Dear Colleagues,
I am honored to announce that our SVFT member, Jim Cardin, has won AFT’s Every Day Hero Award. Thank you to everyone who supported Jim, and cast a vote to help him win this well-deserved award! Jim epitomizes the spirit of public service, camaraderie and compassion, and inspires us all to reclaim the promise in our chosen fields and in our communities.
Jim received the official news at a union meeting, held at Windham Tech on Monday, April 28th. Jim's wife, daughters, Windham Tech family, and SVFT officers were present to congratulate Jim on his award. Fittingly, this all happened on National Super Hero Day. Coincidence? I think not!
As a State employee, a teacher, and Windham’s Manufacturing Technology Department Head, Jim Cardin works diligently every day to provide his students, many of them from disadvantaged backgrounds, the manufacturing technology skills and experiences that will enable them to build productive, middle-class lives. Although teaching high school students is notable on its own, Jim was nominated as an everyday hero for the extraordinary compassion he showed to his colleagues.
In the fall of 2012, Gary Lutsky, his co-teacher for a decade, discovered he was dying from cancer. That whole year, Jim taught not only his students, but Gary’s as well. Though the stress of doing the work of two teachers was enormous, he never let the strain show to his colleagues or students. By year’s end, Gary was permanently hospitalized. He would drive friends and co-workers to Boston every week to visit Gary. He worked with the union to help Gary fill out the disability retirement paperwork necessary so he could leave a suitable pension for his wife. He helped Gary and his family through those difficult final days, making sure that all the necessary forms were completed and that Gary could pass knowing that his family would be able to survive financially. Even after Gary's death this past autumn, he continues to be a resource for Gary's family as they try to work through their grief while also negotiating the State bureaucracy.
This year, Jim has a new trade partner, Wayne Turner. Before Wayne had even received his appointment letter, he had a heart attack which hospitalized him for several weeks. Jim worked with the union and human resources to guarantee that Wayne would receive his permanent salary back to his date of hire. While Wayne was recovering, he was comforted in knowing that Jim, whom he had only met at the start of the school year, was making sure that his salary and benefits were being taken care of. Through it all, he continues to run one of the most successful manufacturing departments in the system. Jim, who was an SVFT building representative for many years, has demonstrated that being in a union means you are truly never alone.
Jim has been named as the winner of the Public Employees division’s 2014 Everyday Hero and will be honored at this year’s AFT convention in Los Angeles, California.
In solidarity,
Jan, Brian, and Ed
Jim Cardin and his family celebrating the announcement of his Everyday Hero Award.
