AFSCME Council 5 Questionnaire for Duluth School Board
Harry Welty
I am seeking an at-large seat on the Duluth School Board
Harry Welty for School Board
Harry Welty
Background Information
I completed my teaching degree at Mankato State in 1973. I taught for 13 years as a substitute teacher and a classroom teacher in Proctor and Duluth. I ran for the Duluth School Board numerous times and was elected in 1995, 1999 and 2013 serving a total of twelve years. I earned the highest award from the Minnesota School Boards Association for participation in their training workshops. If you do a google search and pair it with “education” you will find enough content to put you to sleep for the next year. The same goes for my blog lincolndemocrat.com. Long before my third term I was calling myself the historian of the School Board.
My father was the president of the Mankato State College faculty union for years and I have always asked for the endorsement of AFSCME and the Duluth Federation of Teachers. I will do so again although I’ve always been disappointed in the past. I have won the endorsement of the Duluth News Tribune three or four times which includes about half the times I’ve been a candidate for the School Board. In all likelihood whether I win or not I will file as a candidate against Congressman Pete Stauber next year. Along with the rest of the Republican Party he has done his damnedest to destroy America’s public education.
I expect to run my campaign by myself.
1. When you think of your Duluth Public School, what is your long term vision.
I first ran for the Duluth School Board in 1989. At that time I thought of public education as the backbone of America. As far as I see backwards I look forward with some trepidation at the attacks on public education where I and my children got our educations. So long term, I want the schools to stay healthy to the end of my days which, since I plan to live to 100 is not quite a quarter century. In a few short year the twenty year bonds I criticized when voters were not allowed to weigh in on the Red Plan will once again be available to go into school operations. I would love to be on the Board when that occurs.
2. Minnesotans believe outsourcing public services leads to a loss of accountability and increased costs for residents, and taxpayers. Is it important to you that the public workers continue to deliver these services? Will you work to stop the outsourcing of public services and bring work that has been contracted out back to the district?
I don’t know that Minnesotans view outsourcing as a loss of accountability in every case but I certainly see it in private prisons. The justification is to pay lower wages and weaken unions. I’m not a fan of either goal.
3. Considering the inconsistent funding from the state, Will you be an advocate at the Capitol to support the costs to public services and education? Will you stand up against corporate interference intended to take away control from local government?
There are two very different issues here. I was in college during the 1971 “Minnesota Miracle” that was meant to permanently end the unequal treatment of students in poor and rich districts. I became a teacher when the teacher’s unions AFT and NEA challenged each other to have more and longer strikes. I was on the School Board when the legislature decided that school boards no longer were prepared to be tough negotiators and allowed the state to back off of its former commitments because taxpayers were blaming them for increased taxes. I will take all of that into consideration and be willing to lobby for the best schools for all children however we can make that happen.
As for corporate interference, I fought both the Duluth School Board and the gigantic corporation Johnson Controls in court when they took away our right to vote and JCI got a sweetheart contract from our complicit school board. I put my money where my mouth is.
4. We believe all workers who want to form a union should have one without employer interference. Do you support card-check and employer neutrality in union organizing. Living wage jobs, prevailing wages in construction, and project labor agreements? Will you publicly support workers in organizing campaigns?
My Dad taught contract law and I have been in several negotiations with unions and this colors my answer. In the first case my answer is yes however, this does not mean employers lose their constitutional right to free speech.
If I am correct that card check allows only union members to potentially strong arm their workmates into signing onto a union without a secret ballot I’m not in favor. Fortunately for unions, after twenty years of struggles unions are once again viewed with approval. This could make a big difference that I welcome.
As a school board member I have always been incensed that that our least well compensated workers earned such meager wages. That’s a nasty way to save money…..on the backs of the people on the bottom.
5. Front-line AFSCME workers want to work with elected officials to make public services work better for our communities. Describe how you will establish a genuine relationship with workers. How will you include and incorporate budgetary suggestions from AFSCME workers?
I will paste the lawnsign I just designed and put in my yard for you as an indication of how I feel although undocumented workers is not what you are asking about. I’ll just add that I am happy to accept insights and advice from people on the front lines.

6. This question will not affect our endorsement, but for our planning process we need to know. Are you accepting PAC contributions for your campaign? If yes, it is required that you please include your campaign’s Tax ID number.
I’ve never received a PAC contribution but if you donate to Welty for School Board the TAX ID is XXXXXXXXXX.
