A Thank You to Rose Sakanis

By President Tony Johnston

I would like to take this moment to honor and thank Rose Sakanis, who is retiring from her position as Vice-President of the Suburban Classified Division of CCCTU.   For 15 years, she held the Vice-President position, and before that, she was chapter chair of the Moraine Valley Community College Classified Chapter for many years.  I know all 1600 members join me in offering our deepest gratitude and admiration.

As the longtime Support Staff Chapter Chair at Moraine Valley, she became the steady anchor of her chapter, tirelessly advocating for the rights, dignity, and well-being of support staff across the college. But her leadership extended far beyond a single title. She served as a chapter chair who led by example. Rose gave presentations on bringing in new members, explaining the union’s history, and the importance of solidarity. She was a mentor and an educator, ensuring that each new member understood they were joining a union that fought for its members.

Her work on many negotiating teams stands as one of her most significant contributions. Rose helped secure a five-year contract for Moraine Valley support staff with unprecedented raises—5% for five years. This was no small feat. It required patience, skill, and a collaborative spirit. As she said, “Both teams came to the table ready to work together”. She proved that advocacy and partnership could coexist, and the result was a contract that made her members and colleagues proud.

Her dedication to the union often took her beyond the bargaining table. Rose traveled to a Saturn plant in Tennessee to study worker-management partnerships. She appeared on CAN-TV to defend community college retirees against misleading claims. She attended conferences, strategized with fellow chapter chairs, and never missed an opportunity to stand up for working people. For her, the union was not a job—it was a calling.

Moraine Valley recognized her service as well, honoring her with the Robert E. Turner Service Award in 2011. But the true measure of Rose’s impact is not in awards. It lives in the colleagues she inspired, the contracts she strengthened, and the culture of solidarity she helped to build. She gave her time, energy, and heart to the people she represented. 

As she steps back from this chapter of service, her legacy endures. Thank you, Rose, for your decades of dedication to the CCCTU, to Moraine Valley, and to every worker who benefited from your leadership.

Rose Sakanis during her final House of Representatives Meeting as Classified VP.