Showing posts with label Richard Iannuzzi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richard Iannuzzi. Show all posts

Monday, April 7, 2014

NYSUT Election Update: Message to Revive: Now that you broke it, you own it

Well, Revive certainly broke NYSUT with the claim that the Stronger Together leadership wasn't militant enough -- one very big joke. So now they own it.

And Revive will come under the very same attacks they used on Stronger Together starting ---- yesterday. Even with 100% of the Unity block voting for him, Revive's Martin Messner won with 53.7% of the weighted vote while Stronger Together incumbent Lee Cutler came in with 46.3%.

In fact the Julie Cavanagh vs Mulgrew numbers (Julie Cavanagh Defeats Mulgrew Outside NYC With 52.3% of Vote) show just how soft the support for Revive is -- let's split the baby -- say half of Julie's votes were due to people knowing her and the other half anti-Mulgrew. So even the big cities had some clear drift toward the Stronger Together candidates.

James Eterno at the ICE blog (REVIVE WINS; MORE DOES VERY WELL OUTSIDE NYC) shows how Stronger Together incumbent Lee Cutler beat Martin Messer (whose tweets put him in slug territory) with 70% of the vote outside NYC. James explains:
A detailed look at the numbers for the election, which we have said was run on as tilted a playing field as a UFT election, shows it was much closer than most people expected.  Outside of New York City, Revive candidates either lost or only won by a small margin.  The difference in this election was the New York City UFT Unity Caucus bloc of votes. 
These Delegates are bound by their caucus obligations to support the decisions of their caucus in public and union forums (the so called Unity loyalty oath) so we knew 34% of the vote (the percentage the UFT has in this election according to what we looked at) was going to Revive from the start. That is a healthy head start.

For Secretary-Treasurer, Revive's Martin Messner won with 53.7% of the weighted vote while Stronger Together incumbent Lee Cutler came in with 46.3%. We got to know Lee Cutler during the last month and found him to be a decent guy who did a pretty good job as an officer. We are not surprised that he won a huge percentage of the vote outside of New York City. Let's look at some of the details.

There were 328,014 weighted votes that were cast in the election for president.  It was less for other offices which is not unusual in any election. Since 34% of the votes were from the UFT and this was a non secret ballot, we can safely assume that all of the UFT votes were for Revive's Martin Messner.

Outside of NYC we can conclude there were 216,489 weighted votes by simply subtracting 111,525 (34% of the total weighted votes cast) from 328,014 (number of weighted votes cast for president).  Now subtract from Messner's totals the same NYC 111,525 weighted votes from his 175,790 total and he is left with 64,275 votes while Cutler keeps all of his non NYC weighted votes which add up to 151,526.  Outside of NYC, where the election is not a top down mandate from Michael Mulgrew, Cutler won easily with 70% of the vote to Messner's 30%.

The same holds true if we take out the NYC votes from the other officers. Stronger Together's Maria Neira, Kathleen Donahue, and of course Dick Iannuzzi won easily outside of NYC. It was also very competitive outside of the city for Arthur Goldstein against Andrew Pallotta for Executive Vice President.

Monday, March 24, 2014

As the NYSUT World Turns: Some NYC Unity Caucus Delegates May Bolt and Vote Stronger Together

Leroy Barr Offer to Unity RA Delegates
Reports are surfacing that a small faction of Unity may just vote their conscience and damn the consequences at the April 5 NYSUT Representative Assembly.

Unity Caucus held a meeting at 52 Broadway (UFT HQ) after last Wednesday's (March 19) Delegate Assembly - with dinner served (were they using our dues money - did they pay rent? Can MORE hold caucus meetings there too?).

Leroy Barr strongly reminded the 800 Unityites who were elected as delegates to state and national conventions in the March 2013 elections that they were expected to vote as a block for the Mulgrew/Weingarten instigated Revive slate in the April 5 NYSUT election and they would be watched due to the open ballot.

There are early signs that Barr's message did not go over very well with at least a few of the Unity faithful, soon to be classified as traitors and drummed out of the Caucus if they should dare cast their vote for Stronger Together on April 5.

Barr also admonished them that they should not miss sessions to traipse around the city, as usual, using their meal money to eat at local restaurants. "Bring your own food and snacks into the convention hall" - paraphrasing Barr's comment from someone who was present. I'll bring them a bag of peanuts when I stop by late Saturday afternoon on April 5th after I work the FIRST LEGO League robotics tournament at the Javits Center.

Too bad I'll miss Arthur Goldstein's early morning speech that day. Arthur us running a piece this morning (On Timeliness and Learning) chronicling  his travels around the state speaking and making new friends as he goes head to head for NYSUT VP against former UFT District Rep Andy Pallotta, who by the way makes around $350,000 a year. I gotta hit Arthur for a loan when he wins - and by the way, if he does I bet we see Arthur make a move to reduce those crazy salaries of our union leaders, just as Karen Lewis did in Chicago.

Arthur has a funny piece running this morning on
The Sad Tale of UFT-Unity's Robo Voters with cartoons yet.




That Barr had to make this point so strongly as a reminder to the Unity faithful (and those soon to be not so faithful) is a sign there is some unhappiness inside Unity Caucus (in the UFT) with the way the NYSUT split was fomented.

In some of my personal contacts when the subject comes up there is a rolling of the eyes. Sometimes a shrug. Clearly, little enthusiasm for the initiative to dump the current NYSUT leadership minus Andy Pallotta, a leadership that has one of their popular former members - Maria Neira - being dumped too. Maria still has a lot of supporters in Unity. Her integrity is well-known and counts for something when she sticks with Dick Iannuzzi when she probably could have deserted him for what could have been a guaranteed win if she ran on the Revise slate.

We always know that there are some decent Unity Caucus people with a conscience, but a conscience that will be put on hold when it comes to supporting dictums from the top. (I remember on the bus to the airport in Seattle after the 2010 Bill Gates AFT convention, some Unity people approached me and said they agreed with Ed Notes on many positions and trashed Randi and the Gates appearance. That didn't stop them from booing the people who walked out on Gates.)

There are some Unity people planning on leaving the caucus on their own and this vote will be their form of resigning. If they are thrown out of the caucus before the AFT July convention in LA, do they still get to go, given they were elected? In 2010, a Unity delegate and chapter leader who had invited my pal Angel Gonzalez to her soon to be closed school was tossed from the convention trip because she hadn't paid her Unity dues on time. She sent me off to Seattle with a scathing criticism of Randi/Mulgrew and Unity and joined GEM (the pre-cursor to MORE and Change the Stakes).

How interesting if even a sliver of Unity actually joins Stronger Together, the first even minor break in Unity here in the city since the mid-to late 60s. (We saw in the 2013 elections a large rank and file desertion of Unity - votes that MORE was not able to pick up.)

There is so much going on behind the scenes that I can't talk about yet - if I did I would have to kill you. But you will read it here first.

Stay tuned to "As the NYSUT World Turns."

Sunday, February 2, 2014

NYSUT Update: Kiev on the Hudson as Randi Plays Role of Ukraine President Yanukovych

Randi is behind the so-called NYSUT insurgency multiple and trusted sources have informed us. I don't have particulars but this info came in response to my comments the other day in this post (The Battle for NYSUT: Ebbs and Flows)
While some think Randi must be behind the move of the UFT to take over NYSUT completely and totally (they pretty much have a lot of control now) this doesn't have her fingerprints. What does she have to gain from trying to push out Iannuzzi - who she helped put in? Or pushing out Maria Neira who she promoted from the UFT Exec Bd to a NYSUT VP?
You know, I should have trusted my instincts all along but the total level of how nonsensical this is in terms of Randi's own self-interest led me out of the real world into fantasy land -- that Mulgrew might have stepped out on his own. These quotes from Reality-Based Educator:
Literally up is down and black is white. The less aggressive "challengers" are getting supported because the Iannuzzi regime hasn't been aggressive enough.....Orwellian beyond belief - but par for the course at the AFT/NYSUT/UFT. ...  Reality Based Educator at PerdidoSS
My sources say that Randi could not accept Iannuzzi and crew's blatant rejection of Cuomo which would leave her without a role to play with the big boys on the state Democratic Party level. My sources say that it more important to her than even considerations of splitting NYSUT.

