Ted J. Bloom, Department of Education
What made you decide to start working for the State?
I always wanted a union job. Never had one. Heard good things about unions. Better pay and benefits. Less of a need to hire a private attorney.
How has your leadership evolved since becoming a steward?
I am not afraid to talk truth to power.
What motivated you to step into leadership?
My relatives were union members.
What continues to inspire your involvement in this work?
My favorite story: Back in 2017 I received a rejection letter for CDCR HR stating I did not have the qualifications for employment. Really. At the time I had two related graduate degrees (Masters), have been published in NYC and elsewhere since 1999, and I just finished about 7.5 years as a college librarian and information literacy professor in downtown Brooklyn. Not to mention my years working as a career preparation instructor for the South Bronx Job Corps. Therefore, I called CDCR HR and politely asked to speak with a manager. I mentioned the rejection letter and my qualifications. The manager said, she apologized, that she was surrounded by jerks in her office and the CDCR would love to have me as a librarian. Moral: Tenacity pays. I traveled over 3000 miles to work in beautiful, sunny California. I was not going down without a fight. The rest is history.
TIP: When you get those union busting, return postage paid cards in the mail–you know the ones telling you to opt out so you can “save big,” scribble on them and mail them back. This way the union busters have to pay the postage! The “save big” part is a lie. Union pensions are much large than non-union 401ks or 503bs. Our wages are also better by comparison. Thank you.