Reblogged from MEAMatters
The first shot in The Mackinac Center’s Please Quit the MEA summer campaign arrived yesterday in many teachers’ taxpayer-funded email accounts. This year’s featured obsessive union-hater is Mary Davenport, a Lansing special education teacher. Mary starts her email with:
I’m disillusioned with my union – the Michigan Education Association. When I needed help, the union wasn’t there.
The MEA’s response was immediate and emphatic:
MEMORANDUM
FROM: Steven B. Cook, MEA President
DATE: June 10, 2015
RE: Mackinac Center Campaign
Beware: The Mackinac Center—a shadowy anti-public educator organization funded by corporate special interests—has begun its summer campaign to separate you from your union and attack your collective bargaining rights. Interestingly, this time they chose to use taxpayer-funded school emails to send their “message.”
The Mackinac Center has somehow persuaded its new media darling, Mary Davenport, who works in the Lansing School District, to “speak out” against MEA. The Mackinac Center has coached Ms. Davenport to repeat many of its tired and refuted attacks on MEA, then go on to say that the services MEA provides are not worth the dues and you should consider opting out.
It’s important to have a factual discussion of the many services that MEA has provided to Ms. Davenport. Despite her false claims, our organization has gone above and beyond to help Ms. Davenport. Frankly, we’re proud of the services we’ve provided to Ms. Davenport and every member of our union.
Here’s what we’ve done specifically for Ms. Davenport:
– Since 2003, MEA has provided legal representation to Ms. Davenport regarding multiple claims in multiple forums.
– MEA has provided her with no fewer than four attorneys to represent her.
– MEA has spent more than $160,000 representing Ms. Davenport in her claims.
– MEA has won approximately $65,000 in cash settlements for Ms. Davenport.