Superintendent reports 90% of 3rd grade scholars scored at reading proficiency level

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Alabama Association of School Business Officials (AASBO) has selected Greene County CSFO, Mrs. Marquita Lennon to participate in the organization’s 2024 Leadership Program. The objective of AASBO Leadership is to develop future leaders in school business management to help improve the quality of education in Alabama and their respective communities. Mrs. Marquita Lennon was selected to be one of 12 CSFO’s out of 137 CSFO’s in the state of Alabama.

The Greene County Board of Education held its regular session, Monday, May 20, 2024 with all members present along with Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones and CSFO Mrs. Marquita Lennon. In his report to the board, Dr, Jones stated that 90% of Eutaw Primary School 3rd grade scholars scored at reading proficiency level, a significant increase from the previous year. Jones noted that only 6 students did not score on proficiency level, out of 61 students, but they can enroll in summer school classes and retake the ACAP exam. “We have encouraged the parents to please get their children in summer school to prepare for another opportunity to move on to the 4th grade,” he said. Jones also explained that student scores in remaining grade levels will be released in June.
Dr. Jones gave a special salute to Mrs. Marquita Lennon for her selection into the AASBO Leadership Program. He presented the following positive school news.
Robert Brown Middle: Teacher and staff appreciation held May 6-10; Athletic Banquet held May 7 with scholars receiving certificates and trophies; Honors Program held May 8; May Day held May 10; 8th grade graduation held May 14, where Sheriff Jonathan Benison presented $150 Walmart gift cards to 65 eighth graders. ARLA presented tokens of appreciation to students in Math and Science.
Greene County High: Senior Honors Day held May 1, acknowledging student scholarships from colleges and other organizations; Sheriff Jonathan Benison presented the following awards – Valediction received $15,000; Salutatorian received $10,000; student ranking third received $6,000; students ranking 4-11received $2,000; students ranking 12-50 received $1,000. GCHS graduation was held May 16.
Greene County Career Center: Dr. Jones shared a video featuring students speaking about their experiences in Career Center programs. He noted that 10 Welding students graduated from Wallace Community College Selma, including 8 juniors and 2 seniors. Modern Manufacturing scholars participated in West Alabama Works Signing Day. Cosmetology Hair Show was held May 2. Onsite Facilities and Compliance Review completed May 17.
School construction and Renovation Projects Update: New flooring and roof completed at Eutaw Primary School. All units and materials for the HVAC Project at RBMS have been delivered to the site. Mr. Otis Robinson agreed to clean up all debris at Peter J. Kirksey site at no cost.
Dr. Jones reported that three new buses have been delivered and three additional buses are on order, which will provide air conditioned buses for all students. “ We also have a fleet renewal funding plan in place,” he stated.
The board approved the following personnel actions recommended by Superintendent Jones.
* Catastrophic Sick Leave for Angela Jones, Elementary Teacher, Eutaw Primary School.
* Retirement for Cindy Taylor, Truancy Officer for the system, effective June 1, 2024.
* Rescinding resignation of James Gaines, Transportation Supervisor.
* Resignations: J’Kia Carpenter, Teacher Aide, Eutaw Primary School, effective April 22, 2024. Shafontaye Myers, 6th grade teacher, Robert Brown Middle School, effective May 24, 2024.
Alanda A. McEwen, Ed. D, Counselor, Robert Brown Middle School, effective June 11, 2024.
Nicole Henley, Health Science teacher, Greene County Career Center, effective June 1, 2024.
Employment: Dena Jordan, 7th/8th grade Math TEAMS teacher at RBMS; LaJeffery Carpenter, Bus Driver.
* Supplemental Contracts – Separate Contract (Spring Football): Corey Cockrell- Head Coach; Zaddrick Smith- Assistant Coach.
* Letters of termination for “Additional Services” contracts to the following employees: (Separate Contract): Greene County High School – Janice Jeames-Askew, Athletic Director; Corey Cockrell, Head Football Coach; Zachary Smith, Assistant Football; Denzel Davis, Assistant Football/ Assistant Baseball; Victoria Moore, Head Volleyball/ Head Girls track/Assistant Softball; Torethia Moore, Assistant Volleyball/Assistant Basketball/Head Softball; Rodney Wesley, Head Boys Varsity Basketball/Assistant Boys Track; Howard Crawford, Head JV Boys Basketball/Head Boys Track; Shafontaye Myers, Head Girls Basketball; Ashley Moody, Assistant Girls Basketball; Quentin Walton, Head Baseball; Halven Carodine, Assistant Boys Basketball. Robert Brown Middle School – Henry Miles, Head Football Coach/Assistant Basketball Coach Boys; Quentin Walton, Head Basketball Coach Girls/Boys/Assistant Football Coach; Tyneshia Fulghum, Cheerleading Coach; J’Kia Carpenter, Assistant Basketball Coach Girls.
