Maya McFadden Photos
Members of Cicarella/DeLucia slate at Goodfellas campaign kick-off.
Dave Cicarella, president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, is looking to get re-elected next month with a slate of educators promising strength in continuity and experience to accomplish unfinished goals.
Elections for the teachers union, Local 933, are upcoming. On Dec. 7, Cicarella will face yet another challenge for his sixth term in office.
The Cicarella/DeLucia slate for the next three year-term gathered at State Street’s Goodfellas Restaurant Thursday afternoon to launch the campaign.
Cicarella’s latest presidential challenger is Metropolitan Business Academy social studies teacher Leslie Blatteau who is running alongside a “Fighting For Our Future” slate focusing on democratic process, clear communication, and coalition-building. The slate previously had its coming-out event at Bear’s Smokehouse. (Read about the slate and its critique and plans here.)
The Cicarella/DeLucia slate is made up of 24 educators whose nominations are scheduled to be approved by the current union e‑board at its coming Tuesday monthly meeting. (Click here for bio’s of the slate.)
About one-third of the slate is made up of “fresh faces” who are not members of the current executive board. One-third of the candidates have run beside Cicarella since his first run in 2007. And one-third joined Cicarella at some point after his first term during his 15 years in office.
The slate’s seven new faces for this year’s election include: Jennifer Wells-Jackson, Kari Martin, Simone Minichino, David Minnella, Brian Grindrod, Delores Marshall, and Anthony Latella.
Union President Dave Cicarella and VP Pat DeLucia.
Cicarella is running alongside current Vice President Pat DeLucia, who is uncontested for re-election.
The slate members enjoyed an evening of conversation and a penne pasta dinner at the two hour kick-off event.
Cicarella argued that his string of election victories show “I’m effective at what I do. And the voters agree.”
Over his past three-year terms, Cicarella has negotiated five contracts. He said his experience will be beneficial for upcoming contract negotiations that require “knowledge about the issues Covid continues to cause for all members.”
If re-elected, Cicarella plans to negotiate to get teachers’ “working conditions settled,” he said.
Cicarella recalled being elected president in 2007 and going through a huge learning curve. “Now is not the time for no experience. The relationships I’ve established will get things done, and that’s my plan,” he said.
Cicarella has built relationships with the superintendent, the New Haven Public Schools central office, school principals, New Haven State Sen. Martin Looney, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, he said.
Kari Martin, Patricia Edwards, Jaseen Pickett, and Tracey Harris.
DeLucia was a resource teacher for 25 years at Riverside Education Academy. He has previously served in the roles of trustee, High School rep, vice-president of high schools, and executive secretary over his 22 years with the union executive board.
If reelected, DeLucia said, he plans to strengthen the union’s relationships with the district’s central office by creating a committee made up of e‑board members, teachers, and the schools superintendent’s team. “It’s all about building a good school setting,” he said.
DeLucia said Cicarella’s leadership style “aims to benefit all members.” He referenced the union’s approval of a contractual pay freeze last year in exchange for three years of relief from layoffs, involuntary transfers and rising medical costs. “That contract shows his commitment to making sure everyone benefits,” he said.
Reginald Augustine.
Reggie Augustine joined Cicarella’s team 15 years ago and is running for a new position on the e‑board as high school representative. He currently is one of seven pre-K-to‑8 representatives on the e‑board.
Augustine, a New Haven native, has been a NHPS educator for 27 years and currently teaches at Hillhouse High School.
If elected to the role of high school representative, Augustine said, he hopes to shed light on student problems that school staff subsequently later deal with, like bullying and increasing gang violence. “I grew up here and never had a problem walking in any neighborhood,” Augustine said. “These kids don’t feel safe wherever they go. Not even school.”
Augustine also hopes to encourage the union to support abolishing Connecticut’s windfall policy for social security for retiring educators.
J. Peter Wilson, Pat DeLucia, and Reggie Augustine.
Special education teacher J. Peter Wilson is running with the slate for his first executive board position as vice president for special services. He joined Local 933 in 1999.
If elected, Wilson promised to advocate for special education staff in a union contract that currently lacks “language to protect those members in special education departments from heavy caseloads.”
Ross Woodward School social worker Kari Martin is running for pre-K‑8 representative after being encouraged by the current e‑board and school staff. “I’m outspoken for my students and to help the teachers,” she said.
Kari Martin.
Martin said one of the major concerns she’d like to address if elected is working with the district to negotiate increased teacher benefits and wages to tackle teacher and substitute shortages.
“A lot of teachers are having to give up their prep time to make up for the shortage,” Martin said. “Teachers’ morales are strained. I can feel it in the school.”
She also suggested the board do a needs assessment with union members to learn “what’s pressing them and what they need from us.”
“I want to add to the knowledge of the board and be there for the teachers,” she said. “Seeing so many members staying on the board tells me that this is a fight worth joining.”
Ballots will be mailed out this coming Wednesday or Thursday to about 1,700 members, Cicarella said.
Jennifer Wells-Jackson.
King-Robinson Magnet School Literacy Instructional Coach Jennifer Wells-Jackson has worked in NHPS for 26 years. She is a New Haven native and is running for one of the eight pre-k‑8 representative seats.
If elected, Wells-Jackson promised to advocate for extra supports to new teachers during contract negotiations.
Wells-Jackson previously served as the e‑board’s vice president for middle schools. After a term off from the e‑board, she decided to run again for a new role.
“This is an amazing team. They care about ensuring teachers are first and foremost,” Wells-Jackson said. “When I think of Dave and Pat, I know that any teacher can depend on them,” she said.
Slate and supporters gather at Goodfellas.
Pay freezes, inequitable health care benefits, and lack of transparency. That's what the current union leadership has negotiated and given the teachers. "Experience matters"- that's the only thing I've heard from this slate. The eboard does not negotiate contracts, the negotiation team and the lawyers do. Our salary steps are $10-20,000 behind neighboring districts, and our amazing educators are leaving in droves because of it. There has never been a time in my career in NHPS that the current union leadership has done outreach to see how teachers are feeling, what ideas they have, what challenges they face, or engaged our union members to work collaboratively. We desperately need change now.