Haisman and Rosenthal.

No. It’s not a law firm.

Back in the day, Bob Haisman was President of the IEA. He ran for IEA President as something of an outsider and won.

Then we butted heads over the issue of a merger of the two national teacher unions: The NEA and the AFT.

I was for it. Haisman and the IEA leadership led the charge against it.

Haisman won that fight.

In fact, I think I may have been the only IEA delegate to the NEA RA that year that voted for merger. And it lost overwhelmingly at the national meeting.

Haisman could organize. I might have disagreed with him. I had to respect his ability to organize. And besides, I was nothing but one delegate with an opinion. That and a quarter could buy you the Tribune. The Trib cost a quarter in those days. That is, if you actually wanted to buy the Trib. Which I didn’t, even back then.

Now I’m catching up with him. He’s been retired for a few years and an active retiree on a load of issues. Right now: pensions.

I’ll be joining the Illinois Retired Teachers Association and IEA Retired soon enough.

Ed Rosenthal is another active retired teacher. He ran against past president Ken Swanson and lost.

Too bad.

But now Rosenthal is running for Chair of IEA Retired.

Haisman supports Rosenthal. And so do I.

This time we are in agreement.

That might mean I have a chance of being on the winning side this time.

That would feel good.

Here’s Haisman’s letter supporting Ed.

Dear Retired Colleague….

In a few days – IF YOU ARE a MEMBER of IEA-RETIRED – a ballot will be coming to your home address via “snail mail”. If you are concerned about your pension and our TRIP insurance, this is a very important piece of mail. It is a “mail–in” ballot for the position of IEA-Retired Chairperson. I recommend without hesitation Ed Rosenthal for the office of Chairperson of IEA– Retired.

Please don’t treat this IMPORTANT BALLOT as junk mail! Save it. Mark it. Return it. And please consider voting for my good friend ED ROSENTHAL for Chairperson.

I know both of the people who are seeking this office. They are both good people. If these were only “normal” or “regular” times; we could debate the fine points of their platforms. THESE ARE NOT NORMAL TIMES. The teachers of Illinois – both active and retired — are facing a very serious crisis. The crisis is simply the survival of our pensions.

Given the crisis mode we are in, I’m recommending ED ROSENTHAL, because I believe – from the bottom of my heart – that ED ROSENTHAL will be the better person for the job of IEA-R Chairperson. Ed is a member of the IEA-Retired Council. He has been a career long Association activist – at the local, regional, state and national levels. He was chief negotiator for the Naperville EA for many years and was chair of his region (Region -39 – Naperville). Ed was on the IEA Board of Directors when I was President of the IEA (1993-99). He was a member of my IEA Executive Committee. I know Ed. We worked well together. Ed also was on the NEA Board of Directors as one of IEA’s “NEA Directors”.

That all figures into why I’m endorsing Ed. But none of the above is the real reason I’m endorsing Ed. I’m endorsing ED ROSENTHAL because Ed is a fighter. Ed Is an Advocate. Ed asks the tough question no one else in the room feels comfortable asking! I want ED ROSENTHAL to be the Retired Teachers’ representative on the IEA Board. I want Ed ROSENTHAL representing me! I want Ed fighting for me and my wife Janet’s pensions and TRIP insurance. I am extremely confident in his leadership and tenacity. Ed and I share a “vision” for a NEW IEA-R – an activist, advocate for pensions, grass roots political activist organization – that will take the lead on fighting for our pensions. Ed and I share a “vision” for political action in IEA. We want more of it! We want IEA-R to be the champion of grass roots political organizing! Both Ed and I were active in the “pension battle” of the spring of 2011 and the veto session of 2011 –Speaker Madigan, Minority Leader Cross, and the Civic Federation of Chicago tried five times to move Senate Bill 512 (“The Pension Killer”) to a vote! Five times The TEACHERS of Illinois – active and retired– stood up and stopped the “Pension Killers”. Ed Rosenthal and Pension Stalwarts from all over the state helped big time in that victory.

It is Ed’s commitment to standing up and fighting…. It is Ed’s commitment to grass roots political organizing…. It is Ed’s commitment to preserve teachers’ pensions….It is Ed’s tenacity – That is why he is my choice for the Chairperson of IEA-Retired.

Vote for Ed Rosenthal.

Join Ed Rosenthal and Bob Haisman in fighting for all of our pensions.