PB Teachers Union Hires BTU Official Charged With Election Fraud
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association has a new executive director: A Broward Teachers Union official given probation for an election law violation.
Lynn Cavell, the BTU’s director of strategic planning, was hired last week after contract negotiations.
She takes over the union representing 12,000 Palm Beach County teachers at a grim time for organized labor.
Not only will money for schools continue to be tight. But last week’s elections were a harbinger of just how the attitudes towards unions have changed.
In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker beat back a recall run by organized labor. By a two-to-one margin, voters in two of California’s biggest cities approved moving new government employees into private pension plans, rather than the union-preferred defined benefits plans.
Florida’s union-busting forces, firmly in control of the Legislature and the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee, are sure to continue their pressure on organized labor. Only a big win by Democrats in November — about as likely as pigs flying — could reverse that trend.
So Cavell is jumping into a very tough job.
Cavell was one of several BTU officials was charged with a misdemeanor count of filing a false campaign report.
Last month, she pleaded of no contest and was sentenced to a year’s probation. The adjudication of the charges were withheld as part of the plead deal.
The Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers represents around 12,000 teachers. The BTU represents roughly 14,000.
June 10th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Now only if we can encourage the rest of BTU leadership to vamoose.
June 10th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Why not? When it comes to union leadership, a few criminal convictions is just a resume enhancer.
June 11th, 2012 at 12:54 am
Why other covicted criminals are still in the BTU buildling? The following criminals should lineup and packup their bags
George Segna
Bernie Schultz
Ronnie Vergilito
How Bernie and Ronnie are still in the SBBC payroll after convicted in a crime? Where is Marchetti and his FBI Certificate?
June 11th, 2012 at 12:56 am
My Boss Pat Reilly is coming to help Marchetti
June 11th, 2012 at 8:03 am
It is very sad to see what has become of labor. Growing up in the mid 50’s labor was king. They stood for fairness and helped workers get a fair wage and fair treatment so they could take care of their families. Workers appreciated those gains but they earned every nickel with hard work.
Since then the labor agenda evolved to more money for less work and better working conditions. That is their agenda even to this day.
This explains why American workers no longer have manufacturing jobs. Labor forgot that in return for compensation workers had to produce value or the economics don’t work.
Union membership is at a 70 year low because the economics of it no longer makes sense.
It no longer pays for a company owner to manufacture in the US yet labor blames other people. They do nothing to help bring those jobs back and won’t.
In schools, where we still see lots of unionized workers, if you’re a teacher not doing a good job, the union will protect you as a matter of principle. They will protect a bad teacher. That is wrong. Wrong for the union, wrong for teachers and very wrong for students. Yet it happens because union places it’s members above what is best for the kids. That is also wrong.
Now add criminality to the mix. Why is it that every single teachers union president goes to jail? Same goes for most unions. Why must union involvement result in criminality?
Police and fire unions endorse the candidates who promise their workers the biggest raises even if other candidates are better prepared to serve our community better. What moral standing does an endorsement made on that basis offer?
Wisconsin got it right. They sent labor a message that needed to be sent. It was a very painful message to send but enough is enough. The fact is we need labor in the mix but they most rediscover who they are and what they stand for. Labor must be engaged in the success of the organizations they work for. Not just more pay for less work and better working conditions. They must have high standards for who gets to hold a union card. They must be a model for high ethical standards.
Or they can do the predictable thing. They can ignore this warning. In which case history will call what happened in Wisconsin the day labor in America died.
June 11th, 2012 at 11:54 am
Scott Walker won because of the Koch Brothers and others who helped him outspend his opponent 7 to 1.
Good Luck to Palm Beach CTA. Ms. Cavall was hired to run the BTU Futures Committee and she stole the show.
June 11th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
i cant stop laughing. she pushed santeramo over the edge..wasn’t going to have her contract renewed..and gets job in palm beach..did i fail to mention, she showed up with shady background to broward…go heat..
June 13th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
Unions are nothing more than a arm of Democrat party. They are a joke. Self serving could care less about anybody but themselves. Look at Florida education system. Kids cant pass so we will just lower the grading system so they can pass. Unions are nothing but parasites living off of tax dollrs.
June 28th, 2012 at 10:15 am
Buddy:
This story has legs…run with it.
Are you aware that Cavall was hired with the strong support (maybe push) by Jo A. Barry. She is also known as Jo A. Barry-Segna, wife of George Segna, BTU Director of Field Services. According to the Fla Dept of State Div of Elections website, both George and Wife Jo made contributions which were later reimbursed. George made two contributions: $500 on 2/27/09 and $500 on 9/1/10. His wife Jo contributed $500 on 9/1/10. Cavall made two $500 contributions: one on 2/27/09 and one on 9/1/10. Her husband, Dino Cavall contributed $500 on 9/1/10.
I would bet that the Palm Beach CTA had no idea about Jo Berry-Segna’s participation in that scheme. Seems like the PBCTA did not receive full disclosure from the candidate nor from Barry-Segna who strongly influenced and pushed Cavall’s hire. PBCCTA should consider rescinding the contract on these grounds…….
Buddy, keep the story going.
It appears that Birds of a Feather DO Stick Together…Jail Birds. that is……