But my guess is that she didn't think it would go this far and that Iannuzzi would cave or play ball. The interesting story is NYC Unity Caucus member and former UFT Exec Bd member Maria Neira, who was promoted and pushed into the NYSUT VP position by Randi, now feels she represents the interests of the teachers in the state and keeping NYSUT united is in their interests. The Andy slate came up with newly minted UFT VP and Teacher Center head Fortina to go up against Neira.

Neira was a popular person in Unity and I imagine many of them will have to swallow to vote against her. But they will. Swallow, I mean.

What this means in the long run is this: in the 35 years or so of NYSUT history -- where Shanker and Hobart merged the AFT and NEA on the state level -- Shanker's way of going around the enormous national NEA hostility directed at him and his dream of running one national teachers union -- there has NEVER -- Say it again - NEVER - been a contested election for NYSUT state office. That is because there is only one statewide caucus - Unity. There is no equivalent of MORE at the state level ---- and now one may very well emerge. And even if it is relatively small on the level of MORE that is major.

First of all I should point out that these are not rank and filer union members but union presidents and their elected delegates who we are talking about. So this is an entirely different kettle of fish and something MOREista observers, committed to rank and file organizing have commented on. Other MOREistas are supportive, especially given the increasingly close relationship we have been developing with Port Jefferson Station TA --
Me and my adopted political son Mike
The official website of the PJSTA over the past few months -- thanks to the work of Mike Schirtzer in MORE who has worked with the great crew over there.

At issue is an increasingly widening rift between the UFT leadership and the smaller locals who have gotten chopped by Cuomo with the other big cities up for grabs by both groups over time. Thus even if they go with the Pallotta/Mylgrew/Randi side this time they will be looking for results, results that Andy can't deliver on.

Cuomo's pre-k support plan robs Peter to pay Paul given that many if not most small locals don't even have full-day kindergarten, let alone pre-k. Thus, Cuomo's plan to take state money and pour it into NYC pre-k while upstate and Long Island poorer locals get less state aid has caused a major divide. Thus, the De Blasio plan to raise taxes on the rich inside NYC to pay for the plan makes perfect sense to them -- but not to the UFT/Revive NYSUT crew. I'll get more into those weeds in another post. (And also talk about the role MORE might decide to play in all this.) The Cuomo property tax cap is a killer for small locals.

The incumbents and their growing allies are the real insurgents in NYSUT, not the Mulgrew/Alan Lubin/Andy Pallotta "Revive NYSUT" make-believe. It is funny to call the incumbents led by Dick Iannuzzi the insurgents but as time goes on you will see what I mean. Once he was freed from the UFT muzzle he has shown some chops - and clearly had the support to push forth the headline breaking news of withdrawal of support for John King and an attack on the common core, which Randi tweeted in her usual manner, she was so "thrilled" at -- while that entire incident only helped STRONGER TOGETHER.

When Mulfrew and crew call themselves insurgents just go back and read RBE at Perdido Street School
And Yet Three More Oldies But Goodies: Michael Mulgrew Defends John King's APPR Teacher Evaluation System - Because I'm in the mood for oldies this afternoon, here's three more UFT gems coming to you from back on September 4, September 5, and September 13.
 

Friday, January 31, 2014

NYSUT Rift Update: The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung as Hobart and Cortese Endorse Iannuzzi Slate

Rumore is making a gambit that Mulgrew would defend his local better than Iannuzzi? Who is he kidding? ... Comment on ed notes
Our pals at Port Jefferson Station have posted this. For NYC people Hobart and Cortese may not mean much but they have been heavy hitters in NYSUT. I've never supported them but their support for Dick carries some weight. Below that is a comment on Ed Notes, followed by emails from Mike Lillis, President of Lakeland Federation of Teachers with some heavy criticism of Andy. This battle ain't going away too soon.

I think a question to explore very soon is WHY? And how  this battle affects Randi and the AFT given the dominance of NYSUT in that organization. Some people are even whispering that this is a Mulgrew power play against Randi. Hard to believe but anything is possible.

Hobart and Cortese Endorse Iannuzzi, Neira, Donahue, Cutler


January 31, 2014
NYSUT Leaders and Members:
We are proud to serve as the Honorary Reelection Committee and to endorse the reelection of Dick Iannuzzi for President, Maria Neira and Kathleen Donahue for Vice President and Lee Cutler for Secretary-Treasurer of NYSUT!
We have been involved in framing the NYSUT mission and vision from its inception.  Along with many great unionists from across New York, we’ve watched our union grow and evolve in ways that place NYSUT at the forefront of the teacher union movement — in fact of the entire labor movement.  Dick and his team have a vision that is inclusive of every constituency group and local regardless of region or size.  They have made leaders feel and know that they are part of a union that cares about and advocates for every member.  They understand that leadership is about making the tough choices in tough times to save our members’ jobs, and about recalibrating our budgetary priorities and restructuring our organization to better meet our members’ needs.  They know that leadership is about leading and taking responsibility for decisions, not finger-pointing or scapegoating colleagues when times are hard.
Like each of us, the STRONGER TOGETHER team understands that a union best serves its members with a long-range strategy and vision that supports real change, but not change for the sake of change.
The future of NYSUT depends on a team whose vision looks toward the future with new ideas that engage a collective voice, and not one that seeks to look backwards and fails to recognize the value of every member.  Dick, Maria, Kathleen and Lee have the vision and experience to lean into the future on your behalf, and that’s why we are proud to actively provide our support.
In solidarity,
Thomas Y. Hobart, Jr.
President Emeritus
Antonia Cortese
Former  NYSUT First Vice President
Hobart/Cortese Endorsement Letter

Geo Karo has left a new comment on your post "Is Iannuzzi Toast?":
Important coverage here.
Opponents of Cuomo and King's corporate deformist policies that have ravaged teachers' working conditions and children's learning conditions should do all they can to build support among the remaining out of NYC and out of Buffalo teacher union locals.
And Rumore is making a gambit that Mulgrew would defend his local better than Iannuzzi? Who is he kidding? Mulgrew and his proxy Pallotta paid $10,000 for a table at Cuomo's (reelection) birthday party. What Kool-Aid is Rumore drinking? Has he forgotten that Mulgrew's beneficiary --Cuomo-- has threatened to take over the Buffalo School District, screaming that the BTF's APPR MOU is illegal?
Thankfully, Buffalo is not the only big non-NYC block of votes. Syracuse's union president Kevin Ahern was an early supporter of Iannuzzi's move vs. King. Think of all those YouTube videos of teacher union members across the state, railing against Common Core & King's tour. Like Ahern, we could expect that they will more likely side with Iannuzzi over Michael "put up a lame response to deform" Mulgrew.
This is a classic Which Side are You On struggle. Mulgrew is unapologetic re the most repressive APPR in NYS, Mulgrew defended CCSS on principle throughout 2013. Can NYS teachers afford to let Mulgrew's sham unionism seize tighter control of NYSUT?
======
Andy Pallotta/Mulgrew may win in a runaway but they have created longer lasting problems of divisions at the state level that won't go away soon. Will a serious opposition caucus to state Unity emerge? Even people who vote for Mulgrew will soon come to see that things will go backward.

Aside from the email below from Lakeland Fed of Teachers President Mike Lillis regarding the threat to the NYSUT legal department once Mulgrew gets his hands on it with total control, I've heard similar thoughts from people inside the legal dept -- that whatever support they give teachers currently will not be as strong. And I know that there are people who have said they wouldn't use their NYSUT lawyers but I've also heard some good things. Remember - UFT has no legal dept for teachers - only NYSUT lawyers.

