Penny Cramer for Tacoma EA President

Thank you for your support and your votes. I will serve the rest of my term with grace and dignity and will continue to fight for the rights of our members till my very last day.

Today is the last day to vote! Vote before 5 PM.

TACOMA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: Online Voting

More of our colleagues that I am happy to have received endorsement from. Thank you. There's still time to vote until 5 PM on Friday.

What a few of our colleagues have to say about my leadership. I am honored to have earned their votes.

Earning the respect of leaders in our district and association is essential. Sara Ketelsen is a long-time member who has served on the executive board, the WEA board and many state and local union committees, including currently on the Washington State Investment Board.

"Penny has impressed me with her focus on inclusion, inviting in those who previously felt unheard, and transparency in actions. Her willingness to own mistakes and publicly work to make things right is integrity in action and something I hope all elected people do. I know she holds our association and members at the heart of all her decisions. I’m happily voting for Penny Cramer for TEA President and hope you will too."

Thank you, Sara!

It is a pleasure to connect with other locals/councils on planning union events. I made a concerted effort to connect with our closest council, Soundview, so we could strengthen both of our councils. Filma Fontanilla, President of Soundview:

One of my favorite sayings is “Teamwork makes the dreamwork!” in my last two years as Soundview Uniserv Council President, Penny and I have collaborated on events such as Mock RA and SPARKS. Bringing together both of our councils has been a showcase of our partnership and desire to uplift our memberships to activate their unionism. Though our two councils operate differently, our members are experiencing the same opportunities and avenues to leverage their power as WEA members. We are stronger because of our members! Penny keeps her members and our contracts - that we all work hard to represent and uphold - at the center of our strength! Re-elect Penny for Tacoma EA President.

Relationships with other governance leaders across WEA are essential to the work of a local president. I have been able to move equity work forward by building relationships with equity warriors, such as Shawna Moore, WEA Executive Committee, Rainier Educators of Color Network Lead, and Highline EA Vice President. I am proud to have earned Shawna's endorsement:

"Equity, accountability and transparency are the three words that come to mind when I think of Penny. It is her goal to ensure that all members and students are seen, heard, valued and championed in Tacoma. She leans into difficult conversations around race and equitable access to all.

Penny wanted to ensure members of color were, inspired and elevated into leadership positions..she did that. She wanted to changed who had seats at the TEA tables. Did the people at the table represent the students TEA is serving? If not she brought in the chairs… She did that. She is creating and fostering a Call In Culture vs a Call Out Culture…She did that. Penny did not just talk about these things, as others did, she put them into action with intentionality and purpose.

I consider Penny an AAC (Ally, Accomplice and Co-conspirator). She is about tearing down systems that were not meant for all. She stands for justice for all, black and brown joy, Excellence and liberation! She is about building and creating bridges and dismantling walls and barriers.

I fully support and endorse Penny as she runs for re-election as TEA’s President. I am confident she will continue to put your members, your students, your schools, your families and your community first. Penny is moving Tacoma forward in what educational justice looks like!"

In honor of Education Support Professionals Week.....thank you to all of our OP/PT chapter members. It has been a horrible week with cuts to some of our longest tenured employees in this workgroup. I stand with you and will fight for better CBA language for you. Here is a statement for Pamella Johnson, the 2023 NEA ESP of the Year, and a Washington Education Association member:

"I believe that integrity is essential. Integrity requires that our association follow our established rules and that our business is conducted with transparency. Penny has demonstrated this with the policies that guide the decisions, by-laws that ensure practices are not only consistent but have the equitable lens that all individual members' voices are heard.

Penny is that leader that will continue to serve her members with integrity which include ALL voices and ALL ideas. She continues to bring people together to forge that path forward especially in these difficult times in education.

Please support Penny in her e-election for Tacoma Education Association as President as she continues to work collectively and inclusively in maintaining high standards within our organization and profession for the betterment of ALL our students.

Penny will be THAT voice for all!"

It's finally time to vote! Check your home email for information about accessing your ballot. Don't forget to read the candidate statements for other offices as well!

Tacoma EA Officer and Zone Rep Elections 2024 | Washington Education Association Washington Education Association - Strengthening Washington's Public Schools

Rights are not pie, they're more like π. Happy π Day!