* Personnel for Summer Learning program: June 3 -27, 2024, from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm – Monday – Thursday: Eutaw Primary School – Carla Durrett, Lead Teacher; Gwendolyn Webb-Paraprofessional; Pamela Pasteur; Pamela McGee; Montoya Binion; LaShaun Henley; Keisha Williams; Shana Lucy Walter Taylor. Robert Brown Middle – Felecia Smith, Lead Teacher; Vanessa Bryant; Demetris Lyles; Raven Bryant; Pinkie Travis, Teacher Assistant; Mary Hobson, Special Services Paraprofessional; Brenda Lawerence, Nurse; Delois Brantley, -Custodian; Michelle Williams, Custodian. Greene County High – Janice Jeames, Lead Teacher; Sylvia Williams; Drenda Morton; Clifford Reynolds; Angela Harkness; Tameshia Porter; Victoria Moore; Tura Edwards; Dr. Dutchess Jones; Rodney Wesley – (Alternate as needed); Jacqueline Edwards – Custodian. Greene County Career Center – Shamyra Jones, ACCESS Facilitator for Career Preparedness; Tweila Morris, ACCESS Facilitator for Career Preparedness (Alternate as needed). Transportation: (Drivers, bus aides and alternates) – Eddie Coats; William Mack; George Pippen; James Gaines; Marilyn Finch; Ayanna Crawford; Carla Russell; Johnny Pelt; Gerald Holloway; Stanley Lucious; Garria Spencer; Carla Russel; Jerdin Grays; Natasha Lewis; James Powell; Arleen Jackson; Coresha Walton; Denise Horton.
Summer Feeding Program workers for Eutaw Primary School and Greene County High School at a rate of $19 per hour for managers and $17 per hour for cooks for six hours per day for four days a week beginning June 3 – June 27, 2024. (These schools will be used as satellite kitchens): Youlonda Coleman, Manager; Sandy Wilson, Manager; Mary Hill, Cook; Romonda Askew, Cook; Jimirriam Roscoe, Cook; Rosie Mae Davis, Cook.
Non-renewal of the following employees: Eutaw Primary School – Barbara Woods, CNP Cook; Sharon Jones, CNP Cook; Quenterica White, Elementary teacher; Sarah Crawford, Elementary teacher; Zaddrick Smith, P.E. teacher. Robert Brown Middle School – Quentin Walton, 6th grade; Jordan Pelt, 6th grade; Tyneshia Fulghum, 6th grade; Valencia Moore, Special Services; Denzel Davis, In-School Suspension Specialist; Tyletha Lord, Media Specialist.
The board approved the following administrative items:
* Contractual Agreement for Greene County Board of Education and Denise Horton to serve as Behavioral Aide for the system FY 2024- 2025.
* Ms. Denise Horton to serve as the behavioral aide for the summer learning program (June 2024).
* Agreement between Greene County Board of Education and Kim Herren to provide developmental services for pre-school children during the 2024- 2025 school year.
* Agreement between Greene County Board of Education and Quitt Consulting to provide speech-language therapy services for children in Greene County for the 2024-2025 school year.
* Agreement between Greene County Board of Education and Tammy W. Lewis MSCCC-SLP to provide speech services for the 2024-2025 school year.
* Agreement between Greene County Board of Education and Behavioral Solutions of Mississippi for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Consultative Services and Functional Behavioral Assessments/Behavioral Intervention Plans for students displaying behavioral issues for the 2024-2025 school year.
* Out-of-State travel for Shirley Stewart to attend the School Nutrition Association’s upcoming Annual National Conference in Boston, MA, July 14-16, 2024.
* Service Contract between Greene County Board of Education and Zachary Rutledge to develop and provide a Dual Enrichment (Welding Level I Lab) program for students at Greene County Career Center.
* Agreement between the Greene County Board of Education and West Alabama Therapy, LLC to provide physical and occupational therapy to IDEA eligible students for the 2024-2025 school year.
* Agreement between the Greene County Board of Education, Special Services, and H&H Educational Services, LLC to provide psychometric services for the 2024-2025 school year.
* Greene County School District Credit Recovery Plan 2024.
* Permission for Otis Robinson to clean Peter J. Kirksey property at no cost.
* Contract between Greene County High School and West Central Official Association to supply football officials for Spring Game, retroactive to May 7, 2024.
* 4-day work week for all extended employees beginning June 3, 2024 and ending July 26, 2024.
* Certificate of Affirmation of School Board Member for Leo Branch, Carrie Dancy, Veronica Richardson, Brandon Meriwether, Robert Davis.
* Out of State Travel request for Paula Calligan to replace Angela White attending the SREB Conference in Nashville, TN, July 9-12, 2024.
* Permission to publicly sell or dispose of surplus items according to Perkins guidelines.
* Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll.
Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO.
CSFO Marquita Lennon presented Financial Snapshot Report as of April 30, 2024.Operating reserve – 5.53 (months) Combined General Fund reserve; 4.07 (months) Cash Reserve. All bank accounts have been reconciled. General Fund Balance totaled $5,008,743.80 (reconciles to the Summary Report). Accounts Payable Check Register totaled $696,547.91. Payroll Register totaled $938,338.36 (total gross pay to include employer match item). Combined Ending Fund Balance totaled $6,808,512.46. Local Revenue: Property Taxes – $36,134.29; Sales taxes – $98,351.50; Other Taxes – $2,429.12; Total – $139,914.91.

