See the Daily News article on the firing.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/13/2010-08-13_i_was_kicked_to_curb_by_bully_union.html#ixzz0wTPuI9ES
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/13/2010-08-13_i_was_kicked_to_curb_by_bully_union.html#ixzz0wTPuI9ES
68 comments:
NO WAY!!!!
The UFT is ready for a purge!
Here is the link:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/13/2010-08-13_i_was_kicked_to_curb_by_bully_union.html
Why aren't the writers unionized? It goes back to Shanker. Norm, do you remember why? The Shanker bio went into it but I forgot what it said.
I am a writer for the NY Teacher. There was never an attempt by JC to organize anyone including himself. He is seriously unbalanced, unprofessional and and not a good writer. He caused this himself and it was because of his behavior around his colleagues and supervisors.
JC was a very good investigator and writer. If he was fired it has to be due to internal politics at the UFT. Just as Ron Davis was demoted for no apparent reason Jim was let go as Mulgrew is purging the UFT of anyone he suspects who will not be beholding to him. Watch the new rep's and staffers who are hired. Mulgrew is a thug, Jim's quotes in the news article are true. Someone should let the cat out of the bag regarding Dave Hickey the former PBA staffer who has a big say at the UFT. Investigate how he was fired from the PBA for kickbacks regarding health benefits and how he is now lining the pockets of Mulgrew and Barr. Maybe Jim should write about that.
I work at the UFT and Jim talked to me and others about joining a union and he showed me the letter from his lawyer to Mulgrew saying he was starting a union for those of us who are have no rights-in a union! Several of my colleagues were afraid to join because they were worried that Mulgrew would fire them-for joining a union at a union! How prescient were they?
The previous post is typical Mulgrew/Hickey COINTELPRO Nixon dirty tricks, which Mulgrew is famous for.
Ron Davis, a pro among pros, is black. Natalie Bell, a talented, well-liked black writer was fired by Deidre McFadyen with made-up stories and told to get out of the building in a half-hour. They wouldnt even let her take her stuff.
Get people to leak you the McFadyen memos to her staff about time and attendance---- worse than any principal in the system. She is a tyrant and a liar and a nasty back- stabber and has given another full-time reporter no work to do for the past year- This is dues money down the drain! And Mulgrew let's her do it.
Jim's firing- with no due process and cops, is exactly why writers here need a union. Yesterday, the lawyers Adam Ross and Carol Gerstl (Joe Bruno's "very close" pal) told the NY Teacher staff that we are not allowed to talk about Jim! Even if he dies?
Everyhing else from the Mulgrew schemers and scammers are lies, like they lied about Ron Davis ONE YEAR after Randi made him press secretary after he worked for her and Feldman for 18 years without one blemish. Everyone loves the guy -except and Mulgrew who hated Davis for no apparent reason.
I and the others at the paper as well as the hundreds of people Jim has helped over the years- on his own time and not for the paper-will testify at the NLRB, the EEOC and in Jim's lawsuit. Deidre hates "seniors" because they are independent and talk back to her. She always has to be right.
Post her salary if you have the LM 2 forms.
I hope Jim writes about all the financial sleaze going on here. It will be a Pulitzer Prize. D.R.'s staying home all day, faking time sheets with their principals (It's called stealing publlic monies), the booze in people's offices, the lies Mulgrew and his flunkies tell members. Jim will be busy for years exposing these rackets.
P.S. How do you steal from cops?
Jim also told me he has videos of Randi calling him one of the best historians in New York and her ace investigative reporter. She also told 40 ALJ's -who he helped organize-"the consiciense of the union."
Jim's firing- and the low life way Mulgrew handled it-is so filled with irony because Jim is the champion of the underdog and Mulgrew is the protector of lousy principals.
Read BRill in the Times a few months ago when Mulgrew admitted he doesnt think his "at will" staff should be in a union!
Find out how much money -tens of thousands- Randi and Mulgrew cost the union in overtime for non-UFT printers because they cant make the deadlines!
Good piece Jim. Thanks for your insight. Why not reveal what your attorneys advised you. This has nothing to with a ficticious union organizing campaign. I work in your very dept and my man you are off the reservation. Thankfully, we can get back to working as a team...da mole...adios
Apparently the UFT ghost writers are up early today for damage control. Sorry guys or is that girls? this story will only get bigger. Your skirts are showing!!!!
I love it! Corruption exposed. I hope Jim tells it like it is! Good luck Jimmy !
Why won't the UFT allow the writers to unionize??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
The Unity spinmeisters will be monitoring the blogs all day and night to do damage control. UFT has no credibility as everyone knows they are professional liars who will say what they need to say to keep their power and their money.
I am so happy that finally the truth is coming out. After all these years of bully and scare tactics they will pay for their unhuman behavior. I can write a book of all the disgraceful behavior at the union to their non-union employees. Jim we'll talk. Get them. I hope and pray that they will pay for their abuse.
Was Jim the Mole? Or are the unity thugs using that as the excuse to fire a true professional? WOW Mulgrew really acts like a COO. Removing a veteran staffer and having the police to make sure thinks went smoothly. Sounds like corporate America as Mulgrew plays the part of Jack Welch. Perhaps the UFT will now promote their own stepford representatives and train them in the Weingarten Academy.
