Let’s keep doing better and growing stronger!

A little over a year ago, I took over as the president of The Rialto Education Association.  I won a re-do election on Friday January 20th, 2023.  I taught my last day with students on Monday January 23rd.  After that I was out of the classroom and leading our union.

When I took over we had no office.  The previous office was leased from the city and REA was told at the end of August 2022 they had to be out by the end of October.  We had a 25 year veteran office manager, who was the institutional memory of our union and she retired in August of 2022.  Everything the union owned was in storage when I took over.

Yet despite those challenges I felt excited for the opportunity to lead. We hired a new office manager in March and we were moving into our new office by May. As the 2023 school year ended we realized we would need to organize and fight to get a fair contract settlement, so we started the next school year hot!

When teachers returned to work we asked them to hand out yard signs and flyers to parents.  We organized a rally on the 3rd day of school to attend the school board meeting.  Over the next several months we continued to organize and formed partnerships with our sister union, CSEA.  We had support from our State Assembly member Eloise Gomez-Reyes. Which all led to the biggest settlement we have had in 20 plus years.

Along the way we had lots of other victories:

* We re-instituted principal evaluations.  Our members grade their principal.

* We signed an MOU to repay up to 18 lost days when members got snowed in after two massive storms last year.  Surrounding districts only gave 7 days.

* We got our non profit status reinstated after it was lost because the annual form wasn't completed the previous year.

Now there is another election. I believe we have done enough to win a full term.  It takes time to achieve something and I hope I am given another two years as president.

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Tobin Brinker

REA President