Newton Shines At the Rust Award by David Yancey, FA, AFT 6157 President

For those of you who don’t know the history of the Ben Rust Award it is the highest award given by the California Federation of Teachers, CFT. It is named after an early 1950’s union leader who was instrumental in organizing California teachers in Oakland during the formative years of the “California State Federation of Teachers.”

The Ben Rust Award was created to honor those union leaders who best personify what leadership and union organizing means. Those chosen are honored each year at the CFT Annual Convention.

In 2010 the person given this prestigious award was our own Mark Newton. Mark’s winning of this award was based not only on his tremendous contribution to our union, AFT 6157, but also for his work at the state level helping other faculty around the state see the value of unionism. Mark also served for over seven years on the Executive Board of the South Bay Labor Council here in San Jose, a position that brought many positive benefits to our local union and to the District as a whole.

Mark’s reaction was his typical modest and humble reaction to any accolades that come his way, “I don’t deserve this,” but when you read the history of Ben Rust and review the criteria established by the CFT for granting this honor it is clear that there was no one more deserving of this award. Mark’s early and often singular efforts to bring together our faculty and form the trust and solidarity from which our current union was formed put him in a circle of union leaders that few will attain.

Not only was he the president of our union but often the chief negotiator and grievance officer. His quiet and confident manner in the face of an aggressive and arbitrary district leadership who had little respect or regard for faculty or their needs created the model for leadership we all still aspire to today.

The CFT’s bestowing of this great award was a statewide acknowledgement of Mark and his accomplishments and all of us should be proud that one of our own was recognized by our brothers and sisters from all over California for excellence in union leadership.

So when you see Mark around campus, congratulate him on this terrific honor because you know he won’t bring it up himself.

Congratulations Mark on a job well done.