Eutaw holds 4th Annual First Responders Day and Parade

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-L to R: Eutaw Police Chief Tommy Johnson receives award from FRCOGC Board members Lorenzo French, Sandra Walker and Amy Wiggins.
-Humanitarian Award Winners
-1st Responders receive special recognition awards
-First Responders Parade

More than thirty police departments, fire departments and frontline health care providers participated in the 4th Annual First Responders Day and Parade to honor first responders from Greene, Hale, Sumter, Pickens and other surrounding counties.

The fire engines, police cars and ambulances drove around Eutaw from one end to the other blowing their horns, sounding their sirens and throwing candy to children as part of the parade.

This was followed by a bag lunch and program at the Renaissance Theater in Eutaw. Sandra Walker, President of the First Responders Committee of Greene County (FRCOGC) sponsor of the parade and program presided .

A special award was presented to Eutaw Police Chief Tommy Johnson for originating the idea for the First Responders Day parade and program to recognize dedicated and courageous service of people in our community.

Certificates were presented to all of the participating police, fire ambulance and other first responders whose departments took part in the parade and program.

Minister Amy Wiggins, a FRCOGC Board member, distributed Humanitarian Awards to people who went above and beyond the call of duty to provide service to the community.

Eutaw City Council meets May 13 and tables action on many issues

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The Eutaw City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, May 13, 2024, because members were planning to leave the next day to attend the Alabama League of Municipalities convention. Mayor Latasha Johnson and all members of the Council were present for the meeting.

At the request of Council member, Jonathan Woodruff, the Council voted to amend the resolution to not allow members of the Eutaw Police Department to drive city vehicles home, so it would be easier and faster to arrive at crime scenes if they are called. Woodruff said, “We recently voted to give the police officers a raise and we are discontinuing the perk of being able to drive police cars home, even to residences out of the county. We allowed this expenditure, in place of a raise, but now that we have given the raise, we are no long permitting the cars to be driven home.”

In the first of several tabling motions, the Council tabled a request from the Goodson Storm Shelter at 871 County Road 181, which is in the fire district of Eutaw, to be reimbursed for costs of electricity, water and gas.
This was discussed in the May 7th work session and moved to the agenda for approval. Council members wanted more information on whether they were legally responsible for these storm shelter expenses.

A representative of Living Waters, contractor for the city’s sewage system, was present at the meeting and asked the Council to approve the Municipal Water Pollution Prevention Report to be sent to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). The report is a compilation of monthly reports. Several City Council members said that they had just received the report and had not had a chance to read it. The Council voted to table action on the report until its next meeting on May 28th, which will still enable the report to be filed on time.

The Council then took up four requests for use of the Robert H. Young Community Center, by IRS 501c3, non-profit organizations, who may use the facility, at no charge, if the meeting has a ‘public purpose’. The Council approved the Greene County Childrens’ Policy Council for a public meeting and the Southern Poverty Law Center for a June 15th festival on voting rights. The Council tabled the requests of the Order of Eastern Stars and Eutaw High School Class of 1979, to determine if their meetings had a public purpose.

The Council and the Mayor had a discussion of the prior decision to reduce the work time for employees to four days a week. Originally the Mayor tried to implement this with a half a day of work on Thursday and half day on Friday. Most of the employees thought it would be most effective to work a full day on Thursdays and take Friday off. The Council members want City Hall to be open on both Thursday and Friday for residents to transact business. Mayor Johnson said that as part of her day-to-day supervision responsibilities, she accepted the staff recommendations. Councilwomen Hunter asserted that the Council wants the City Hall open five days a week.
The Council said they would come back to resolve this in the next meeting.