Norm, 
I thought you might find this helpful.  For anyone who believes that Andy is somehow being held back by Dick, this article in Capital New York would be illuminating.  Since Andy got to Albany, the only meaningful means we have had to address our members concerns is the legal dept (APPR lawsuit, Tax Cap lawsuit).  Thankfully the legal dept is controlled by Dick, because if Andy controlled that as well our members would have no reason to hope for improvement.  Andy has mastered the Art of talking about hard work and doing nothing,except working behind the scenes for the last year and a half to  orchestrate a coup.
Here is his email to the Pallotta:
Michael Lillis mlillis510@gmail.com
10/25/13

to apallotta, rianuzzi, mneira, dianuzzi, kdonahue, Lee
 
Andy,

I am compelled to write to you regarding the recent article in Capital NY concerning the I.D.C. and their efficacy. After reading and agreeing with everything that Dick had said about the I.D.C. and the dysfunction that they have created in the Senate, I was shocked to read that rather than let Senator Klein answer directly for the lack of movement regarding our agenda items concerning testing, women's rights, and farm workers, you decided to intervene and allow Senator Klein to save face by not having to provide a rationale for why he is obstructing our agenda.  To see so many of our legislative agenda items either stalled or rejected by our "friends," it is high time that we more clearly and publicly delineate our agenda items as Dick has just done.  

We are at a crucial moment and we need the legislature to perceive us as unified and moving in a single direction with clear expectations for the Legislators behavior.  Significant work has been done to lay a foundation to turn back the tide of the education reform agenda forced upon us by the Governor, the Legislature and the Regents.  Within the next couple of months there will have been close to two dozen public hearings hosted by Regents and Legislators alike and they will hear a consistent message about SED overreach and incompetence.  For you to have so visibly sent out a mixed message about what we want is amateur and does not serve my members.   As evidence of how this undermines our agenda on educational issues I found the article in Capital NY through a link on GothamSchools.org.  Clearly organizational dissonance undermines our effectiveness and will be exploited by people who want to marginalize us. 

We, the rank and file teachers in NYS, are at the breaking point over these curricula and testing issues.  We need action and the current structure of the Senate has proven itself to only enable inaction and an opportunity to blame others for why individual Legislators are not taking tough stands. Dick is absolutely correct to point out that it would be better if the Senate was completely controlled by either the Republicans or the Democrats, because then when teachers and parents go to vote, we will know who to blame.  

The next few months is going to provide us a unique and powerful opportunity to act quickly to get legislative action to slow down and reverse this poorly conceived education reform agenda.  If we squander this opportunity through our own legislative dissonance the membership will be justified in wondering, "how could such a once powerful organization have been marginalized so quickly"?  Nothing will marginalize us more effectively than sending a mixed message to legislators about what we demand.

Thank you,
Mike Lillis
President Lakeland Federation of Teachers
 

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Is Iannuzzi Toast?

Iannuzzi’s only path to victory was to form a solid wall of EVERY non-NYC local larger than about 500 members (there are about 50 of them) and then use that momentum to start peeling off individual delegates elsewhere. Fuhgeddaboudit....It’s illustrative that few people even know, or particularly care, who Karen Magee is or what she plans to do as NYSUT president. It’s assumed by everyone involved that she is a proxy for United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew and New York City’s Unity Caucus.... EIA
Iannuzzi has gotten more aggressive in the recent weeks while the Pallotta/Mulgrew slate is still hanging out with Andy Cuomo and giving him bags of cash for re-election. The Orwellian nature of AFT/NYSUT/UFT politics never ceases to amaze. Literally up is down and black is white. The less aggressive "challengers" are getting supported because the Iannuzzi regime hasn't been aggressive enough.
You can't make this stuff up - Rumore is going to back the challengers who have been raising cash for Andrew Cuomo because Iannizzi and his slate hasn't been aggressive enough against Cuomo, even though they have ratcheted up the aggression in the past weeks....Orwellian beyond belief - but par for the course at the AFT/NYSUT/UFT. ...  Reality Based Educator at PerdidoSS
Below, Mike Antonucci does the numbers and they don't look good for Iannuzzi. Small locals will still resist and maybe even run a slate even if Iannuzzi withdraws -- I'm not basing this on any real info other than Randi working behind the scenes to get this settled without an election and try to create illusion of NYSUT unity in time for the AFT convention in LA in July.

But there will not be unity. Can there be a real insurgency in NYSUT? The problem is that Iannuzzi is damaged goods and can't lead it. I would think those 50 local union leaders would need to declare themselves publicly very soon.

I spoke to a very wise NYSUT person recently who was there at the creation when Al Shanker and Tom Hobart merged the AFT and NEA in NY State to form NYSUT. He made a comment at the time to a very happy person at the merger: Are you ready for dissolution - (he could have also said disillusion.) What comes together can come apart if there is not enough glue to hold it.

The small locals are outraged as the hemorrhage services and members and at the bully tactics of the UFT. If someone can cobble them together into an effective force the other big cities a year down the road will look at things anew as new leaders rise.

The problem is there is long-lasting hostility to Iannuzzi as evidenced by these comments posted on ed notes when the Phil Rumore/Buffalo story broke last night.

oh boy.. This does not look good.. I wonder if Rumore will be slapping himself in the a#$ if/when a new slate takes over and it does not go the way he would have intended. on Buffalo's Rumore Taking Stand in NYSUT Split?
 
And a response:
 
at 10:58 AM
When the NYSUT Representative Assembly met a few years ago in Buffalo the Buffalo Teachers Union walked out when commissioner King spoke to the assembly. President Iannnuzzi specifically told the delegates not to join in with our 'Brothers and Sisters" from Buffalo as they walked out. The commissioner had made some very harsh cuts to their education funding and the BTU wanted no part of King. Here is a reason for the lack of support for Iannuzzi. on Buffalo's Rumore Taking Stand in NYSUT Split?
 
Here is the full EIA piece from Mike.

http://www.eiaonline.com/intercepts/2014/01/30/iannuzzi-is-toast/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Intercepts+%28Intercepts%29


Link to Intercepts

Posted: 30 Jan 2014 10:39 AM PST
I don’t like to try to predict the future. There are too many uncertainties and you usually end up looking foolish. But I’ll take that chance in this case. As much as I would like to see a closely contested election going down to the wire, it is inevitable that Karen Magee will be the next president of the New York State United Teachers.

It’s illustrative that few people even know, or particularly care, who Karen Magee is or what she plans to do as NYSUT president. It’s assumed by everyone involved that she is a proxy for United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew and New York City’s Unity Caucus.
It’s also noteworthy that there is significant opposition to this UFT move by individual teachers and locals, but the structure of NYSUT’s Representative Assembly doesn’t allow for a popular vote. There are about 2,000 delegates to the RA, allocated to locals based on membership size. UFT accounts for at least one-third of these delegates. The next largest local, in Buffalo, accounts for about 1.3 percent.
UFT’s delegates can be counted on to deliver all their votes to Magee’s Revive NYSUT slate. And the president of the 30,000-strong United University Professions local also declared for Revive NYSUT. That puts incumbent NYSUT president Richard Iannuzzi in the position of having to secure three out of every four remaining delegate votes just to squeak by. He can’t do it.

Iannuzzi has some support. The presidents of 50 locals got together to form Stronger Together on his behalf, and both sides are citing endorsements by various locals, but in all cases these don’t matter. The election won’t be decided by who picks up more locals that control 0.1 percent of the vote.

Iannuzzi’s only path to victory was to form a solid wall of EVERY non-NYC local larger than about 500 members (there are about 50 of them) and then use that momentum to start peeling off individual delegates elsewhere.

Fuhgeddaboudit. According to this Capital New York story, Buffalo is leaning towards Revive NYSUT, and the other large locals are uncommitted and far from glowing in their assessment of Iannuzzi’s tenure.

