A Q&A with Baltimore Teachers Union President, Diamonté Brown

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A short while ago unions have been a topic of discussion adhering to the profitable unionizing of Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse in New York and Starbucks shops nationwide. In the education and learning industry—where not outlawed— unions can be discovered in most spots across the state. For many educators, unions are the collective bargaining unit that negotiates their contracts, resolves their grievances, and provides guidance and lawful illustration. But if you Google everything about lecturers unions, you are going to uncover both equally overwhelming assist for them and rigid opposition. 

This thirty day period, I experienced the option to do a Q&A with Baltimore Instructors Union (BTU) President, Diamonté Brown. In this electronic mail trade, we examine what encouraged Brown’s perform with the BTU, how unions are generally mischaracterized, and how university districts can enjoy academics. 

The Educator’s Area: What impressed you to commence your function with the Union?

Diamonté Brown: There had been several elements that inspired me to commence my work with the union. The initially Black labor occasion in Maryland (as soon as we get ballot standing), Ujima People’s Development Get together (UPP), which I am a member of, taught me about how unions can be used as a powerful software in organizing, the power of the performing class, and how unions can be a drive in making certain whole employment for all all those keen and ready to function at a livable wage and humane and risk-free performing disorders. 

While understanding about unions and labor get-togethers, I was organizing about felony justice reform and campaign finance reform troubles. As I was organizing close to these concerns, I met a member of the Baltimore Movement of Rank and File Educators (BMORE), a social justice caucus of the Baltimore Instructors Union. A person of the BMORE co-founders asked if I would be part of BMORE and be on the steering committee. 

I approved and in 2016 I entered the Baltimore Town Community University System (BCPSS) as a full time instructor. I quickly joined the union and promptly seen union rank and file associates required a lot more choice building power in our union. I grew to become a building representative to turn into far more engaged and greater comprehend union functions. Although remaining a developing agent, I consistently went to trainings on unions, labor, and organizing.

As a result of BMORE, I was released to the United Caucuses of Rank and File Educators (UCORE), a nationwide group of reform caucuses supported by Labor Notes. UCORE has a mission to completely transform unionism from mostly focusing on bread and butter troubles to focusing on bread and butter troubles and issues that impact our communities like homelessness, foods deserts, basic safety, racial equity, and so forth. In purchase to reach this mission, UCORE sought out to have social just caucuses like BMORE persuade transformation within their unions and when the opportunity arises to look for management positions.

UCORE tasked BMORE with operating for union management and we approved the challenge. BMORE made a decision that I need to operate at the prime of the ticket and I approved the cost. My functioning mates and I all organized to turnout far more union members than our opposition and we won 19/41 seats (which includes the presidency) on our 2019 union board.

“I would argue that [teachers unions] have the similar requires as mom and dad, which is that our college students should really have the educational institutions they should have.” A Q&A with Baltimore Lecturers Union President, Diamonté Brown Click on To Tweet

Diamonté Brown, Baltimore Lecturers Union President/ Courtesy of Diamonté Brown

TER: Is there a challenge or initiative you aided launch with the Baltimore Lecturers Union that you’re particularly happy of?

Diamonté Brown: Yes. I was a key aspect of launching a campaign (nevertheless ongoing) to reform the faculty board of the Baltimore Town General public Universities Process (BCPSS). The campaign so considerably has included effectively developing the Voices In direction of an Elected College board (VOTES) coalition, a coalition of corporations and people today doing the job on reforms these kinds of as, rising the quantity of college student members on the board, supplying the student board member equivalent voting rights as grownup board customers, and restructuring our college board from a entirely appointed university board to a hybrid appointed/elected faculty board, with the the greater part of the members currently being elected.

The VOTES coalition effectively championed obtaining Maryland state legislation, Senate Monthly bill 157, passed. This bill will maximize the pupil board member’s voting rights, amongst other points. We have a great deal extra get the job done to do and our recent concentration is reforming the range approach for appointed associates of the board as we keep on our do the job to reform the composition of the university board. 

TER: What is anything that men and women misunderstand about instructors unions and the do the job they do? Why are teachers’ unions crucial?

Diamonté Brown: Oddly, teachers unions are at times mischaracterized as having competing calls for with dad and mom of learners. I would argue that we have the similar requires as moms and dads, which is that our students should really have the schools they are entitled to. In buy to get our young children the universities they are worthy of, lecturers unions keep on being essential in advocating and organizing with mom and dad, college students, and local community users to get the means, funding, staffing, lifestyle, and electricity needed to increase doing the job ailments, pupil understanding circumstances, and our communities. 

TER: What are some approaches university districts can display they enjoy lecturers? 

Diamonté Brown:

• Shell out us what we deserve 
• Give us a lot more time within just the college working day to plan for instruction and mirror on instruction 
• Put as considerably strength into supporting employees progress as they do putting in accountability steps
• Give us back again the autonomy we require to correctly train our students 
• Deal with us like experts
• End producing us out to be villains when we stand up for ourselves and our pupils
• Retention and Sign On bonuses
• Enable us eat lunch uninterrupted 
• Don’t forget we are men and women as well

TER: Is there nearly anything else you would like educators to know?

Diamonté Brown: You are all wonderful! You never need authorization to place your self to start with! You are worthy of to be satisfied!

A great deal gratitude and appreciation to Diamonté Brown for participating in this Q&A. To discover about the get the job done that Diamonté Brown and the Baltimore Academics Union are performing simply click listed here. 

This interview is a part of Educators Unsilenced, a monthly interview series on The Educator’s Area by Lanee Higgins. Just about every thirty day period Lanee interviews educators building their influence on schooling. See previous month’s job interview right here.

*Responses may well have been edited for clarity and/or length. 

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