Follow the money on this story and JC will be JC as he gives his professional life for those who are blinded by UFT/DOE corruption. They are two peas in the same pod as the earlier post indicates with the fraud and corruption allowed by both sides of the educational equation. DR's never reporting for work; principals playing with time sheets. Keep at it EdNotes. Lets make Mulgrew & Co pay for this one.
Well, I truly hope that the truth comes out. For several years, there have been some inside tension among the staffers at the borough offices and HQ. Members have been complaining that there seems to be patronage positions for certain members who end up working at the borough offices and the biggest complaint is the selection process of District Reps. It is worse than the C-30 process. We need to go back to election process of selecting DRs and Borough Reps.
If there's any form of corruption and impropiety, let the chips fall where the public can see them.
I do not want to pay union dues if things are not being run on the up-and-up at union!
Regarding the comments by Peter Kadushin please note that he is a dush bag hired by Randi when the move to implant Mulgrew was hatched. He was hired as a spy to keep an eye on things and reports that the UFT did or did not want out. He has the credentials of many the equal of many people at Tweed, highly qualified for the position MulWein need.
Clarification...Kadushin was hired by Ron Davis!!!
Sure. Like Davis actually made the decision. Kadushin is someone's relative I heard or something like that.
No approval needed by her highness?
Oh I see, how foolish of me, facts are irrelevant...spin is all you are interested. Why not ask David if he hired Weeks and Kadushin.
Brian Gibbons was hired from the C.S.A. to report back to Ernie Logan and to keep Mulgrew on a short leash-which doesnt take much.
callaghan was driving a cab when a friend at the uft told him about a job there like 13 years ago, doing fliers and press for the RTC. He did a lousy job and they quickly wanted him out. But since he had friends in union leadership, he was bumped up to the communications department, where the supervisors wanted to fire him. but since he had friends in high places, he was moved again, this time to NY Teacher, where his "I'm right because I can yell louder than you" antics led to the next attempt to fire him. but his job was saved again, this time from the top, because of fear of the same kind of crap press that came out today. this problem child, who was suspended twice without pay in the last year or so, has been telling people since randi left that he was thought he was going to be fired. the last time he thought he was going to be fired, he claimed a senior staffer made an anti-Irish comment about him. this way, if he got fired, he could say it was in retribution for his claim. this time, he goes through the half-hearted motions of trying to form a union because he knew the tabs would be quick to jump on this story. If he was sincere on this, where was he the last 10 years on trying to start a union? the timing is very telling. Yet the tabs took the bait. There is a good side to JC. Outside the office he can be charming and helpful. But inside, he is a horror to work with. I dare the News or Post to hire him. Since their newsroom employees aren't protected by a union, I give him two months at either place.
There were plenty of good reasons Natalie Bell (again, a nice person) was fired, in spite of what callaghan says, and callaghan has been the biggest complainer of Davis' work habits since Davis was moved back to communications. Davis is talented, but believes his day ends at the stroke of 6 — if not before. and since he makes nearly $200,000, that's a waste of the members' money. mcfadden might be a bit of an iron-hand ruler, but she has done a good job with the newspaper and the web site. none of the other supervisors there — amlung, miraldi, spielman, loverdi — are as capable or smart as her. she hasn't given ron isaac anything because he has proven himself to be fact-challenged, which is a tough obstacle if you hope to be a reporter. yes, ny teacher is kept under the leadership's leash, but name me one publication where the publisher's interests aren't protected.
Then why is Isaac still working there? Friends at the top?
To anon defending the uft:
Did the uft leadership place any letters in Callaghan's file?
Was he afforded uft representation at any hearings prior to his termination?
Was he advised of his failure to follow Randi or Mike's regulations which are quite arbitrary and capricious?
Finally, was he given notice prior to being esccorted from his office at UFT headquarters?
I just wish to know if he is treated like the other members the uft protects.
Sincerely,
Joel Klein .esquire
Why does the UFT not allow reporters to unionize?
And, the leadership of the UFT does not equate with the owners of media publications. The NY Teacher does not do anywhere of a fair job representing the many views of union members. Of course, this is the fault of the leadership.
Norm,
The writer you mentioned WHO LUSTS AFTER Callahan's job is Michael "The Plagarizer" Hirsh who threatened to kick Callaghan's ass at a staff meeting attended by 15 people last December. He had previously told Callaghan in an editor's meeting with McFadyen and LoVerde to fuck off and told the editors he refused to co-write a story that Callaghan had asked him to write with him. Then he stole the story and watered it down as per Mulgrew's instructions (see Citizens Budget Commission in the paper). Hirsh went off his rocker and lambasted Callaghan in front of his colleagues- McFadyen said nothing.
Callaghan was suspended for two days without pay for "baiting" Hirsch and -abrogating UFT anti-harassment rules- Mulgrew refused to interview everyone at the meeting or hear Callaghan's side of the story.
Hirsh, who is always stealing ideas from other people is a self- proclaimed (fake) Marxist and he is still at the paper wriiting lies for Mulgrew, which Calahan refused to do.