Insiders think the election will swing on the issue of buying 10 seats at a Gov. Cuomo fundraiser instead of three, but it’s strictly a question of counting votes. Those with an interest can now forget about the election itself, and start investigating exactly what the Revive NYSUT slate has in mind when it takes over.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Updates from Weekend NYSUT Meeting: Locals and Counting Oppose Mulgrew Takeover

.... just last year, Mulgrew asked the State legislature and Cuomo to allow King to arbitrate a dispute Mulgrew was having with Bloomberg over APPR shows that UFT wants and needs King and Cuomo’s help.... Friday night, Mulgrew accused Cutler of undermining him at the UFT’s last delegate assembly because a motion was brought to the floor for UFT to not endorse Cuomo. Of course that motion was defeated.  It wasn’t Cutler that brought that idea to that UFT delegate. It was me Michael and you should have supported that resolution because Cuomo is not good for the UFT or the rest of NY State... Beth Dimino, Pres. Port Jefferson Station TA
Here is a report from the Long Island Presidents' Council listserve about the weekend from Port Jeff Station Pres Beth Dimino-- I'll follow up with analysis later. There is only one statewide caucus - Unity - an open caucus unlike UFT/Unity - and the state level is where the split is taking place. So all sides were present at the state Unity Caucus meeting on Friday night. These 50 presidents met separately on Saturday and formed Stronger Together
to support Iannuzzi. Beth uses lots of first and last names I don't know but we'll all figure this out later.
Date: January 26, 2014 at 6:37:16 PM EST

Subject: Fwd: Fw: LIPC Intranet: New Discussion Thread - [POSTSU...
This weekend I was in Albany with 50 other local presidents to address the upcoming NYSUT elections... please read my recent post on the Long Island President's website below and be sure to go to thepjsta.org for updates as well...
Message:
Everything that is posted here was either told to me directly by the individuals involved or was witnessed by me.
Fifty Local Presidents from large and small locals, from all parts of the State, braved the snow and met to discuss the future of NYSUT, yesterday afternoon in Albany.  Everyone shared their ideas for how to move this organization forward after the insanity of the election is over. It’s no coincidence that the president’s meeting was Saturday afternoon. I anticipated that Friday night’s Unity Caucus meeting would be a fiasco and it was that and more as NYSUT members who attended the Friday night meeting informed the group.  I’m sure you’ll hear highlights of the Caucus meeting but what I’d like to inform you of is what mattered the most to the fifty presidents that were in the meeting with me.
1)     The revive slate is anything but a grass roots movement. Pallotta and Lubin, with Mulgrew’s blessing, have been planning the revive run for more than a year. I personally was courted at last year’s RA and this fall to run on the revive slate, as was one other LI local president. Andy “tapped” people to run with the promise that he would get Unity Caucus backing and therefore would win the election. Messner showed his loyalty to both Andy and Michael at the RA last year and was promised the Secretary Treasurer’s position. (Maria) Niera intimated to me that Mulgrew contacted Niera and told her that if she agreed to walk away from Iannuzzi and join Pallotta she would keep her NYSUT job. Only after Niera explained to Mulgrew that even though she felt great affection for her UFT brothers and sisters she NOW represented the interests of the entire State of NY, not just NYC, was Niera informed that Fortina [UFT VP and Teacher Center head] was “tapped” to run against her. I was personally told that neither Paul nor Nadia really wanted to run for Donohue’s position, but when the other LI local President and I turned it down, Paul agreed. Andy cannot divorce himself from the other officers. He was part of the “team” for 6 years and if he wanted to call the shots he should have run for President. Instead Magee was “tapped”. Magee is best known recently for three things, 1) introducing herself to a group of upstate presidents at a meeting last July as the next NYSUT President, 2) accepting another term as a TRS delegate when she fully intended to run for NYSUT President in October instead of serving on the TRS, and 3) Standing at a NYSUT Board of Directors meeting in December and asking that Iannuzzi reconsider endorsing Cuomo.
2)    All 50 presidents agreed that Cuomo’s tax cap is crippling every local except the UFT. NYSUT must not endorse Cuomo and Cuomo must know that today. Cuomo and King must acknowledge that King and the common core are hurting teachers and children. The fact that, just last year, Mulgrew asked the State legislature and Cuomo to allow King to arbitrate a dispute Mulgrew was having with Bloomberg over APPR shows that UFT wants and needs King and Cuomo’s help. Friday night, Mulgrew accused Cutler of undermining him at the UFT’s last delegate assembly because a motion was brought to the floor for UFT to not endorse Cuomo.  Of course that motion was defeated.  It wasn’t Cutler that brought that idea to that UFT delegate. It was me Michael and you should have supported that resolution because Cuomo is not good for the UFT or the rest of NY State. Most importantly for the 50 presidents in the  

Saturday meeting, was the fact that even though Friday night’s Unity Caucus meeting was a “shit show”, Iannuzzi was able to pull that dysfunctional group together to get the NYSUT BOD to agree to a vote of no confidence for King and withdrawal of support for CCSS.
 
  3)      What are the facts;
Iannuzzi and Niera got us the APPR.  After a year of the APPR, all of us agreed that it is a huge pain in the ass.  But, Unlike Mulgrew who had his APPR imposed on his local because he could not effectively negotiate with his Superintendent, the rest of the presidents in NY negotiated APPRs where less than 2% of all the teachers in NY were ineffective. The APPR needs revisions, and all of us agreed that Iannuzzi and Niera will get those revisions done. In regards to the tax cap, Iannuzzi directed the legal department to file the lawsuit.
Palotta and his legislative team got us tier 5, tier 6, charter schools, and merit pay. Palotta has not pushed back against Cuomo’s tax cap or the common core. Lubin may have been effective in his day, but his protégé Palotta is not producing. Further, one of Pallotta’s staff members asked me to “tone” down my presentation after a Flanagan meeting and Pallotta’s controlled Suffolk PAC asked me not to go into the room with them at the last Committee of 100 meeting with Flanagan. Long Island presidents were asked to support LaValle because Pallotta’s staff needed someone friendly they could talk to in Albany at the last President’s Conference. Pallotta and his directives to his legislative team do NOT represent the best interests of Long Island or NYS.
4)      50 President’s Conclusion: We will support the Iannuzzi, Niera, Cutler and Donohue slate because it represents the needs of all of the locals on Long Island and in NY State. We will work with Iannuzzi to insure that each and every NYSUT member knows that regardless of whether they are from a local that is large or small, rural, suburban or urban, whether they do any job in higher ed or pre k to 12, health care or life guard their voice will be heard and they will be represented.
Now that’s a Grass Roots Democratic Movement!

See James Eterno's excellent analysis now running on both the ICE and the Port Jefferson Station blogs.
ICEUFT Blog
MAKING SOME SENSE OF THE NYSUT LEADERSHIP SPLIT - Many New York City teachers view New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) as the group that offers UFT members discount insurance. It is so much more importa...
 

Friday, January 24, 2014

The State of Politics: UFT Sides With "Insurgents" In NYSUT Power Struggle

If Iannuzzi has to go how about Randi Weingarten? Duhhhh! We told you from Day 1 Pallotta was Mulgrew's tool. I'm putting in a tab up top of the blog where I will keep links from Ed Notes and some other sources as this gets played out.

For those of you who have not following the ed notes coverage of this NYSUT internal struggle, as we predicted from Day 1 Mulgrew has been behind it.
A pointed out Unity controls 40% of the delegates who will vote -- all 800 elected last April despite the fact thousands of people voted for MORE, yet those people get disenfranchised at NYSUT and the AFT.
Pallotta et al also has the support of NYSUT’s former executive vice president, Alan Lubin, who wrote on the REVIVE website:
“Four incumbents say ‘Now is not the time to change leadership.’ That’s an argument used in Union elections since the beginning of time. (Including by me, in the past!). We are past that argument now. The REVIVE NYSUT leaders argue for new approaches, new coalitions, and improved outreach and much more involvement and input from locals across the state to bring NYSUT to a higher level.”
As I wrote recently the "retired" Alan Lubin, who we are told despises Iannuzzi, is up to his ears in this. Yeah, Alan, you guys have been telling us since the beginning of time "now is not the time." If Iannuzzi has to go how about Randi Weingarten?

A point to watch here is:
Also this weekend, a group of some 50 NYSUT local leaders from around the state – basically, everywhere EXCEPT New York City – will be meeting separately at an Albany hotel to discuss their support of Iannuzzi, but also their vision for the future of the union and what it should look like going forward. This group of Iannuzzi backers also has a wesbite: StrongertogetherNYSUT.com.