Councilwomen Hunter also supported a motion for a hiring freeze, so no new staff are hired by the city. The Mayor said she was already abiding by a hiring freeze but felt this was again part of her “day-to-day supervising responsibilities”. This issue was not formally resolved with any actions. The Council also voted to pay outstanding bills.

The Council also received several reports from Ralph Liverman, Financial Advisor. One report was on the status of the $500,370 loan from  Merchants and Farmers Bank for equipment and trucks. Liverman reported that as of April 30, 2024, 31 monthly payments of $11,169.08 had been made, leaving a balance of $185,014.81 to be paid by the end of 2025.

Liverman also provided a report on 22 city operating bank accounts in Merchants and Farmers Bank for the first seven months of the FY2023-24. The General Fund had a balance of $185,002 as of April 30, 2024. Based on the budget, funds are available in most accounts to honor all financial obligations of the city through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2024. However, Liverman points out that the Council must be vigilant and not overspend and consider an increase in water and sewer rates because this department is operating at a deficit, that will need to be covered by the General Fund at the end of the fiscal period.

Rick Harbin, CPA and the auditor of the city’s funds was present and informed the Council that he was 95% complete with the audit for Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2023. He said he hoped to have a complete report for approval by the Council at the meeting at the end of the month.
The city needs the audit to qualify for certain grant funds.

Newswire : Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate, becomes oldest person to reach space

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Dwight as a young man next to Dwight at 90, when he took his flight into space

By The Associated Press


VAN HORN, Texas — Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate, finally rocketed into space 60 years later, flying with Jeff Bezos’ rocket company on Sunday.
Dwight was an Air Force pilot when President John F. Kennedy championed him as a candidate for NASA’s early astronaut corps. But he wasn’t picked for the 1963 class.
Dwight, now 90, went through a few minutes of weightlessness with five other passengers aboard the Blue Origin capsule as it skimmed space on a roughly 10-minute flight. He called it “a life-changing experience.”
“I thought I really didn’t need this in my life,” Dwight said shortly after exiting the capsule. ”But, now, I need it in my life …. I am ecstatic.”
The brief flight from West Texas made Dwight the new record-holder for oldest person in space — nearly two months older than “Star Trek” actor William Shatner was when he went up in 2021.
It was Blue Origin’s first crew launch in nearly two years. The company was grounded following a 2022 accident in which the booster came crashing down but the capsule full of experiments safely parachuted to the ground. Flights resumed last December, but with no one aboard. This was Blue Origin’s seventh time flying space tourists.
Dwight, a sculptor from Denver, was joined by four business entrepreneurs from the U.S. and France and a retired accountant. Their ticket prices were not disclosed; Dwight’s seat was sponsored in part by the nonprofit Space for Humanity.
Dwight was among the potential astronauts the Air Force recommended to NASA. But he wasn’t chosen for the 1963 class, which included eventual Gemini and Apollo astronauts, including Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. NASA didn’t select Black astronauts until 1978, and Guion Bluford became the first African American in space in 1983. Three years earlier, the Soviets launched the first Black astronaut, Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez, a Cuban of African descent.
After leaving the military in 1966, Dwight joined IBM and started a construction company before earning a master’s degree in sculpture in the late 1970s. He’s since dedicated himself to art. His sculptures focus on Black history and include memorials and monuments across the country. Several of his sculptures have flown into space.

Newswire : Biden Administration unveils new initiatives to combat school segregation on Brown v. Board 70th Anniversary

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Descendants of families involved in historic Supreme Court decision, along with NAACP President, Derrick Johnson, address school desegregation 


By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


On the 70th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, President Joe Biden emphasized his administration’s commitment to educational equity by announcing new funding and resources aimed at enhancing school diversity and tackling racial segregation. The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling declared racially segregated schools unconstitutional, but recent data reveals persistent inequities in U.S. education.

“Every student deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them to be the next generation of leaders,” President Biden stated. To further this goal, the Biden-Harris Administration introduced several initiatives, including a $20 million investment through the Department of Education’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP). This funding will support magnet programs in states such as Arkansas, Colorado, and Florida, designed to attract students from diverse backgrounds.

Additionally, the administration’s 2025 budget proposal seeks $139 million for MSAP and $10 million for the Fostering Diverse Schools program.
Moreover, a new Technical Assistance Center on Fiscal Equity will assist states and districts in developing fair resource allocation strategies. The initiative aims to address the stark resource disparities that exist between racially and economically segregated schools.

Stephen Benjamin, senior adviser to Biden and former mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, acknowledged the ongoing challenges. “There’s an acknowledgment every day with our president that we’re not where we ought to be, but we’re certainly not where we used to be. Still a lot of work to be done,” Benjamin declared.

