Marsha Zierk. RIP.
There was a Facebook post this morning from my friend Ed Rosenthal saying Marsha Zierk has died.
I’m a local IEA activist. My relationship to the state organization consists of attending the IEA Representative Assembly and the NEA RA as a state delegate. And blogging about it. Not much more than that.
My contact with Marsha was on those couple of days a year when the IEA RA and NEA RA met.
I knew she was a strong local leader from out in the western ‘burbs.
I also knew she was a dedicated teacher unionist who fought to protect teacher union rights like they’re gold. Which they are.
We found ourselves on different sides of issues from the start. My first RA was about a national merger with the AFT, which I supported and Marsha opposed. She was with the state leadership on that issue.
Lately, not so much, as she would tell me of her concerns with the erosion of hard fought bargaining rights and the conciliatory nature of recent IEA state leaders.
Even when we disagreed she would council me on RA floor strategy. She wanted minority voices heard. Democratic discussion was important to her as being right.
When a good teacher and union leader dies, it’s important to stop and take notice.
