An Injury to One is an Injury to All! Justice with Joey

Greetings

I'm a 26 year Chicago Public Schools educator. For nine years, I fought for educators as a Field Rep for the Chicago Teachers Union. I have been an outspoken critic of CPS, but also CTU. I am a lifelong advocate for our students and educators.

In January, I was elected to a three year term as a CTU delegate. CTU blocked me from attending delegate meetings and I filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge in February. CTU responded to that charge by filing a lawsuit against me in March. It alleges that I made defamatory statements on social media. The lawsuit seeks damages akin to over a year's worth of my salary. I was forced to hire an attorney (and spend $1,000’s) to protect my family, our home and our livelihood.

After discussing this with friends and family, it's our opinion that this lawsuit is not about one person, it’s an attack on union Democracy. Despite three months of negotiations to reach a settlement, we believe CTU's offers do not respect member voice and Democracy. CTU seeks to ban me from attending CTU meetings, which is a precedent that hurts all our members and our elected representatives.

I need your help in resisting a lawsuit paid for by members dues money. Every donation matters, and $35 covers six minutes of an attorney’s cost. The funds will be used for legal expenses to fight the lawsuit. The more you give the better, but the strength of our collective struggle is what matters. Thank you for anything you can give.

In Solidarity,

Joseph "Joey" McDermott