The research underscores the strong correlation between school segregation and racial achievement gaps. The desegregation following Brown significantly boosted graduation rates for Black and Latino students. However, recent decades have seen a reversal, with segregation between white and Black students increasing by 64% since 1988, and economic segregation rising by 50% since 1991. According to the Department of Education’s State of School Diversity Report, racially isolated schools often lack the critical resources necessary for student success.

To combat these trends, the Department of Education announced the release of new data on access to math and science courses, highlighting ongoing racial disparities. The administration said it also plans to launch an interagency effort to preserve African American history, ensuring that students and the public have access to essential historical and cultural resources.

Officials noted that the American Rescue Plan has directed $130 billion to the nation’s schools, with a focus on underserved institutions. This includes nearly $2 billion in additional Title I funding, and a five-fold increase in funding for Full-Service Community Schools, which provide essential services to students and families in need.

Recognizing the importance of teacher diversity, the administration has prioritized efforts to increase the number of educators of color. Competitive grant programs have awarded $450 million to support teacher recruitment and retention, with a particular focus on diversity. Additionally, the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Grant program has provided over $23 million to HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs for teacher preparation.

The president met with family members of the plaintiffs from the Brown v. Board case. Cheryl Brown Henderson, daughter of lead plaintiff Oliver Brown, expressed the ongoing struggle for educational equity. “We’re still fighting the battle over whose children do we invest in. Any time we can talk about failing underfunded public schools, there is a problem,” Henderson said. NAACP President Derrick Johnson, also in attendance, affirmed, “We must continue to fight on all fronts.”

As the nation reflects on seven decades since Brown v. Board of Education, the White House said that the Biden Administration’s initiatives signal a renewed effort to fulfill the promise of equitable education for all. Schools “remain divided along racial, ethnic, and economic lines,” according to a 2022 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. “With around 18.5 million children attending schools where 75 percent or more of students were of a single race or ethnicity.”
 

Newswire : Biden confronts campus protests and calls for ‘Cease-Fire’ in Morehouse speech

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President Joe Biden speaks at Morehouse College Commencement

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

 

Before President Joe Biden’s commencement address at Morehouse College, an official told the Black Press that the White House was “very nervous,” primarily due to the ongoing protests Israel’s war in Palestine that have swept campuses around the country. 

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that a group of alumni from Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, and Spelman had objected to the president’s appearance. Despite these objections, the school confirmed its invitation for Biden to address the 2024 graduating class and to bestow upon him an honorary degree, leading the White House and the president to agree to proceed with the address.
 
This decision was particularly important as the Biden-Harris campaign continued to court Black voters. “It’s one of those things,” the official stated, noting that Stephen Benjamin, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, traveled ahead of Biden to Morehouse to help smooth the path for the president and broker peace.
During the ceremony, Mel Foster, Associate Provost of Student Success, addressed the audience. “We also ask that you respect the dignity and reputation of excellence at Morehouse College,” Foster asserted. “Although we respect everyone’s right to free speech, Morehouse has provided guidelines to ensure we are in full compliance with the law.”

The event featured several references to the global conflict, with some students and at least one faculty member wearing Palestinian scarves. In his opening prayer, Rev. Claybon Lea Jr., a pastor from California, alluded to the plight of Palestinians. Valedictorian DeAngelo Fletcher also addressed the issue, calling for a cease-fire in the Middle East. 
“It is important to recognize that both sides have suffered heavy casualties in the wake of October 7,” he said. “It is my sense as a Morehouse man, nay, as a human being, to call for an immediate and a permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.”

Biden’s speech highlighted historic investments in historically Black colleges and universities like Morehouse and underscored the diversity he has implemented at the highest levels of government. He cited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Morehouse graduate whose bust sits in the Oval Office, as a key inspiration for his political career. 

Biden also sought to contrast himself with the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president Donald Trump, his likely opponent. in November’s election, asserting that Trump and other Republicans would dismantle the progress Black Americans have made in the past three years.

During Biden’s keynote speech, a handful of students and faculty members turned their backs on him, silently protesting his support of Israel’s war in Gaza during a spring that saw protests sweep across the country’s college campuses. At one point, as many as six students were seen seated with their backs to Biden, fists raised in the air, with at least one faculty member joining the demonstration.

Biden acknowledged the protests, stating, “Let me be clear: I support peaceful, nonviolent protest. Your voices should be heard, and I promise I hear them.” He also addressed the Middle East conflict, calling it a humanitarian crisis. “What’s happening in Gaza and Israel is heartbreaking,” he said. “It’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. That’s why I’ve called for an immediate cease-fire to stop the fighting. Bring the hostages home.”

