Hardline ASTI member in running for top post
Bernard Lynch, a strong advocate of the pay dispute that closed secondary schools on a number of occasions in the late 1990s, is one of two candidates for vice-president of the union. The holder of that position is traditionally elected unopposed the following year as ASTI president.
Mr Lynch is almost neck-and-neck with the other candidate, Pat Hurley from Cork, ahead of next month’s vote.
Although the position will be voted on by the 500 delegates at the opening day of union’s annual convention in Sligo on April 10, nominations from the country’s 56 branches give an indication of the outcome of the ballot.
The latest ASTI newsletter shows that Mr Hurley had the approval of 22 of the union’s 56 branches to declare their preference so far, with Mr Lynch getting the nod from 18 branches. However, as many of the Dublin branches which may have larger delegate numbers are supporting Mr Lynch, the vote is likely to be extremely close.
ASTI vice-president Patricia Wroe is set to be elected unopposed to succeed Michael Freeley.
Mr Hurley is a member of staff at Midleton CBS and also represents his region on the union’s 23-member standing committee, from which Mr Lynch stepped down in late 2005. He is considered a more moderate candidate than his opponent and also has experience of working in the private sector before beginning his teaching career.
Mr Lynch teaches at Marian College in Dublin 4 and threatened to resign his membership just over a year ago, but decided against the move and instead to seek election as vice-president.
