February 19, 2015
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
How did I make the decision to run for AFT-CT President? It took a lifetime to get me to this point. After graduating from the University of New Haven with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I worked at Pfizer until the birth of my first daughter. For the next ten years I worked at Omega Engineering in Stamford, where I supervised 5 departments. This opportunity provided me with supervision and management skills, which include developing growth plans and budgets.
In my late thirties, I asked myself the all-important questions, “Am I doing something I truly love? Does this job give me purpose? Am I helping people?” Unfortunately, the answers were no. I do not in any way regret those years and the experiences they afforded me, but I realized that I did not want to work in a corporation, and in a position that offered little opportunity to fight those who worked with and for me.
After much soul-searching, I made the decision to go back to school and become a Physics teacher. I was offered a job at Wright Technical High School in Stamford while I attended Sacred Heart University and obtained my Masters’ degree in Teaching. I worked at Wright until it’s closing in 2009. At that time I was very upset that the leadership in my local did not stand with the members and fight harder for the school. I believed we needed a union that fought for its members, and I decided to run for an officer of the SVFT. I won.
In my time as President of the SVFT, I have made some hard choices and had to fight some very hard battles. Within a month of taking office, 40 LPN teachers’ positions were eliminated. I insisted that we fight this decision, and we ultimately prevailed: everyone who was relocated was given the option of returning. In 2011, I participated in the SEBAC negotiations. I visited every CTHSS school twice to hold informational meetings and answer member’s questions; I looked to my executive board to ensure I was doing everything in my power to ensure members had the information needed to vote thoughtfully. During the following legislative session, a bill was introduced that sought to close the CTHSS and shift all of the technical high schools to the town in which they reside. The result would have been 21 schools that were no longer operated in a cohesive union or system. Ultimately, I believe it would have been the end of a system that has offered CT students the opportunity to pursue a trade and become productive tax-paying citizens directly out of high school. In the end, after lobbying with legislators, creating protests, and demanding a close study of the system, we prevailed. The ultimate result was a stronger, more unified membership that is now not afraid to speak up and work together.
I have had to work with three Superintendents, each with a different management styles. I have worked with, and fought with, legislators, the Commissioner, and the Governor’s office. What I have learned is that it is the membership that must be the driving force. Membership is on the front-line doing the truly important work. Membership has to be asked what they need, what changes they want. Membership and its voice are the only things that matter.
Last August, after a disturbing conversation with an AFT-CT officer, I felt my values were not the same ideals and goals of those in office. I made the decision that members of my local, and the members of all of AFT-CT’s locals deserved to have a leadership that was truly interested in listening their voices.
Guiding Principles and Goals:
I. Membership First – The belief that the strength of AFT is in its members. AFT-CT’s leadership has an obligation to continually speak not only to the presidents of locals, but to their executive boards, and most importantly to the memberships.
II. Communication & Collaboration – The belief that once the desires of the membership are understood, together we achieve more. This is only possible in a climate of respect.
III. Transparency – The belief AFT-CT leadership has an obligation to make membership aware of the work being done. To be true to the movement, policies and practices must align.
IV. Organization – The belief that AFT-CT needs to identify the work that needs to be done should be outlined and prioritized in short-term and long-term plans.
If you share these values, I invite you to better understand what I consider my four guiding principles and goals that my leadership team embraces as a vision of change.
In Solidarity,
Jan Hochadel
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