Biden subtly hinted at his hopes for the political future of his vice president and running mate, saying he was ”proud to put in the first Black woman on the United States Supreme Court,” and added, “I have no doubt one day a Morehouse man will be on that court as well., just after an AKA from Howard,” referencing Vice President Kamala Harris’s membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically Black sorority, during her time at Howard University.

Biden is the third U.S. President to receive an honorary degree from Morehouse, following Barack Obama in 2013 and Jimmy Carter in 1975 before he became president.
 

Newswire: United Auto Workers lose union election at Mercedes by 597 votes

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UAW President, Sean Fain, surrounded by Mercedes workers at union headquarters discusses election

By Chance Phillips, Alabama Political Reporter

The final count in the week-long union election at the Mercedes factory in Vance was 2,642 against unionizing versus 2,045 in favor. 51 ballots were challenged and not counted and 5 ballots were void. The election still has to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board, but it is very unlikely that this process will not change the results.
Speaking at the UAW Local 112 headquarters in Coaling, UAW President Shawn Fain said “these courageous workers reached out to us because they wanted justice. They led this fight.”
Fain remained optimistic about the union’s prospects and its momentum as it tries to organize workers in the South. “We’ll be back in Vance,” he said. “I assured the company of that before I walked out the door and shook their hands.”
Today’s loss for the UAW follows what Mercedes employee Brett Garrand described as “a constant brow beating of anti-union campaigns” by Mercedes, the Business Council of Alabama, and Alabama politicians.
Alabama Secretary of Commerce Ellen McNair promised in January that “led by Governor Kay Ivey and backed by the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) and other key players in Alabama’s business community, we’re going to fight the United Auto Workers.”
Gov. Ivey and several other prominent state politicians released anti-union statements regularly during the four-month campaign. During a speech about signing SB231, which heavily penalizes the voluntary recognition of labor unions, Ivey said she wants “to ensure that Alabama values, not Detroit values, continue to define the future of this great state.”
The Business Council of Alabama conducted the Alabama Strong campaign, which ran anti-union advertisements online and on local television channels.
Mercedes itself also engaged in many practices union supporters have called oppressive. Workers were required to sit through daily mandatory meetings and watch anti-union videos. Flyers posted around the plants read “if you don’t want a union, vote no,” or simply “vote no.”
The National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating six unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against Mercedes. On May 16, Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control announced that it is also investigating Mercedes for anti-union behavior that may have broken German law.
In a statement, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler called the anti-union behavior by Mercedes and Gov. Ivey “part of a long oppressive history in the South, from slavery to Jim Crow ‘right to work’ laws to prison labor.”
One of the major contributors to today’s loss is likely Mercedes’ replacement of its unpopular plant CEO, Michael Göbel, with then-vice president of operations Federico Kochlowski. In the lead up to and during the election week, Mercedes employees were implored to give Kochlowski a chance by voting no.
While the loss for the UAW today is a major setback for the union, it is not necessarily a death knell for Mercedes workers’ hopes of unionizing. On Thursday, Garrard pointed to “Volkswagen winning their union after three tries.” In 2014, the vote at the Chattanooga plant was 712 against, 626 for, and in 2019, the vote was 833 against, 776 for. But in April, Volkswagen workers overwhelmingly voted to join the UAW with 2,628 in favor and only 985 opposed.
One pro-union Mercedes worker, Robert Lett, optimistically proclaimed on Wednesday that “Mercedes is going to be unionized, it doesn’t matter if it’s Friday or in the future.” Before the results began to come in, Rick Webster, who works doing final fit and finish for Mercedes, confidently stated that he “would definitely try again” if needed.

With an ongoing two year, $40 million campaign by the United Auto Workers to organize Southern workers, pro-union workers at Mercedes and other Southern auto plants will likely continue to try to organize and build support for unionization in the coming months and years. The next UAW union election target is the Hyundai plant in Montgomery, Alabama,
In a press release responding to the election results, Mercedes stated that “we look forward to continuing to work directly with our Team Members to ensure MBUSI is not only their employer of choice, but a place they would recommend to friends and family.”

