January 6, 2005, Daily Pilot
EDITORIAL
Bidding farewell to a champion for teachers
One week ago today, a voice for Newport-Mesa school teachers fell
silent.
It was a voice that championed the cause of teachers to receive competitive
salaries and benefits for the noble cause of educating this community's
youth.
Linda Mook won many battles fighting for that cause and for keeping
the needs of her fellow educators on the forefront.
But, sadly, her most recent battle, an arduous struggle against cancer,
is one that could not be won, even by Mook, who died last Thursday in
her home at the age of 62.
Mook, who worked as a journalist before becoming a teacher, garnered
many admirers in her career as she carved out a reputation as a strong
advocate for teachers.
And while the loss of such advocacy is to be mourned, the labor movement
itself should note that it lost a living example of someone who took
the high road in salary negotiations.
In this day and age, when union leaders have gained the reputation of
being corrupt, and even worse futile, Mook was able to engage in spirited
negotiations that left district officials seeing her less as an adversary
than as a colleague.
Take, for example, this quote from Newport-Mesa Unified School District
Supt. Robert Barbot at the conclusion of contract negotiations in 2000:
"I think we're all feeling good about the outcome in the meantime.
It's looking positive, and we hope it will be the right thing for our
teachers — they deserve it."
And this comment, also published in the Daily Pilot, from Mook on those
same negotiations: "Basically, the district can't commit dollars
that it doesn't have, and we want to maintain all the great programs
that we have."
It's hard to imagine those words coming from today's Teamster bosses
or other labor leaders, who prefer to fan the flames of discontent among
union members with incendiary rhetoric.
That wasn't Mook's style, and we applaud her for it.
That isn't to say she wasn't a dynamic personality. As her husband,
Harland, put it, Mook was always running at 110%, even finding the strength
to attend her daughter's wedding in December, while in the throes of
her cancer battle and even after suffering a stroke.
And while her voice may be silent now, there is no doubt she has left
a great legacy that not only teachers, but parents, school administrators
and community members should be grateful for.