Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Police and Teachers, Their Unions and the March

There is so much to write about the relationship between UFT, the PBA, Mulgrew and Lynch, and the rank and file teachers and cops. So much to write that I have trouble sorting it all out. I have no personal issues with the police I have run into through my lifetime. But then again I am not black. 

I do have a problem with Patrick Lynch's assault on Mulgrew for a lack of union solidarity. I can't seem to recall any solidarity on Lynch's part towards teachers - or even other unions. Thus his attack on Mulgrew, to the glee of the NY Post, was a little over the top.
“Mulgrew knows that the UFT is under siege from all sides, and this is purely an attempt to distract attention from that mounting criticism,” Lynch wrote, referring to the union’s chronic battles over teacher tenure and charter schools as well as the “substandard” contract Mulgrew recently negotiated for his membership.
Lynch is right about the substandard contract, but how about this comment?
“How would he like it if police officers lined up with the activists who oppose his efforts to shield bad teachers and undermine effective charter schools?” Lynch fumed.
Hey Lynch, I call this lining up with ed deform. In fact, since we haven't had a word of support over the years of attacks on teachers, in essence lining up with these so-called "activists"  like Campbell Brown, is exactly what you've been doing with your silence.

Inside MORE, there has been a week-long debate about how to deal with the rally, the UFT role in it, the undemocratic nature of decision-making in the UFT, the role of Al Sharpton, and so much MORE. Julie Cavanagh written a personal and remarkable statement on the issue at the MORE blog: For Deion.

I won't get into the weeds on the internals at this point but will point out that MORE debates these issues. Inside Unity Caucus there is no debate. Just a thousand or more lemmings who will follow whatever Mulgrew tells them to do. And if he reversed himself tomorrow and said the march was not a good thing, they would all change course and march off whatever cliff he tells them to match off of. And Leo Casey would jump in to make the case for either side.

Afterburn
The Unity lemmings cheered Bill Gates at the 2010 convention and booed the people walking out. When told to reverse course by 2012 when Ravitch took the slot Gates had occupied 2 years before, no problem for Unity.

Here is the video we put together with David Bellel on Unity lemmings.
BillGates at the AFT - 1984




I have such antipathy for Al Sharpton that I have a problem taking part in something he is leading. That the UFT has been funneling money to his organizations all these years does not make me happy. I stopped watching MSNBC when they gave Sharpton his own show.

Which reminds me of the joke my right-wing brother in law once told me.
Standing in front of you is Sharpton, Hitler and Stalin. You have a gun with only 2 bullets. Which ones do you shoot?
Answer: shoot Sharpton twice.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope MORE is turning their back on Sharpton. From day one he aligned himself with Reformers. And I hope none of my COPE dollars are union dues went into his organization!!!

NYCUrbanEd said...

Not a big fan of that last line (although I am ever a fan of you).

I have some concerns over the debate within the caucus. I suppose it's better than Unity that MORE does debate, but to take a vote is a bit different from reaching consensus. Taking a majority vote requires the creation of a minority who is upset that they didn't get their way. Reaching consensus, which requires far more work, means that the people who would be in the majority take the added step of reaching out to the people who would be in the minority and do what it takes to bring them into a position where they can be ok with what's about to be done. We used to work to reach consensus. I believe that's because we used to care enough about what other folks thought to listen.

Used to. While I am less concerned about any one debate, I am greatly concerned about the processes through which MOREistas do their MOREista-ing. In this case, I'm afraid that just because one (very cool) blogger calls this a debate, doesn't quote make it so.

You can so what you want (or not) I won't be replying.