What UAW needed at Mercedes and must have in Hyundai

Pat Bryant

 

News Analysis by: Pat Bryant

Rev. James Orange, the late powerful civil rights and labor leader often said labor unions need to make a real investment in Black people in the South to win. The UAW win at VW in Chattanooga, Tn and the UAW loss at Mercedes near Tuscaloosa clearly point to the need for upsized investments of money and other resources in the UAW fight to represent auto workers at Hyundai Montgomery and other southern auto factories. Rev. Orange’s words speak loudly from the grave.
While the UAW did not win the election, the union is likely to raise wages somewhat, and make a few concessions they promised if workers rejected the union.
Rev. Orange was a dynamo who would coral leaders in churches, civil rights groups and organizations in communities to support union organizing. Communities trusted Rev. Orange who began as young leader in Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Where are the trusted UAW leaders now who can influence workers and communities.
The UAW overwhelming victory at the VW factory in Tennessee was due largely to UAW success in the Big Three strike (Ford, General Motors, Stellantis [formerly Chyrsler]}. Striking workers got a whopping 25 percent wage increase plus benefits. That win created a desire bynon-union workers at foreign auto makers to get more. Tennessee was the first vote, an enthusiastic victory.
But then came Alabama. The anti-union challenge of six southern governors to renewed southern UAW organizing, didn’t work in Tennessee, but was powerful with Governor Kay Ivey giving the signal for Mercedes to stop the union drive the old southern way. Fear, intimidation, and firing, the capital punishment for workers were all used, and were effective. Pro-worker literature in non-work areas was seized. The whole array of Chamber of Commerce, religious and social leaders weighed in against the union drive.
Mercedes held captive audience employee meetings where they blasted the UAW with misrepresentations and inuendo. Across the region there was chorus of “don’t vote union. The company will leave and you will loose this good job.” Right to work and the southern labor discount is still effective.
Mercedes Benz spokespersons denied violating workers rights. The vote was 2045 or 44 percent of workers for the UAW and 2,642 or 56 percent against.
That was not unusual. But what was unusual was the absence of a more visible campaign from Alabama’s justice communities, labor, civil rights, youth, religious and progressive community groups. The UAW is very sensitive to efforts that might turn off white and conservative Black voters. Rev. Orange and former White labor leader C.P. Ellis, a former Klansman, were experts at speaking clearly to white and black workers while not turning off the other.
Workers facing the union challenge need the support of community and family. Church rallies, not used in the Tuscaloosa area, would be very effective in influencing Montgomery workers. The Hyundai plant is located in Montgomery County and draws its workforce from surrounding Black Belt Counties. House calls, visits to workers’ homes are a must for union wins. Accounts of these fights in Black media is a must. Black Belt counties in the South face the worst repression by politicians and business leaders.
Don’t be fooled, the Hyundai Company cracks the whip but denies wrongdoing. There are allegations and complaints of Black workers being required to say “Master” when referring to a White supervisor. The firing of the highest ranked Black person, Yvette Gilkey-Shuford, and calling the firing a restructuring. Allegations are that the most dangerous jobs on the assembly lines are populated by Blacks. That is the Hyundai story.
Important to the Hyundai story is how the UAW is able to assemble an array of community based fighters including Alabama labor unions, progressive churches, civil rights groups, women’s organizations. And important is the amount of dollars the United Auto Workers will invest in their fight.

*Pat Bryant is a retired urban planner, community organizer, singer, poet, journalist who has been active in southern justice fights for sixty plus years.

Demopolis selected as site for Healthcare High School

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Governor Ivey, with Demopolis legislative delegation looking on signs bill to create Healthcare High School

By Kirsten J. Barnes, Communications Director for the Alabama Senate Minority

Alabama is embarking on an innovative journey as it embraces training high school students
to focus on the healthcare industry.

By the fall of 2026, the Alabama School of Healthcare Science will open to high school
students from 9th and 10th grade who are interested in focusing on a broad range of
healthcare fields.

“I am honored that the state of Alabama chose my district to house this new school,
said Alabama Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro). “This school will give communities throughout the state, along with hospitals and doctors’ offices a steady stream of trained medical professionals and staff.

Governor Kay Ivey came to the Demopolis Civic Center yesterday to sign the legislation. She was accompanied by State Senator Bobby Singleton and State Representative A. J. McCampbell and others to sign House Bill 163 creating the new high school.
”
The high school will be open to students from throughout the state and will be a residential
school like the Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama
School of Math & Science in Mobile, and Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham.
“I want to thank Gov. Kay Ivey and all the legislators who supported this effort. Demopolis is
ready to make you proud,” Singleton said.

This school will be located next to Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital, allowing students to
have classroom and practical experience daily. The students will graduate with certificates in various programs related to science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine that will address the chronic healthcare workforce shortage in Alabama. Graduates will have the ability to immediately enter the workforce, while others will build a strong foundation for advanced studies at both two-and-four-year colleges and technical schools.

The initial legislative appropriation will be $15 million and will allow the school to open in the
fall of 2026 with approximately 400 ninth and 10th graders in the first year and then add an
additional grade each year.

