About the School Secretaries Chapter

Our Strength is in our Unity: A History of the School Secretaries Chapter

by Jackie Ervolina and Abe Levine

Do you ever stay up nights wondering how school secretaries came to be a part of the United Federation of Teachers?

Well, let us ease your insomnia with the following historical perspective. As you probably already know, school secretaries, by nature, are sensitive, perceptive and highly intelligent, if not darn near brilliant. A long time ago, some of our secretarial colleagues realized that there was strength in unity and worked tirelessly to join ranks with teachers in affiliating with the young, aspiring union movement in the schools, the United Federation of Teachers.

Before 1960, school secretaries were represented by the Secretaries' Association, an independent group that attempted to negotiate with the board on behalf of its members. They were a small group with no union affiliation. Just like teachers before the UFT was formed, school secretaries tried, but they were often powerless to persuade the board to meet their demands.

Goldie Colodny, a school secretary and union advocate, and others saw a different way to meet the needs of school secretaries. They believed that with the support and strength of an organization comprised of colleagues who shared the same work environment, their quiet voice could be transformed into a shout through union solidarity.

You could say that Goldie Colodny gave birth to the secretaries' chapter of the UFT, and you would be right. She served as the school secretary at P.S.66X for many years. As a result of her determination, the UFT challenged the independent Secretaries' Association in a collective bargaining election not long after the UFT itself came into existence. It was a heated election campaign, but the UFT won recognition as the collective bargaining agent for school secretaries and the UFT negotiated the first contract for secretaries in July, 1965.

From the start, the secretaries had functional chapter status, which meant that they were self-governing on matters of policy concerning secretaries. It also meant they had the right to elect their own Chapter Leader and delegates to the UFT's Delegate Assembly, which decides union policy. Our first Chapter Leaders were Helen Engelberg and Libby Klinghoffer. These courageous secretaries set the foundation for a Chapter that has worked long and hard over the years to make sure that the voice of the school secretary continues to be heard, along with those of other UFT members.

Well, we've come a long way. Today, school secretaries number more than 3,000 across the city. To say that we are a part of a large and powerful union movement in education is an understatement!

Jackie Ervolina is the current Chapter Leader. She and the 14-member Executive Committee meet monthly throughout the school year to find solutions to problems secretaries face in their workplace. A top priority is providing the professional development secretaries want and need. This was a top priority in recent negotiations and recent gains include arranging for college credit courses for licensure and Professional Credit courses ("P" courses) for secretaries who are earning their differentials.

Each year the Executive Committee coordinates a New secretaries' Institute, a midyear seminar, a Leadership Weekend and an Awards Luncheon, which honors one secretary from each borough as "Secretary of the Year."

Jackie and the Executive Committee also hold borough-wide union meetings during the school year along with meetings on topics such as health and welfare and pension. Some big job, right? Right! — but worth the effort.

Did I hear someone ask if we aren't just small fish in a big pond? Wouldn't we do better on our own?

Let's be honest. Not every secretary agrees with union affiliation. Some think we would be better off on our own, autonomously negotiating with the Board. But, do we really want to go back to the days when school employees' lives were governed by the whim of patronizing employers? Those were the days when bosses could unilaterally make decisions to hire and fire you or reduce your benefits and salary. If you really want to take a longer historical look down memory lane (pre-union days), you may not like what you see! There was a time when school employees did not have contractual rights: no grievance procedures, no transfer plan, no benefits and barely any salary. Theirs was a sad situation and they were powerless to make consistent changes until they unionized.

During the 35 years that the UFT has bargained for school secretaries, we have seen tremendous advances in salaries, benefits, rights and working conditions. Under the leadership of former Presidents Al Shanker, Sandy Feldman, Randi Weingarten, and, at present, Michael Mulgrew, the UFT continues to champion the rights of union members and workplace reforms.

We, school secretaries, work hard and realize that we are an integral part of the educational community. We deserve the protection and support that the UFT gives us because we are important members of our union as well. Our responsibility is to stay active and informed by attending UFT meetings and events, reading the Secretaries' Relay newsletter and keeping in touch with our borough coordinators — there's one in each UFT borough office.

Remember: Our strength is in our unity!