By Adam Pagnucco.
For as long as I can remember, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500 and the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) have been allies. That makes sense because both unions represent MCPS employees, with the teachers in MCEA and the support staff in Local 500. But the two unions don’t agree on everything, and in this year’s endorsements for school board, they are far apart.
Last month, MCEA endorsed three challengers in this year’s school board election – Rita Montoya (At-Large), Natalie Zimmerman (District 2) and Laura Stewart (District 4). All are running against incumbents seeking reelection, with other candidates also in each race. Over the last few days, Local 500 has rolled out its own endorsements and – guess what? – it went with the three incumbents. Check out its posts on X below.
Lynne Harris, At-Large
Rebecca Smondrowski, District 2
Shebra Evans, District 4
MCEA has been very vocal about its unhappiness with the school system in recent months. Check out its statements blasting MCPS for hiring “an anti-worker law firm,” accusing MCPS of “looking for cover rather than seeking the truth,” chastising MCPS for failing to protect its members from “an alleged predator,” alleging that MCPS had “severely damaged its reputation as an employer,” saying it was “disgusted but not shocked” by an inspector general report on MCPS, claiming that MCPS had a “lack of integrity at highest levels,” expressing its view that the former superintendent’s pending departure “appears justified” and condemning “corruption, malfeasance, and unsafe working conditions in MCPS.” MCEA even discussed the possibility of a class action lawsuit against MCPS with its members. (Gee folks, what do the teachers really think?)
There is no similar trail of statements by SEIU Local 500. Instead, we have its endorsements of all the incumbents running this year. This is night and day between two unions who have a long history of cooperation.
Now let’s not get carried away: MCEA and Local 500 co-signed an op-ed calling on the county council to fully fund MCPS. That’s a no-brainer – it’s easy to agree on more money. But the fact remains that these unions are working at cross purposes in the coming election.
Whatever the outcome, Local 500’s endorsements reinforce a growing impression that this year’s school board race will come down to the Apple Ballot vs the incumbents. Since none of the candidates have any money, it’s hard for any of the others to break through. We shall see if this impression proves true as the primary election approaches.