“While the school is under construction, we will partner with the University of West Alabama
to house students,” Singleton said. “We have matching dollars that will come from private
foundations to help with the costs and construction.
”
The school will be in Marengo County, a growing community that is poised to support the
needs of the school. There is also a partnership in place with The University of Alabama at
Birmingham.

Additionally, the school may also offer short courses, workshops, seminars, weekend
instructional programs, and other innovative programs to students not enrolled as full-time.
students in the school.

For more information, contact: kirsten.Barnes@alsenate.gov. or phone: 334-261-0331.

School board holds special meeting on school personnel

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The above scholars completed the requirements for the Structural Welding Certificate from Wallace Community College in Selma on Friday, May 10, 2024. Pictured left from right: Janice Jeames Askew, Scholar : Jeremiah Bullock, Nicholas Henley, Michael Gibson, Jr. Kalvin Jones, Jakaylon Bridgemon, Curtis Jordan, Zacary Rutledge, Welding Instructor, Dr, Corey Jones, Superintendent, Scholar John Cockrell, Jaylon Mitchell and LaTravis Jones. Also in attendance was Teresa Atkins, Greene County Career Center Director.

The Greene County Board of Education held a special call meeting, Thursday, May 9, 2024 with a focus on school personnel. All board members were present as well as Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones, Board Attorney Hank Sanders, GCHS Principal Ms. Andrea Perry, Robert Brown Middle School Principal Ms. Tammy Anderson, Eutaw Primary Principal Dr. Brittany Harris and CSFO Ms. Marquita Lennon.

Shortly after the official opening of the meeting, following roll call and approval of the agenda, Attorney Sanders certified an executive session for the board. President Leo Branch explained that the session was called to discuss personnel issues that may involve good name and character, legal matters that may involve strategy and safety. The Principals and CSFO were asked to remain in the session with the Board, Superintendent and Attorney. The executive session lasted approximately two hours.

When the board resumed its open meeting, President Branch announced that no decisions were made and no actions taken in executive session.

In previous board meetings Superintendent Jones did caution the board that budget cuts would be necessary for the next school year, especially in personnel. The ESSER funds which provided support for additional Academic Coaches would end this fiscal year.

In the open session, the board acted on the following personnel items.

* Approved resignation of Mr. James Gaines, Transportation Supervisor for the Greene County School System, effective June 30, 2024.

* Approved supplemental contract for Janice Jeames-Askew to serve as Athletic Director for GCHS for 2023-2024.

* Approved supplemental funding agreement for in school personnel.

County pays taxes on co- owned Greenetrack property

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The Greene County Commission held it regular monthly meeting, Monday, May 13, 2024 with all commissioners present. A carryover from the Commission’s work session the prior week was a discussion of the property taxes due on the Greenetrack property, which is co-owned by the Greene County government. To avoid allowing that property to be listed for public auction, the commission voted unanimously, in this meeting, to remit the taxes due, totaling $33,365.48. The general concern was that someone would outbid the county at public auction.
Another carryover item from the work session related to consideration of the commission establishing a Greene County Cemetery Rehabilitation Authority. The Authority members would serve as volunteers surveying and recording unkempt and dilapidated cemeteries throughout the county. It was unclear what steps would follow or what the commission could do with this information, since many long-dated cemeteries are on private properties. Commissioner Allen turner offered the motion to establish the Authority, but it failed for lack of a second.
In other business, the Commission acted on the following:
* Approved an Intergovernmental Equipment and Service Agreement.
* Approved contract with Yellowhammer Network, LLC – right-of-way for fiberoptic network.
* Approved using a portion of the $100,000 ARPA funds for some Courthouse and Activity Center upgrades.
* Approved establishing the Greene County Recognition and Appreciation Program.
* Approved request of the Society of Folk Arts & Culture for use of courthouse restrooms during 2024 festival activities.
* Approved purchasing full page graduation ad in special edition of the Democrat newspaper.
* Approved change orders for courthouse renovations.
* Approved travel for engineer and assistant engineer.
* Tabled Solid Waste Collection proposal until a public hearing is held. The commission noted that there will be no change in fees and no employee layoff.
Cancelled the executive session listed on the agenda.
CFO Macaroy Underwood’s financial reports for April 2024 included the following bank balances: Citizen Trust, unrestricted $3,118,166.45; restricted, $4,537,889.86. Merchant & Farmers, unrestricted $6,159,028.49; restricted, $6,287,315.88; Investment Funds totaled $896,515.53. Accounts Payable totaled $1,169,916.23. Payroll transfers totaled $291,807.98 and Fiduciary was $50,283.29. Electronic Claims paid for March 2024 were $70,102.67.