We know people who will be at this meeting and will report as soon as info comes in.
check the comments

http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2014/01/uft-sides-with-insurgents-in-nysut-power-struggle/

UFT Sides With Insurgents In NYSUT Power Struggle (Updated)

A significant rift has developed between UFT President Mike Mulgrew and NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi, with the downstate teachers union honcho backing a slate of challengers against his statewide counterpart’s leadership team.
Mulgrew announced his support yesterday on the website of “REVIVE NYSUT” – the insurgent arm of the statewide teachers’ union that is challenging Iannuzzi and his allies in a fight for the NYSUT leadership. The opposition slate includes Andy Pallotta, NYSUT’s current executive vice president and a Mulgrew ally.
“We support the REVIVE NYSUT Unity slate,” Mulgrew wrote. “We have heard the voices from locals across the state and agree with their call for change.”
UPDATE: Pallotta is the REVIVE member who is drawing the most attention, due, I believe, to his Bronx roots and his alliance with Mulgrew. But he is seeking re-election to his current post. The presidential candidate challenging Iannuzzi is Karen McGee, a NYSUT Board member and president of the Harrison Association of Teachers in Westchester County.
Pallotta et al also has the support of NYSUT’s former executive vice president, Alan Lubin, who wrote on the REVIVE website:
“Four incumbents say ‘Now is not the time to change leadership.’ That’s an argument used in Union elections since the beginning of time. (Including by me, in the past!). We are past that argument now. The REVIVE NYSUT leaders argue for new approaches, new coalitions, and improved outreach and much more involvement and input from locals across the state to bring NYSUT to a higher level.”
NYSUT’s internal power struggle has been the talk of education blogs for several weeks now, but so far has failed to break through into the mainstream media. The fight recently surfaced when state Education Commissioner John King suggested during a CapTon interview that Iannuzzi’s motive for advancing a “no confidence” vote against the commissioner might be more about problems within his own house and less about unhappiness with the Board of Regents’ implementation of the controversial Common Core curriculum.
Common Core – or, more specifically, its impact on the controversial teacher performance evaluation process (which, by the way, both NYSUT and the UFT signed off on) – is indeed a source of consternation among NYSUT members, especially on Long Island, where opponents have been particularly vocal. This is one of the prime examples offered by the anti-Iannuzzi faction about why the current leadership team needs to go.
But there’s also chatter that what this is really all about is an effort by the UFT to wrest control of its parent union once and for all. This theory is primarily being pushed by the pro-Iannuzzi faction, which thinks Mulgrew, who has a close relationship with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is particularly miffed that Iannuzzi is apparently unwilling to even entertain the possibility of endorsing the governor for re-election this fall.
(Recall that NYSUT remained neutral in the 2010 governor’s race, as did several other unions. Cuomo hasn’t done much since he took office to improve his relationship with much of the labor community. If anything, that relationship has deteriorated, thanks to the passage of Tier 6 and the 2 percent property tax cap, as well as several contentious contract negotiations with public employee unions).
This is the final year of Iannuzzi’s three-year term. Technically speaking, the NYSUT elections take place in April, and since the UFT controls some 40 percent of the vote, the outcome is going to be close.
But the union is holding a board meeting tonight and tomorrow in Albany at which the topic of trying to avoid the coming bloodbath will no doubt be broached. I did reach Iannuzzi this afternoon, and asked if he would consider stepping aside to avoid a fight – epsecially given the fact that this is an important election year in which the union I’m sure wants to play a big role.
“I will be in this until the end,” Iannuzzi replied. “I’ve been part of NYSUT for 40-plus years, and I know what NYSUT is. It’s an organization that has a really delicate balance between New York City and the rest of the state. It won’t be NYSUT if this crowd takes over.”
Neither Pallotta nor Mulgrew has yet returned a call seeking comment.
Also this weekend, a group of some 50 NYSUT local leaders from around the state – basically, everywhere EXCEPT New York City – will be meeting separately at an Albany hotel to discuss their support of Iannuzzi, but also their vision for the future of the union and what it should look like going forward. This group of Iannuzzi backers also has a wesbite: StrongertogetherNYSUT.com.
 The comments section is one-sided anti Iannuzzi so far. But so funny when we know that the "democratic" UFT is behind it. And as I wrote recently the "retired" Alan Lubin, who we are told despises Iannuzzi, is up to his ears in this.

NYC Teachers at PS 8X Jump Into NYSUT Fray

It is time for NYSUT’s locals to unite against the useless behemoth of a local called the UFT and take steps to protect the hardworking teachers of NYS... A group of teachers at PS 8 in the Bronx.
I spoke with Andy this past summer and expressed my frustration with the lack of leadership on tackling Albany and the DOE head on. Andy's a peacemaker.  I'm a fighter... Roseanne McCosh, former chapter leader, PS 8X. 
Roseanne McCosh has been using the info we have been publishing here on the NYSUT story to share with her colleagues at PS 8X. She has been an Ed Notes reader and supporter since she was a chapter leader for many years. She also supported ICE. I'm not sure if I have even met her -- though I do think remember her from the DAs. She told me her school basically supported MORE in the election.

She took this action on her own without prompting -- true rank and file activism. How I wish there were thousands more like Roseanne. If there were we would have a very different union. As she writes below:
On a personal level I have a lot of good things to say about Andy. But this UFT/NYSUT situation ain't personal--- it's business, and I completely disagree with Andy on how vehemently we should be fighting those looking to eliminate teachers' unions and wreak havoc on the day to day conditions under which we must try to teach.
If you are so inclined, write your own school version or just use her template as a way to inform your staff as to what is going on and send a copy to me. One commenter asked for a pdf.

Norm,
I have written a letter to Iannuzzi that some teachers from my school have agreed to sign.  I will see if I can get more signatures next week.  Thus far the teachers below have agreed to my including their name on the Iannuzzi letter and submitting it you you (I described you as a blogger who is keeping us informed on the issue).  You have permission from those below to post this letter with our names if you want to.  ... Roseanne
Dear Mr. Iannuzzi,

As  UFT members we would relish the stranglehold the UFT has on NYSUT if UFT leadership was looking out for the best interests of its active teaching force.  But the sad fact is that they are not.  We have been attacked and abused for far too long by the NYC DOE and those attacks now come from Albany (Governor Cuomo) and Washington DC (Duncan et al).  

Now that the abuse is spreading to local unions, teachers in smaller school districts are starting to wake up and pay attention and make demands on their locals.  The influence that the UFT has on the decisions of NYSUT must be countered. Andrew Cuomo is not a friend to teachers.  Andrew Cuomo isn’t even close to being fair to teachers.  If Michael Mulgrew wants to support Andrew Cuomo, he should do so by writing a personal check.  We are certainly not the only UFT members who feel abandoned by the UFT.  It is time for NYSUT’s locals to unite against the useless behemoth of a local called the UFT and take steps to protect the hardworking teachers of NYS. 

Roseanne McCosh, UFT and NYSUT member
Theresa Miller, UFT and NYSUT member
Lori Matta, UFT and NYSUT member
Michele Bombace, UFT and NYSUT member
Cynthia Pacelli, UFT and NYSUT member
Kristin King, UFT and NYSUT member

Roseanne also sent along this background info in Andy Pallotta whom she likes personally.

I worked with Andy Pallotta when we were both Dist 10 chapter leaders and I continued as chapter leader while he was the Dist 10 rep. I am no longer chapter leader but I was replaced by someone strong and on the right side of the issues.  
On a personal level I have a lot of good things to say about Andy. But this UFT/NYSUT situation ain't personal--- it's business, and I completely disagree with Andy on how vehemently we should be fighting those looking to eliminate teachers' unions and wreak havoc on the day to day conditions under which we must try to teach.  I spoke with Andy this past summer and expressed my frustration with the lack of leadership on tackling Albany and the DOE head on.  Andy's a peacemaker.  I'm a fighter.  We disagree on tactics.  He had a VP from the UFT call me (For the life of me I can't remember her damn name)  and I was given lip service that the UFT was on top of this whole eval system.  I knew I was being placated and ended the conversation noting that time would tell how ahead of all of these issues the UFT would be in the months to come.
 

More NYSUT Internals: Valley Central TA President Supports Iannuzzi

Capital Tonight reports that an NYSUT analysis shows 69% of school districts will be receiving less aid in Cuomo's proposed budget than they got in 2009.... Reality-Based Educator
One hundred and seven (107), approximately 25% of teaching staff positions, have been cut in the past 5 years and it is Governor Cuomo who is primarily responsible for establishing, promoting or continuing the policies that have caused this student neglect..... there is no one I have met in this world that I respect and admire more than Dick Iannuzzi. I often tell my friends and colleagues that I long for a leader that does not have a price-tag on his/her advocacy—one that will do the right thing every time simply because it is the right thing to do. Dick models these criteria wonderfully. He is a leader that I would follow into hell to do battle for what is right because he has proven himself to have a strong moral compass and an effective work ethic in the most difficult political climate that NYS education has ever faced.... Tim Brown, President, Central Valley TA.
I never thought much about NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi, assuming he was a made front man pushed by the local NYC Unity Caucus machine (reminder: there is also a NY state Unity Caucus that does not seem as tightly locked down given the emerging criticisms from the inside.)

