Ray Martinez, B.N.T.U. Toledo Branch President Vying For National Presidency

Earlier this week we aired an interview with one of the candidates vying for B.N.T.U.’s presidency in their upcoming convention. In that story, we reported that two individuals are contesting the seat. Since then, a third individual has come forward to announce his bid for the presidency. He is Ray Martinez, the President of the B.N.T.U.’s Toledo Branch. Martinez has been a teacher since 2007. He is currently posted at the Indian Creek R.C. School. We spoke with him over the phone. Here is what he had to say.

On the phone: Ray Anthony Martinez

On the phone: Ray Anthony Martinez, B.N.T.U. National President Candidate

“Truly, I have a heart for teachers and the suffering we have been enduring. For the past three years our salaries, along with other public officers have been frozen in regards to increments and this has greatly impacted us. I feel and I am on the ground where teachers are literally one paycheck away from poverty. This alone, hearing and feeling he exponential cost of living caused me to say you know what, enough is enough and we truly need a president that will be able to voice this to those who are in charge. I go to a school, I get up at four-thirty a.m., myself and many others in this district. I have to prepare my lunch, breakfast and I go to a school that doesn’t have electricity or internet and we are expected with all these hardships to perform to the level of those who have all these conveniences at the urban level. It really has allowed me, this rural experience to realize it is not a level playing field. So, I am advocating, I am putting myself in that position to advocate for the hardships we are going through and a little bit more appreciation for our members,that we go through a lot to provide that service for of education to our children in this country.”