Central Labor Council SA Honors Tom Cummins and Shelley Potter

CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL

SECOND ANNUAL

LLOYD AND LIBBY DOGGETT

September 4, 2023

The “Lloyd and Libby Doggett Community Service Award” was created in 2022 to recognize the exemplary efforts of union members, local unions, affinity groups, and, in some instances, political or community leaders closely allied with the Labor Movement.

The inaugural recipients were Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Dr. Libby Doggett for their five decades of support for working families – Congressman Doggett, as a Texas State Senator, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and a Congressman now serving in his fourth Congressional District (attempts to gerrymander him out of office have proven unsuccessful); and Dr. Libby Doggett as an early childhood educator and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning at the U.S. Department of Education.

Besides honoring in perpetuity these outstanding public servants, the Award is intended to instill the high level of commitment and excellence exhibited by the Doggett Team. Awardees have exhibited a history of service to the San Antonio Labor Movement and its membership, resulting in a significant positive impact while promoting Labor’s presence in San Antonio.

For your Leadership, Integrity, Fidelity, and Educational Legacy

LABOR DAY 2023

LLOYD AND LIBBY DOGGETT COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Presentedto

TOM CUMMINS SHELLEY POTTER

This dynamic duo epitomizes the intent of the Lloyd and Libby Doggett Community Service Award Please access the QR Codes to read their numerous accomplishments Among the highlights:

Combined 95 years of AFT Membership, including 75 in leadership positions. Tom was one of first 30 AFT members in Bexar County (where Tom and Shelley taught at JT Brackenridge Elementary), now there are over 5,000. After leading the effort to air condition SAISD schools, Shelley became President of the San Antonio AFT with 350 members, led the successful exclusive consultation election and subsequent merger The Alliance had grown to 2600 members when she retired.

Tom and Shelley have advocated for education workers at over 2,000 school board meetings and they have participated in over 1,500 grievances, several of which were landmark. Tom organized and achieved a contract as the first nurse ’ s contract for AFT

Tom also served as the immediate past President of the Central Labor Council, bringing affiliates from 9,000 to 15,000 members, helping open a full-time office in 1981, serving on VIA and United Way Boards. Shelley served as Tri-Chair of the CLC’s “Police Reform and Accountability Project” while strongly backing collective bargaining for all workers She was inducted in the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame

And much more.

The selection of Tom Cummins and Shelley Potter for this prestigious Award sets a very high bar for future nominees – instilling the highest degree of commitment, excellence, and integrity – thus also honoring Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Dr Libby Doggett who led by example and who deserve to be emulated.

Tom Cummins

President, Bexar County Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1356

A March to Mourn Education

Congressman Lloyd Doggett, behind coffin, and Tom Cummins, second from right, join the march for higher education funding in 1981.

Tom Cummins

President, Bexar County Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1356

1968

Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) community organizer in Gert Town in New Orleans, sponsored by Xavier University

1968-1970

Served in the Army in the 2nd Infantry Division, 2nd Medical Battalion, Korea, 1968 – 1970.

1970 VISTA Recruiter

1970 – 1972 TEACHER CORPS

Served in - Coldspring-Oakhurst ISD (1970- 1971), sponsored by Texas Southern University, and San Antonio ISD (1971-1972), sponsored by the University of Texas).

1973 ONE OF FIRST 30 AFT MBRS

....in Bexar County while teaching at J.T. Brackenridge Elementary School – now approaching 5,000 AFT members in Bexar County Previously taught at Dorie Miller Elementary Has been an AFT member for 49 years

1981

Elected President of the Bexar County Federation of Teachers on January 14, 1981. He continues to be president after 42 years.

1981-PRESENT

Served on the Texas AFT Executive Council

FORMED AFT CHAPTERS IN MULTIPLE DISTRICTS

Helped as president of the Bexar County Federation of Teachers, at one time having chapters in East Central, Edgewood, Harlandale, Judson, North East, Northside, San Antonio, South San, and Southside. Has attended well over 1,500 School Board meetings, and helped elect dozens of Trustees.

1977

Helped form the San Antonio Public Employees Council in 1977 to insure representation of public employees within the CLC.

Tom Cummins

President, Bexar County Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1356

1977 CLC

Served as a CLC delegate since 1977:

Helped elect Sister Joan Suarez CLC President in 1980

Sister Suarez fulfilled her campaign pledge to finally maintain a full-time CLC office. It opened its doors on Jan 5, 1981 and has been continuously operated since then.

Worked to receive land from the city to erect the Gompers statue, which has now been replaced by Labor Plaza.

1976

Served as Grievance Chair beginning in 1976. Has handled over 2,500 grievances since then.

Important Grievances Won:

1. Assisted North East AFT President Steve Jennings in forcing North East ISD into abiding by Title IX, resulting in higher pay, equal positions, compared to male coaches, and better athletic facilities for girls’ sports;

2. Represented female coaches in requiring the Northside ISD to abide by Title IX, resulting in higher pay, equal positions for female coaches compared to male coaches, and better athletic facilities for girls’ sports;

1979-1982

Served as a Counselor with the Bexar County Labor Community Agency to assist low-income and handicapped youth with summer jobs programs from 1979-1982.