But over the last year I began to notice some surprising divergences from the Mulgrew/Randi line on evaluations, common core, NY State Ed, and most importantly, Cuomo. I assumed that given the enormous criticism directed at Iannuzzi from people upset with his agreeing to so much bad stuff, that people were going to either sit out the battle with Andy Pallotta or hold their noses and vote for Dick. But Tim Brown's email certainly has caught my attention. I wonder how many other locals out there are feeling the same and whether they have the ability to cobble together a broad based caucus on the state level. MORE I believe would be ready to assist in any way possible despite out limited resources.

Note this point by RBE at Perdido Street School:
Capital Tonight reports that an NYSUT analysis shows 69% of school districts will be receiving less aid in Cuomo's proposed budget than they got in 2009.
Then  RBE goes on to talk about all the bullshit testing, common core, eval mandates eating up school budgets. Will those districts begin to revolt over a Cuomo endorsement or will Mulgrew be able to keep them in line?

Thus, this fascinating email sent to me by Valley Central TA President Tim Brown with copies of emails he sent to Andy Pallotta months ago - who from what I hear was raised up from District 10 (Bronx) Rep to NYSUT VP and from reports, seems to have gone way beyond the Peter Principle -- now to be renamed the "Andy Principle."

If all this is new to you here are some catch-up pieces in reverse order of publication.
To: Norm Scott
From: Tim Brown, Valley Central TA President

I followed the link to your blog from the “Revive NYSUT Slate Lies” Facebook page and read the letters you posted from some local presidents. Following are two emails I sent to Andy Pallotta, one in October and the other in December, to share my disillusionment with Andy’s support of the IDC (Independent Democratic Caucus) and Governor Cuomo via the “Birthday Bash.” 

It was not my intent to share these emails outside my local union family, but recent events have changed my attitude regarding this. You are welcome to use them in any way you choose and I am certainly not concerned about my name being attached to them. I have the utmost respect for Dick, Maria, Lee and Kathleen. In fact, there is no one I have met in this world that I respect and admire more than Dick Iannuzzi. I often tell my friends and colleagues that I long for a leader that does not have a price-tag on his/her advocacy—one that will do the right thing every time simply because it is the right thing to do. Dick models these criteria wonderfully. He is a leader that I would follow into hell to do battle for what is right because he has proven himself to have a strong moral compass and an effective work ethic in the most difficult political climate that NYS education has ever faced. 

It is sad to note that difficult political times also provide opportunities, on an organizational level, for institutionally ambitious members to attack their own leaders for the purpose of advancing their own career/positions. This type of motivation does not fit the moral or practical parameters of leadership for which I am looking. I am willing to stand up and defend what I know to be correct and desirable and Dick, Maria, Lee and Kathleen are definitely the correct team to be leading NYSUT during this crisis. They have been effective and their motivation is selfless as opposed to ambitiously selfish and opportunistic.

Tim

PS: Feel free to call me. My local's website is vcta.net.


October Email to Pallotta Regarding IDC
>>> "T Brown"  10/29/2013 2:59 PM >>>

To: Andy Pallotta, NYSUT Executive Vice-President
From: Timothy Brown, Valley Central Teachers’ Association President

It is with great frustration that I write regarding the recent article published by Jessica Bakeman titled “NYSUT head says I.D.C. alliance ‘didn’t work,’ gets corrected.” I fail to understand how our head of legislation can fail to see how the I.D.C has been a major obstacle to productive teacher political action? In sharing this article with some of my executive council I received nothing but gasps of shock and dismay that you would publicly defend elected officials that have consistently voted against NYSUT supported legislative issues while publicly siding against your own president who was/is willing to take a stand against these democrats who are in the pockets of senate republicans.

Even if you disagree with your president, although I fail to see how any logical person could in this case, your public statements are damaging and show a lack of concern for NYSUT membership as a whole. I note that the article indicates that I.D.C. members Jeff Klein and Eric Soufer asked you to “clarify” NYSUT’s position. Perhaps it would have been better to have the individual involved, President Richard Iannuzzi, clarify his own words.

The truth and reality for those of us who have had to live with the devastating impact of the I.D.C.’s resistance to our political concerns is a lack of funding that has caused my district to lose approximately 25% of its teaching staff. Valley Central has lost $24 million due to gap elimination. This resulted in the loss of music, art and library at the elementary level and a regression from full to half-day kindergarten. What have these I.D.C. vultures such as David Carlucci gained from their anti-NYSUT voting record? They have gained the loyalty of republicans who have promised no serious republican challenge to I.D.C. members. Now there’s ethics we can all trust… Those of us who are suffering from the I.D.C.’s voting record know the score.

Andy, I hope you will seriously reconsider your support of I.D.C members.

Tim Brown



December Email to Pallotta Regarding Cuomo Birthday
>>> "T Brown" 12/15/2013 9:01 PM >>>

To: Andrew Pallota, NYSUT Executive Vice-President
From: Tim Brown, Valley Central TA President
CC: NYSUT Officers
Re: Governor Cuomo Birthday Celebration

I write to you with serious concerns regarding the monetary support being offered to Governor Andrew Cuomo, perceived by many public school teachers as the number one enemy of public schools and teacher unions. Governor Cuomo’s two percent tax cap combined with his continued use of the Gap Elimination Adjustment has devastated many New York State schools. My school, Valley Central, has lost $24 million due to GEA resulting in the loss of elementary library, music and art, as well as a reduction from full to half day kindergarten. One hundred and seven (107), approximately 25% of teaching staff positions, have been cut in the past 5 years and it is Governor Cuomo who is primarily responsible for establishing, promoting or continuing the policies that have caused this student neglect.

Yet, despite all of this, NYSUT chose to attend a birthday party celebration for a governor that misleads the public by “decrying the influence of money in politics” while simultaneously organizing a birthday bash that, according to bothLittleSis Blog and The Post Standard at Syracuse.com, cost $50,000 per table for the privilege of seeing Billy Joel while adding “to Cuomo’s $28 million campaign chest.” Did NYSUT purchase a table? How much money did we add to Andrew Cuomo’s political war chest?

Several years ago I was part of a Committee of 100 delegation that helped to change an entrenched NYSUT practice that unfairly favored incumbents. It was also decided that candidates must clearly earn our endorsement and, as a result, many elected officials lost our support following the short-sighted and politically motivated Tax-Cap and Tiers V and VI votes in Albany.

I refuse to believe that NYSUT would even entertain discussions regarding an endorsement of Governor Cuomo. Nevertheless, NYSUT is essentially providing a de facto endorsement of Governor Andrew Cuomo by providing him with what I assume is a sinful amount of our VOTE-COPE contributions. I have been successful in my local VOTE-COPE campaign, but it has been necessary to constantly remind my members that NYSUT did not endorse Andrew Cuomo in the last election.

Members have shared articles and photographs from Cuomo’s Birthday Bash Fundraiser placing me in the position of trying to defend NYSUT to my members. According to one of my executive council members, one Facebook photo included a NYSUT ED Director boasting that she had attended this birthday bash. I can only assume that this posting was an implicit endorsement of our Governor. Should I assume that this member was in attendance on our VOTE-COPE dime, so to speak? If so, I find this to be a serious breach of trust. My members and I expect complete transparency with regard to VOTE-COPE expenditures and NYSUT endorsements.

