There is a top of the rec list diary touting Bernie receiving the endorsement of Chicago Teachers yesterday. From what I can determine, this is at best a deception and most likely a very dirty political trick. In Chicago, an organization called CORE, the Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators formed as a group within the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) to wrest power from the then Union leaders. They succeeded and placed Karen Lewis as the head of the union. The CTU has not made an independent endorsement in the Democratic Primary, but is part of the AFT which endorsed Clinton last fall
Since the objective of gaining control of the CTU was accomplished some years ago, CORE has evolved into a sleepy advocacy organization for CTU and CPU policies. Anyone is allowed to join. On Feb 22 they held a regular monthly meeting. Some 80 people showed up. At the end of the meeting apparently some Sanders supporters demanded a vote on political endorsement in the primary. One of those present filed a story at an online newspaper announcing a vote had been held and the majority voted to endorse Bernie Sanders. The organization does not report this on its website or twitter feed.
At best this appears to be an effort by a handful of Bernie Supporters to manipulate a legitimate organization into making an improper endorsement. At worst, the “vote” was out of order or never happened and this is an outright fraud. No nonprofit organization would ever make such an endorsement without polling its members or scheduling the vote in advance, in the course of ordinary business at a monthly meeting,
I have posted part of the “news” report below
CORE votes to endorse Bernie Sanders... Caucus leading the Chicago Teachers Union rejects earlier Clinton 'endorsement' by the American Federation of Teachers leadership...
George N. Schmidt - February 22, 2016
After a heated debate, the Caucus Of Rank-and-file Educators (CORE) of the Chicago Teachers Union voted at its February 22, 2016 regular meeting to endorse the candidacy of Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in the March 15, 2015 Democratic Party primary in Illinois. The vote was overwhelming in support of Sanders (this reporter is a member of CORE and was present and voting at the meeting).
...
The February 22 meeting included more than 80 people, making it one of the largest meetings in CORE history.
Although the debate was heated, the vote was clear, with a significant majority of the CORE members voting for the Bernie Sanders endorsement. The big news from the February 22 CORE meeting -- that CORE has endorsed Bernie Sanders, in opposition to the AFT's endorsement of the former Wal Mart director, Hillary Clinton, needs to be repeated widely.
There were some attempts by people at the CORE meeting to stall the vote on Bernie (or adjourn the meeting early). Nevertheless, the debate was thorough, and Bernie won cleanly.
I was not at the meeting, indeed am not a member of CORE, and would happily delete this diary if someone can confirm that CORE recognizes and intends this endorsement. So far I have not been able to get anyone associated with the organization to respond