3. Represented John Kelley, a LEE HS teacher in North East ISD, regarding the requirement to pay teachers for days worked beyond the district’s calendar of required workdays. It was won after an 11-year legal battle after being heard at TEA several times and finally redirected for the final hearing by the Texas Supreme Court directing them to re-hear the case. The precedent still stands, although districts have implemented avoidance strategies

Statue, by artist Betty Jean Alden, of Samuel Gompers, founding president of the AFL (American Federation of Labor, later part of the AFL-CIO), erected in San Antonio, Texas, in 1982 Gompers died in San Antonio

Tom Cummins

President, Bexar County Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1356

1980-2003 CONSULTATION

Bexar County consultation elections won in partnership with the San Antonio Federation of Teachers:

1980 – Won a collective bargaining election for the Barrio Comprehensive Family Health Care Center employees, representing RNs, LVNs, dental hygienists, pharmacists, psychological associates, custodians, and clerical employees (58 employees altogether). This contract was the first nurses ’ contract in AFT.

(A few years later, the clinic was cut by President Ronald Reagan to 6 employees and ending the bargaining contract.)

1986 – Won exclusive consultation for paraprofessionals in SAISD, which was the first exclusive consultation agreement for hourly school district employees in Texas (Still in effect)

1989 – Won exclusive consultation for South San teachers. Second exclusive consultation election for teachers in Texas (Still in effect)

1996 – Won exclusive consultation for SAISD classified employees (Still in effect)

1996 - Helped the San Antonio Federation of Teachers win the exclusive consultation election for SAISD teachers.

2003

Assisted in the merger of AFT and NEA in the San Antonio ISD to form the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel.

1991 to 1995 and 1998 to 2001

Served as Labor Representative on the VIA Board of Trustees

1991-PRESENT UNITED WAY

Served as a CLC representative to the United Way as a board member and as a member to the UW Executive Committee, serving continuously from 1991 to present.

2011

In 2011, the San Antonio city council members were not receptive to the CLC. Helped develop the CLC’s political program, which elected councilpersons who supported working families and their unions, eventually helping to elect Mayor Nirenberg and the most progressive council in San Antonio history.

Tom Cummins

President, Bexar County Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1356

2011 ELECTED CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Helped build the CLC from 9,000 members to 15,000 members today.

Grew the financial security of the CLC from a $10,000 treasury to approximately $90,000 today.

Maintained the CLC/United Way partnership.

The CLC is the only one to still have a partnership in Texas with two Labor representatives.

2022 LABOR PLAZA

Working with Mayor Nirenberg, the CLC partnered to develop Labor Plaza, dedicated on Labor Day 2022

LABOR DAY 2022

Returned Labor Day Event to Labor Day –largest breakfast ever, and at a Union Hotel!

OCTOBER 2022

Largest block walk in our history – with endorsed candidates.

"Tom Cummins, a fellow Brackenridge teacher, was running the meeting Potter raised her hand and said something had to be done about the sweltering classrooms Cummins asked her to head up a committee

'I was young and naive and said yes, and had no idea what that actually entailed,' Potter said She started researching the effects of heat on learning, contrasting 'optimal learning temperatures' with San Antonio’s highs. After three years of presentations and advocacy, her committee got the school board to place a 'Cool Schools' bond just for air conditioning on the ballot, and voters approved it

In the meantime, Potter and Cummins were doing a lot of block walking together for political campaigns They married in 1984 and have remained a local teachers union power couple ever since

Potter choked up....thinking about the encouragement she received, from Cummins and others, when she led the air conditioning committee " -San Antonio Express-News, June 1, 2020, Alia Malik, Staff Writer

The San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support personnel, and the Bexar County Federation of Teachers and their supporters hold a press conference in 2004 on the steps of City Hall to protest new health reimbursement arrangements for Texas school employees State Rep Jose Menendez, left, is joined by Tom Cummins, Shelley Potter, Rachel Martinez, Patsy Esterline and J B Richeson J MICHAEL SHORT /SPECIAL TO THE EXPRESS-NEWS

Shelley Potter

Retired President, AFT Local 67 – San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel, AFT and NEA, Texas AFT and TSTA 1975

Began teaching in SAISD in 1975 at Johnson ES. Moved to J.T. Brackenridge ES in 1976 and taught there for 12 years teaching mostly first grade.

Union Member for 46 years

1981-1986 Air-Conditioning Task Force

Chaired the San Antonio Federation of Teachers Air-conditioning Task Force. 75 of the District’s 92 schools were not airconditioned at the time. During this work, the local recruited a community member to run for school board who helped push the work from the school board level. The task force work, which included research on the effects of heat on learning, school board presentations, and community presentations and which engaged members in charting classroom temperatures and telling their stories about the effects of heat on their work and on their students, led the school board to call for a bond election to air-condition all of the un-airconditioned schools. (A previous bond election that included air-conditioning had failed.) The San Antonio Federation of Teachers recruited National AFL-CIO Staff Member Bob Comeaux to run the 1985 SAISD “Cool Schools” bond election campaign, which passed overwhelmingly with 74% of voters in favor. This was the first successful bond election since 1968!