A response would be appreciated.
Tim doesn't report if he received a response from Andy. Most people report they don't receive responses from Mulgrew (as opposed to Randi who would respond to you if you sneezed) so maybe something was added to the water at the UFT since she left.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Duking it Out in NYSUT - At the Top

On Saturday evening PJSTA (Port Jefferson Station) President Beth Dimino delivered the following message to the members of the PJSTA… For the record, the PJSTA will NOT endorse a slate of NYSUT Officers, led by Andy Pallotta, that endorse and use our vote cope money to pad Cuomo’s war chest! The PJSTA is leading the charge against this heinous act and will support individuals that oppose Pallotta and Cuomo!.. Beth Dimino, President PJSTA, More on Andy Pallotta
Someone asked me what is the relevance of the battle at the top in NYSUT we have been reporting about for the rank and file teachers in NYC and the state and for MORE as a caucus? Basically not much because this struggle does not involve the rank and file.

Bogs addressing the NYSUT issue:
http://thepjsta.org/
Perdido: More on The UFT/Mulgrew Machinations In The NYSUT

 NYC Educator
On Reviving NYSUT
My posts:

The internal NYSUT election takes place every 3 years at the NYSUT convention which revolves every year to a different location but the UFT leadership makes sure is at the local NY Hilton in election years (2014) so they can make sure all 800 Unity slugs get a free room and meal money at our expense and even a day or 2 off from school. Only delegates elected in their locals throughout the state get to vote and that vote will take place on Saturday, April 5. In the UFT winner-take-all version of democracy MORE gets NO delegates - and Unity even shuts out their buddies in New Action from that gravy train.

The statewide Unity Caucus will meet Friday evening, April 4, to endorse the Unity slate and that outcome is pretty clear -- it will be for the Andy Pallotta slate and not include the Iannuzzi crew which will be left to run on an ad hoc slate of sorts. Call it Un-Unity.



Remember-- this is all about who controls the COPE money going to politicians and Dick put a freeze on how much Andy can spend - mostly on the other Andy. And of course it also seems to be about the Cuomo endorsement -- Mikey and Randi want that little stool at the table -- and all they will get is the kind of stool a dog leaves on the street.

Let's do some analysis for a bit starting with exactly what kinds of local unions are we talking about. Most locals are very small with a few hundred teachers -- think of each town un Long Island and upstate as a separate local.

Then there is the big enchilada - the UFT with at least a third of the NYSUT membership and through that alone it pretty much decides things. Even if there was a coalition forming to fight it there would be enough fear -- think of the Christie story -- to keep even unhappy locals from venturing too far -- except for some very brave small union leaders -- apparently like Beth Dimino of PJSTA. There are others like her I imagine but I'm waiting to hear where they are coming from. Even if they all banded together they would still not have enough delegates to put up their own challenge.

Then come the smaller big cities --- Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Yonkers, which if in revolt with the more active smaller locals could create a bit of a stir. I think for instance it Phil Rumore of Buffalo put himself out there as a third choice there might be some shaking of the tree even if the result will be the same. But from what I hear there are no signs yet from the other bigger cities of any action.

And then there is also PSC - Professional Staff Congress -- a nice chunk of more left-leaning people at the city university - CUNY. No idea where they are coming from yet.

Here's the problem. While Iannuzzi has made some movements lately -- probably in response to the attack on him -- many in the state had him lumped with Mulgrew and Andy Pallotta until this all broke. Left with a poor set of choices what do people do? They begin to look at Iannuzzi as the lesser of two evils.

Oh, and then where is Randi on all this? I believe Iannuzzi does not become president of NYSUT without her OK. But we hear she is siding with the Mulgrew camp on this -- just a rumor.

Where all this intrigue has a possible impact is at the AFT Convention in LA this July where we will see more anti-Randi and anti UFT dominance emerge. NYSUT was always a solid block for them in the past but this time we may see some of this fracture play out on the national stage where Chicago will be sending a strong contingent pushing for some pretty heavy hitting resolutions. The battles between Unity and CORE will play out in committee rooms not in the national elections since I can't see Karen Lewis running against Randi. So what we will probably see is a leftish fringe group that will garner almost no support from even others on the left.

Unless... a real anti-Randi broad-based national coalition begins to form that can challenge the national version of Unity, the Progressive Caucus - which anyone can join for 25 bucks -- and I do every time just to be in the same room and laugh at the Unity slugs playing their usual roles.

Given that a batch of us met in Chicago this past summer with well over a hundred people from various social-justice oriented caucuses around the nation, there is a nascent movement forming and Randi is trying to get as far out ahead of it as she can -- thus her recent VAMping.

While MORE has a hell of a lot on its plate just trying to organize here in NYC and a long way to go - and I as a senior adviser keep stressing that -- not to stray too far into every single issue that comes up locally, nationally and internationally, we do think it important that we put some resources into helping build the national movement and if there is a state movement building, help support that too, but never losing site of the prime directive --- build strong school and district level MORE offshoots to challenge Unity at its core while also building the chapter leader and delegate MORE support network to begin to play a bigger role at the DA.

It seems that one of the major MORE strategies will be lots of local happy hours. Urp!

Afterburn
I still have to write about my tough last 2 weeks of time spent dealing with the health care system after I took a bad fall on my back and also have been helping a friend out who has cancer.

But I do want to say that shlepping to a vibrant MORE meeting Saturday with well over 60 people - and so many of them young - and new - certainly perked me up. So much so that today I shlepped out again to go to a joint MORE/Change the Stakes phone banking and button making party at Rosie's place for our big Feb. 1 event which I will tell you about soon. Again, a mixture of people in their 20s, 30s, and me.

Oh, and I also have to tell you that I was asked by the Rockaway Theatre Company to be part of the ensemble (chorus) in How to Succeed in Business.... where I actually sort of dance and pretend to sing and where one of my jobs is to ogle the young and very pretty fellow chorus gals playing the secretaries, who range in age from 15 to 29. Nice work for an almost 69 year old fossil. Bad back, hell. I'd crawl to do some serious ogling.


Friday, January 17, 2014

Looming Battle: Mulgrew vs Iannuzzi For NYSUT Leadership - Split Over Cuomo Endorsement?

Oh, the tangled web at NYSUT and the UFT. A very intriguing story is emerging in what has been viewed as a monolithic UFT dominated NYSUT (NY State United Teachers). Some of this is hearsay and we may have follow-ups with new information and new interpretations over the next few days. But here is what we have heard so far. (WARNING- YOU MAY HAVE PROBLEMS WADING THROUGH THIS WEB -I'M STILL WORKING MY WAY THROUGH IT ) BUT IF YOU HAVE INFO LEAVE A COMMENT).

Few have questioned that the UFT/Unity Caucus has been running the state teachers organization, NYSUT, since it was founded in the 70's and Al Shanker installed Tom Hobart as a front for President, with himself as Exec VP. The UFT/Unity leadership has always wanted the NYSUT president to be someone from outside NYC to give the impression that the UFT isn't in complete control -- Unity Caucus in NYC has about one third the total NYSUT delegates -- the very same 7-800 Unity people that were elected in the winner-take-all UFT election in March 2013.

I should point out something I recently learned: that the statewide caucus is also called Unity - the only game in town - in other words, there is no equivalent like MORE to run against it in elections. This is similar to the national AFT where Unity is known as the Progressive Caucus, also pretty much the only game in town.

When Hobart retired Dick Iannuzzi was installed as President and the UFT's Andy Pallotta, a Bronx Unity Caucus staffer, as Exec VP. The other 3 VPs are split with 2 from outside NYC and one from the local NYC Unity. The other NYSUT VP from the local NYC Unity Caucus is Maria Neira, who has always garnered the respect of most UFT members, even those from the opposition.

Let me give you some more background. When Randi Weingarten emerged as Sandy Feldman's successor c. early 1990's, the highly respected Alan Lubin (many of us in the opposition also liked him) who was the Brooklyn Borough head and a popular choice for Sandy's heir apparent was "kicked" upstairs to NYSUT as Executive VP. But it turns out this position is the real power in many ways in NYSUT in that the person in charge controls the massive amount of COPE money going to politicians. More important than the president in some eyes, Lubin had free reign on the use of this money so he was a major power broker in Albany.

But Alan had a heart condition I believe and retired -- (I saw him at the AFT convention in Seattle and he looked great and here's to continued good health to him.) So that was how Andy Pallotta was elected Exec VP - the NYSUT elections are every 3 years with the next one taking place this April at the NYSUT convention which will be held here in NYC at the Hilton April 4-6, 2014.