Policy making is important for any organization to provide the structure for our work. Every union needs 3 governance documents: Constitution, Bylaws, and a Policy Manual. Our Constitution provides for the overall structure, the Bylaws detail the duties for our elected officers and committees, and the policies provide clarity on how our work is transacted.
Policy is what holds our leaders and members accountable for the responsible use of our members' dues. Policy is what stops the president, executive board and staff from making decisions based on personalities or personal preferences. Policy is what provides equitable access to resources and opportunities within our union. Policy is what prevents our leaders and staff from committing fraud. We have been lucky that no fraud has occurred as far as we know, but we must have policies in place to ensure that it does not occur in the future.
Tacoma EA did not have a policy manual or any policies in place. In the past two years, I have worked with committees and rank and file members bring policies to our association representatives for approval. They have passed the following policies: Budget Committee Policy, Investment Policy, Discretionary Spending Policy, Association Events Expectations Policy, Conference Attendance Selection Policy, Conflict of Interest and Ethics Policy for the Executive Board, and an Anti-Bias and Nondiscrimination Resolution. There are more policies in the works, including a travel policy, union release use, office access/use, and more. My goal is to make sure that we have policies in place, voted on by our association representatives, so that the work of our union is clear and transparent to all members.

Equity work is a cornerstone of my presidency. In every conversation, I consider who is at the table, who is missing from the table and think of ways to bring missing voices to the table. I specifically invited our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ members to attend trainings, run for office and have worked with our equity committee to create affinity groups for marginalized communities. I connect with community organizations who can provide support and work with WEA managers, staff and governance across the state on equity issues. I am well known and recognized for the positive changes I have brought to Tacoma EA. I will continue to do this work, because it is my belief that as a person who has privilege it is my duty to use it on behalf of others who do not. It is a pleasure for me to encourage members to stand in their own power.

When I took office in 2022, we had just completed a full bargain. Many members were full of questions about the bargain and were disappointed in how the ratification meeting was handled. We can do better. Bargaining should be transparent: Our priorities should be known to all members going in, and members should be able to present new language and ideas for the bargain. Once a TA is agreed to on a section, it should be published to all members so that by the time ratification happens, all members will have had opportunity to ask questions and understand fully what is being ratified. Previous presidents have always kept everything a secret until just before the ratification meeting. This is not transparent and does not reflect a member-driven union. It's time to move forward to a new, better way of doing bargaining.

Organizing is the most important part of union work. It takes a lot of time and effort, but without it, our union lacks direction. As president, I have quietly been doing organizing work: I visit worksites, host listenings sessions, connect members to WEA resources, bring WEA equity trainings to members, am sending more members than ever to conferences/trainings, and am continually having one on one conversations with members. Organizing is how we unite members stand in their own power.

When I ran for president in 2022, I had 4 priorities: Member Organizing, Communication, Fiscal Health, and Equity. By collaborating with rank and file and elected leadership, I was able to make great progress on all four of my priorities. But this campaign is not about past accomplishments. This campaign is about the direction of our union: I will continue to work on organizing and equity, on policies for fiscal health and communication and I will continue my focus on bargaining with continued organizing around issues. We need to open our bargaining so that there is transparency in the process for all members. Let's keep moving forward together.

NEA Leadership Summit finished up yesterday and we finally made it home late last night. What a fabulous weekend of inspiring leadership training and connecting with union siblings from across the country! It was Chicago, so of course there was steak, a Chicago hot dog, and deep dish pizza! And some details from a few of my favorite works of art at The Art Institute of Chicago. My brain and heart are full after trainings in equity, organizing, and all things UNION! Time to stand in our power!

Getting into ‘good trouble’ at the NEA Leadership Summit with WEA colleagues, Pamella Johnson, 2023 NEA ESP of the year and Shawna Moore, RECN Lead and WEA Executive Committee Member.

At the NEA Leadership Summit build on my leadership skills. I'm ready to continue to serve members.

What kind of a union do you want? I've been focused on moving us towards an organizing model and there is still a lot of work to do! Too much of our power has been kept in an "inner circle" under previous leaders. I am working to empower more members to engage in the work and build our leadership capacity.

Black History is our history.

The labor movement’s history is far from perfect when it comes to race, but if we commit to fairness for all workers, we can build a better future together. Check out AFL-CIO's Black History Month reading list: https://bit.ly/3UAUKG1

I’m proud to have been a supporter of this union organizing campaign. Unions make work better.

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Tacoma Art Museum Union Victory Night Join us to celebrate our historic union win and the community’s crucial role in bringing it about. We’ll be giving out TAMWU shirts + swag and discounts from local businesses who stood by us throughout the campaign. We’ll also be presenting an art installation displaying the TAMWU shirts our m...

There are some amazing candidates for vice president! I would be honored to work with any of them.

I am super excited about the possibilities ahead for our union! Let's keep moving forward!