organizations across Canada and abroad have shared it with their members as part of empowering them in job action to challenge for fair wages and quality working conditions.

On May 23, your vote #withwozney empowers a president unafraid to speak up for what matters most to members. I invite you to join me in realizing an NSTU we can be proud of.

 

To my kids’ teachers on Work to Rule

Facebook Note (self-published), December 9, 2016

Published as an opinion piece by Local Xpress (now closed)