Special election held at last weekend’s Council meeting
Corey Dearborn, Chapter 21, is sworn in by President Rich Gulla after winning a special election for the Board of Directors.
Corey Dearborn, of Chapter 21, is the newest member of the SEA Board of Directors. Dearborn won in a special election during Saturday’s quarterly meeting of the Council, the union’s highest governing body.
Dearborn was one of three candidates for the seat, and ultimately prevailed on a third ballot. He serves as a steward at his workplace, the Sununu Youth Services Center, and is currently a member of the Master Bargaining Team.
“It’s been a long time coming for me,” said Dearborn, who first joined the union 20 years ago. “I think being part of the Master Bargaining Team is what motivated me to run for the Board of Directors. I see it as another opportunity to have a voice in the direction of the union, and allows me to be a bigger advocate for all of our members.
President Rich Gulla, who swore in Dearborn on Saturday, said he’s seen Dearborn getting increasingly involved with the union, including attending the quadrennial SEIU convention last year.
“He’s been doing more and more, so this feels like a natural progression,” Gulla said. “He’s a strong voice for his fellow members, and I think he’ll be a good addition to the Board of Directors. I hope you’ll join me in congratulating him on his victory, and thanking the other candidates, Phil Burt and Peter Brunette, for coming forward.”
When board members resign their positions, the remainder of those terms are generally filled by special election at the next Council meeting. This seat will be up for re-election at Convention this fall, though Dearborn said that didn’t worry him. Instead, he said, he’s excited to get to work.
“I look forward to working with the rest of the members of the board, and getting to know more about what the board does,” he said. “I look forward to the challenge.”
Council meeting notes
The election was the main business of the Council meeting, but Councilors also took part in a discussion on the potential for remote access for future meetings. No action was taken, though Councilors were able to review and give feedback on a draft policy that would allow them to connect by video to the main Council meeting from remote locations. A resolution on the topic is expected by this year’s convention.
Also of note, this meeting was held on a Saturday on a trial basis, based on feedback from delegates to the 2016 Convention. With turnout for the meeting solid, the plan is now to alternate Council meetings between Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.