MID-1980S

Brought together families, community members, and school staff to build two play structures at J.T. Brackenridge ES.

1985

Became President of San Antonio AFT in 1985 with a membership of 350 members

1986

Helped win exclusive consultation for paraprofessionals in SAISD, in 1986, which was the first exclusive consultation agreement for hourly school district employees in Texas (still in effect).

1989

Helped win exclusive consultation for South San teachers in 1989. Second exclusive consultation election for teachers in Texas (still in effect).

SEPTEMBER 27, 1997

Advocated for and helped pass with 69% support the $483 million dollar bond proposal (at the time, the largest in US History) to rebuild the SAISD campuses.

Shelley Potter

Retired President, AFT Local 67 – San Antonio Alliance o Teachers and Support Personnel, AFT and NEA, Texas A and TSTA

1986-1996

Served as Local Site Coordinator for the AFT’s Educational Research and Dissemination Program in San Antonio.

1996

Helped win exclusive consultation for SAISD classified employees in 1996 (still in effect).

1996

Helped the San Antonio Federation of Teachers win the exclusive consultation election in 1996 for SAISD teachers

MAY 5, 2001

Helped lead passage of $102 million bond issue to build the Early Childhood facilities and the State of the Art Music facilities.

2003

Led the efforts to merge the local AFT and NEA affiliates in SAISD to form one stronger union, the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel, Local 67

2003-2020

Became Co-President and then President of the San Antonio Alliance, which had a membership of 2600 when she left office.

2003-2020

Represented Alliance membership by speaking at virtually every School Board meeting during her tenure, literally hundreds of presentations.

EARLY 2000

Was one of the earliest voices in San Antonio to sound the charter school alarm in the early 2000s and continually advocated for true public schools and the interconnectedness and interdependence of schools and communities.

Shelley Potter

Retired President, AFT Local 67 – San Antonio Alliance o Teachers and Support Personnel, AFT and NEA, Texas A and TSTA

HELPING NEW TEACHERS

Negotiated a collaborative agreement for professional development between the local union and the SAISD whereby all new teachers were provided the opportunity, with release time, to attend union-sponsored professional learning to help them succeed as new teachers. That partnership between the union and the school district was sustained through multiple superintendents for 18 years

2001

Chaired the national AFT Task Force on Union-Sponsored Professional Development in 2001, the report of which significantly impacted the organization by laying out an expanded vision for the national union “to elevate professional issues generally, and professional development specifically, to a more prominent role in the organization and to ensure that assisting members to improve their professional practice is integrated into the core mission of the union ”

2017

Received the Texas AFT Lovely Billups Award, which is presented to a Texas AFT member who has demonstrated a passion for and success in the area of professional development.

1996-2020

Appointed to the AFT Program and Policy Council (PPC). The PPC acts in an advisory capacity to the national AFT Executive Council.

AFT RACIAL EQUALITY TASK FORCE

Served on the AFT Racial Equity Task Force that developed the AFT report, "Reclaiming the Promise of Racial Equity: In Education, Economics and Our Criminal Justice System," a report that set the direction for the national AFT’s role and work in the fight for racial equity.

2017

Led the Alliance to collaborate with SAISD to support and protect undocumented students and families in the district.

KEEPING NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS

Fought, alongside community members, to oppose the closing of neighborhood schools.

COMPREHENSIVE UNIONISM

Led the Federation, and then the Alliance, to embrace comprehensive unionism – a blend of industrial unionism, professional unionism, and social justice unionism.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Served on the Texas AFT Executive Council and on the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA/NEA) Board of Directors.

Shelley Potter

Retired President, AFT Local 67 – San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel, AFT and NEA, Texas AFT and TSTA

TEXAS AFT TASK FORCE

Chaired the Texas AFT Task Force on Special Education and the Texas AFT QuEST (Quality Educational Standards in Teaching) Committee for several years.

POLICE REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE

Tri-Chair for the San Antonio CLC’s Police Reform and Accountability Committee, which developed a comprehensive report that put forth multiple, wide-ranging recommendations for police reform and accountability, while strongly supporting collective bargaining for all workers.

2006 SAN ANTONIO WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME

Selected to the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame in 2006 in the area of Civic Leadership.

ELECTING TRUSTEES

Helped elect many SAISD Trustees over the years.

SERVICE THROUGH ROTARY

Member for over a decade of Mission Trail Rotary Club, which serves the SAISD community via its many projects and activities. Hosted two Rotary exchange students, one from Papua New Guinea, and one from Paraguay.

Kin Man Hui /The Express-News Staff photographer Robin Jerstad / The Express-News

J. Michael Short/Special to The Express-News

Photo Credits