RA Pays Tribute to a Legend
July 6, 2009
NEA General Counsel Bob Chanin addresses delegates at the 88th Representative Assembly.
Photo by Rick Runion for RA Today
Proclaiming that “it is time for the next generation to drive the bus,” retiring NEA General Counsel Bob Chanin bid farewell to RA delegates Monday in a moving tribute that drew repeated standing ovations.
Chanin, who is retiring after 41 years as NEA’s top attorney, was saluted by delegates from across the country for his work on critical issues such as collective bargaining, desegregation, vouchers and education funding. During his time as NEA general counsel, Chanin argued five cases before the U.S. Supreme Court – winning four of them – and filed 25 briefs.
“We are all members of the Bob Chanin Caucus,” NEA President Dennis Van Roekel told a cheering audience, as he and other NEA leaders on the dais sported T-shirts with a caricature of Chanin, designed by Sue Vala and Kate Sewall of the New Jersey delegation. Van Roekel also announced that the auditorium at the NEA headquarters in Washington, D.C. will be renamed the Chanin Auditorium.
Calling Chanin “a great advocate for all of us,” Phil Rumore, president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation, recalled collective bargaining cases Chanin argued that helped ensure better pay and benefits for Buffalo teachers.
Joe Reed, associate executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association, praised Chanin’s work on behalf of civil rights, including the critical role he played in the merger between the predominantly black Alabama State Teachers Association and the Alabama Education Association.
“Bob should have been on the U.S. Supreme Court,” Reed said.
Carolyn Doggett saluted Chanin for “capturing our imagination and our hearts,” and said how much she valued his support when she became the first female executive director of the California Teachers Association.
The highlight of the event was Chanin’s address to RA delegates, which featured the same mixture of sincerity and humor that has made Chanin beloved among delegates. Chanin introduced his family, including his wife of 52 years, Rhoda, joking that she may come to regret her wish that they spend more time together.
Chanin talked about the changes he had seen at NEA during his four decades, including a greater commitment to collective bargaining that has allowed the Association to grow to its current size of 3.2 million members. “Teaching is not akin to the clergy . (and) it is not unprofessional or immoral for teachers to make a living wage,” he said.
Fortunately, RA delegates won’t have much of a chance to miss Chanin – he’ll be returning to the event next year to sign copies of a soon-to-be-published book about his life and work.