With Lubin no longer riding herd and Andy Pallotta viewed as somewhat of a weak link, Dick Iannuzzi assumed a stronger role in managing the COPE money and didn't give Andy the same unlimited range Lubin enjoyed. Lubin supposedly despises Iannuzzi and remained a prop to Andy as resentment soared. The story is that Dick put a 50 grand limit to Andy's spending.

Then there was what seemed some head-scratching differences between NYSUT and the UFT arising when Dick Iannuzzi began to take some positions against the evaluation system, common core and raising a greater share of criticism of the State Ed Department - Tisch and King in particular with his call for "no confidence -- while Mulgrew was relatively silent. In essence, Mulgrew has been forced to take a more critical stance than he might have wanted to. (See Eterno's DA report on the MORE and ICE blogs where James' call for a non-endorsement of Cuomo was rejected by the Unity faithful - and to see just how bad Cuomo is for us read the daily reports at Perdido Street School.)

Then there's the Cuomo endorsement factor. Iannuzzi seems flat out opposed to a naked Cuomo endorsement. Then this came in over the transom.
On November 21, 2013, Andy Pallotta, in charge of legislative action, used Vote Cope money to make a $10,000 donation to "Cuomo 2014". The purposes of this was to purchase an entire table at Cuomo's birthday celebration.  An entire table, in lieu of just sending one or two people (or none!).  This was done without Iannuzzi's knowledge.
Word is that Mulgrew is backing a slate to run against Iannuzzi and all the VPs (including the UFT's own Maria Neira who seems to be backing Iannuzzi with the exception of Andy Pallotta. They have a hand-picked candidate to oppose Dick (more on all that in a follow-up.)

Then the other day an anonymous Twitter account and Facebook page was created with the handle @ReviveNYSUT.  They are calling for a change in NYSUT leadership. The tweets are anti-Iannuzzi and seem to be coming from people who would normally be allied with us but insiders have challenged them for being phony shills for the Mulgrew/Pallotta team since they attack Dick but not Andy. We received this message:
THE ACCOUNT IS ANDY PALLOTTA.  The Mulgrew/Pallotta crew is behind it.
With tweets like this:
  1. & because they call for change yet leave one of our most ineffective "leaders" in place
  2. nice try. take pallotta off your slate then come talk to me about grassroots.
And to top it off, a new Facebook page appeared called  ReviveNYSUT Lies which is calling out the supposed Mulgrew choice to oppose Iannuzzi, Karen Magee:
At tonight’s ED 15-16 meeting NYSUT Presidential candidate Karen Magee said nothing to her constituents about running for NYSUT President. Nothing! Does this mean she is afraid that she doesn’t have the support of her region?? Maybe she feels that she doesn’t need it because she has the support of the UFT or maybe the UFT has not given her permission to talk about it yet.
And this:
Photo: Good News: There are some independent candidates looking to run for the Executive Vice President position if he does not resign soon.

Good News: There are some independent candidates looking to run for the Executive Vice President position if he does not resign soon.

There could be a contested election for NYSUT leadership with Mulgrew leading the charge against Iannuzzi.

Officers and Board Of Directors


Officers At Large

  • president richard c iannuzzi
    President
    Executive Board Member
  • executive vice president andrew pallotta
    Executive Vice President
    Executive Board Member
  • vice president maria neira
    Vice President
    Executive Board Member
  • vice president kathleen donahue
    Vice President
    Executive Board Member
  • secretary treasurer lee cutler
    Secretary Treasurer
    Executive Board Member 
     
    NYSUT Election District Directors:
     

    NYSUT Election District Directors

    Of 84 election districts -- 53 plus 31 at-large, UFT connected - the names I recognize - and I may be missing some -- total 21 - all of them the usual suspects. Those who won't support the Unity move against Iannuzzi may face opposition for their position.
    • Janet Utz

      E.D. 2
    • Thomas Parker

      E.D. 3
    • Joseph Sweeny

      E.D. 4
    • Adam Urbanski

      ED 5
      Executive Board Member
    • Michael Herlan

      ED 6
    • Sylvia Matousek

      E.D. 7
    • Diana Giffune

      E.D. 8
    • Jeanette Stapley

      E.D. 9
    • Anthony McCann

      E.D. 10
    • Kenneth Smith

      E.D. 11
    • Stacey Caruso-Sharpe

      E.D. 12
      Executive Board Member
    • Kathleen Taylor

      E.D. 13
    • Paul Ellis-Graham

      E.D. 14
    • Karen Magee

      E.D. 15
    • Jeffrey Yonkers

      E.D. 16
    • Kenneth Ulric

      E.D. 17
    • Barbara Hafner

      E.D. 18
    • Christine Vasilev

      E.D. 19
    • John Mansfield

      E.D. 20
    • Tim Southerton

      E.D. 21
    • Paul Pecorale

      E.D. 22
    • Antoinette Blanck

      E.D. 23
    • Karen Blackwell Alford

      E.D. 24 (UFT)
    • Jose Vargas

      E.D. 25 (UFT)
    • Evelyn DeJesus

      E.D. 26 (UFT)
    • Rona Freiser

      E.D. 27 (UFT)
    • Arthur Pepper

      E.D. 28 (UFT)
    • Emil Pietromonaco

      E.D. 29 (UFT)
    • Anthony Harmon

      E.D. 30 (UFT)
    • Bob Astrowsky

      E.D. 31 (UFT)
      Executive Board Member
    • Catalina Fortino

      E.D. 32 (UFT)
    • Paul Egan

      E.D. 33 (UFT)
    • Michael Mendel

      E.D. 34 (UFT)
      Executive Board Member
    • LeRoy Barr

      E.D. 35 (UFT)
    • Iris DeLutro

      E.D. 37 (City & Private Higher Ed.)
    • Steven London

      E.D. 38 Steven London
    • Ellen Schuler Mauk

      E.D. 39 (Community Colleges)
      Executive Board Member
    • Edward Quinn

      E.D. 40 (State Higher Ed. – UUP)
    • Rowena Blackman-Stroud

      E.D. 41 (State Higher Ed. – UUP)
    • Thomas Matthews

      E.D. 42 (State Higher Ed. – UUP)
    • Philip Rumore

      E.D. 44
    • Catherine Savage

      E.D. 45
    • Matthew Hill

      E.D. 46
    • Loretta Donlon

      E.D. 51 (Retiree)
    • Joan Perrini

      E.D. 52 (Retiree)
    • Thomas Murphy

      E.D. 53 (Retiree)

    At Large Directors

    • Kristin Sterling

      E.D. 1 & 3
    • John Burns

      E.D. 2 & 44
    • Eileen Healy

      E.D. 4 & 46
    • David DeFelice

      E.D. 5 & 6
    • Paul Farfaglia

      E.D. 7 & 8
      Executive Board Member
    • Rod Sherman

      E.D. 9 & 10
      Executive Board Member
    • Dona Murray

      E.D. 11, 12 & 45
    • Carla McLaud

      E.D. 13 & 14
    • Patricia Puleo

      E.D. 15 & 16
      Executive Board Member
    • Selina Durio

      E.D. 17-20
    • Edward Vasta

      E.D. 18-19
    • Nadia Resnikoff

      E.D. 21-22-23
      Executive Board Member
    • Richard Farkas

      E.D. 24-25
    • Howard Schoor

      E.D. 26-27
    • Carmen Alvarez

      E.D. 28-29
    • Michael Mulgrew

      E.D. 30-31
      Executive Board Member
    • Janella Hinds

      E.D. 32-33
    • Sterling Roberson

      E.D. 34-35
    • Barbara Bowen

      E.D. 37-38-39
      Executive Board Member
    • Phillip H. Smith

      E.D. 40-41-42
      Executive Board Member
    • Joseph McLaughlin

      E.D. 51-52-53
    • Shelvy Young Abrams

      At-Large
      Executive Board Member
    • Margie Brumfield

      SRP At-Large
    • Sandra Carner-Shafran

      SRP At-Large
      Executive Board Member
    • Catherine Rienth

      SRP At Large
    • Deborah Paulin

      SRP At-Large
    • Anne Goldman

      Health Care At-Large
    • Stephen Rechner

      Private Sector Higher Ed At-Large
    • Andrew Sako

      Community College At-Large
    • Morton Rosenfeld

      At-Large National Unification