This is the EIA Communiqué for July 4, 1998:
+ Happy Independence Day, everyone. Even as late as this morning, some among the delegates and reporters seemed to be persuaded that the merger would pass. I don’ t think they feel that way any more. The first jarring moment for merger supporters occurred when the results of the Executive Committee election were announced. As I mentioned in yesterday’s dispatch, Bob Gilchrist, president of the Iowa State Education Association, ran for the Executive Committee against two incumbents on one issue — opposition to the merger. He was not elected, but he received 4,253 votes — a full 45.1 percent. Since it was unlikely that many people voted for Gilchrist for any reason other than his anti-merger position, it was a clear indication of the lay of the land. A further indication was presented at the afternoon merger debate.
Let’s say up front that no state delegation declared a position opposite to the position taken by its state delegate assembly. Speakers for and against the Principles of Unity alternated at the microphones. From the outset of the debate, the emotional advantage was with the anti-merger side. Gerri Williams of Delaware was the first anti-merger speaker. She spoke of her fears that a small state like Delaware would lose its voice in the larger organization. She choked back tears as she told the assembly, “I urge you to vote against the Principles of Unity, and save my vote.”
But if one speaker could be said to have brought the house down, that speaker was Mary (“None Of Your Business”) Washington, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators. Speaking on behalf of the Louisiana delegation, Ms. Washington said that “today we are given a set of principles that makes a mockery of our core beliefs.” Focusing on the lack of policy-making power of the Leadership Council, the new organization’s replacement for the NEA Board of Directors, Washington declared that reducing that body to an advisory one was “unacceptable, unacceptable, unacceptable!” If the vote had been held that minute, the merger might have been defeated by a two-to-one margin.
The pro-merger side was not helped by Mike Billirakis, president of the Ohio Education Association and a merger supporter, who elicited groans and shouts from the crowd when he likened a vote against the Principles of Unity to a vote against the Declaration of Independence.
Throughout it all, Bob Chase appeared taken aback by the forcefulness of the opposition. The debate was heated, but decorous. It was, however, extremely interesting to see that the vote to close debate passed easily — after only two hours, and 34 speakers (17 from each side). This showed that not only was neither side interested in spending the entire Independence Day arguing about merger, but that both sides felt that further debate was unlikely to sway anyone.
The voting will take place tomorrow between 8:30 and noon, Central time. I expect the results to be announced at around 1:30 p.m. You will probably hear the results from your regular press outlets before you hear them from me. I plan to spend the rest of the afternoon at the Assembly, already trying to determine what follows.