Really? You threaten to hurt a colleague and you are not fired but Callaghan is? And you are not suspended but Callaghan was?
Good news: Everyone will be under oath soon.
Larry Miraldi is a right wing born again nut who was paid $180,000 a year to carry water for Weingarten.
He and LoVerde were SPORTS EDITORS!
So The Unity hack is saying what?
That Callaghan did nothing for 13 years, that those awards he won for writing were imagined, that Weingarten introduced him at a Delegates Assembly-I was there- as "my ace investigative reporter" when he took down McCaskill and told 30 ALJ's- who Callaghan helped organize- that he was "the consciense of the union." (it's on tape).
And what, dear Mulgrew coat holder, is so wrong about driving a cab? A little class bias there?
Jim has been writing about coruption since 1978. He also taught for ten years at a high school foir ten years and was an adjunct at Hunter and SUNY.
Let's hope he writes about the UFT corruption at the top and tells us the real Queens Rep story who was being investigated by Betsy Combier for faking her time sheets at the school she was supposed to be teaching at and then one week later got letters from Adam Ross (Callaghan says he has copies) offering her a job.
Callaghan also showed me an email from Weingarten calling Betsy a "homophobe" for going after the Queens rep and her girl friend who is an A.P.
So Weingarten hired a homophobe.
Great story there.
Norm, it's too bad you dont talk to Callaghan BUT you must know people who know him.
Ask him to tell the story of a top aide to Weingarten and Mulgrew who was accused by a subordinate of forcing her to have sex with him to keep her job. It was on UFT time at the Hilton Hotel- a freebie kiickback because this guy booked the hotel for union events.
The woman-who is still at the union--- threatened to go to the press and sue and the top aide -who was caught cheating on his expenses 15 years ago- was alllowed to resign rather than be prosecuted for stealing from the union.
Now there is a front page story if there ever was one.
Lynn Winderbaum summed up the entire fiasco. Nothing the Mulgrew flunkies say to defame Calllahan -who evertyone in the building and in the schools admired ----will change the facts.
Go Jim! You've got them all on the run. Ever notice how not one of the UFT sneak attack artists ever once prints his name?
This is slimeball time Mulgrew style. Callaghan should be HAPPY TO have police around. With what he knows about the kickbacks and patronage and no-shows at the union, he needs 24 hour police protection from Mulgrew's gang.
I have a copy of the Adam Ross letter to Betsy too offering her a job. What is most interesting is that when she FOILED the UFT former district rep (hint- Queens HS) because of the attempt to cover up for the principal of John Adams HS - her buddy - Randi pulled Callaghan's story - the DOE contacted the UFT to tip them off. So they hired Betsy and she had to sign a non-disclosure agreement that ran so many pages they needed a truck.
Now that former DR is retiring I hear so they felt free to fire Betsy and Jim too.
Is that true about Hickey getting escorted out of the PBA? Woulldnt that be in the court records when they busted the lawyer who stole millions? Did Hickey testify or take the 5th or join the UFT Witness Protection Program?
Wow!
That would explain all the extra dough the members paid to gut buildings at 50 and 52 Broadway, the sale and renting of which was handled by the son in law of former staff director Tom Pappas.
So two out of the three members of the rubber room team are fired?
What does that tell everyone?
Why wont Mulgrew let Ron Issack write? He sidelined all three?
Can he explain that?
Let's talk truth. Isn't it time for the union defenders to seranade us with the balad of Rona and Betsy?
You're the same slug who always accuses Norm of making stuff up but can never contradict one thing he says. But you are quick to tell Norm to enjoy his retirement. We're glad he is doing this for his retirement.
It's really not that complicated:
Randi hired Betsy to cover up for Rona.
End of story.
Who else did she cover up for?
Who is Mulgrew covering up for by letting principals run amok?
Is Vasquez the new Queens boro rep?
Brother Al and Sister Sandy are spinning in their graves tonight - civil war is at hand and its one gang of slimebuckets against another gang of cheaters and liars and opportunistic leeches. I liked the part about the old marxist Hirsch - and is any of this coming from that other slime bucket Isaacs? He should be chiming in soon of course undercover. I would be careful about beknighting Callahan because I think he's got his own skeletons in the closet and lets face it he has been doing their bidding for years. When are we going to hear from the great and mighty opposition caucus NAC about all of this.I love that not one person identifies themselves - guess they don't want to lose any perks or convention trips -- or maybe the thought of kissing ass for the next two years just to get a free week in Detroit and not too many patronage jobs on the horizon has the loyalists just a tad bit more willing to open up maybe even willing to take a leap off a sinking gravy train. So when will we see Randi come in to play the role of mediator or better yet hatchet woman?
If Callaghan goes through with his threat taking the complaint to the NLRB, Randi will be very careful where she threads. The NLRB lawyers are just as skeptical about Weingartens union policies as many members. If Callaghan's complaint has merit, the NLRB will accept it and if they accept, the UFT will loose. Remember many staff at the NLRB are Bush appointees with no love for unions. The other side would LOVE to throw the AFT/UFT to the wolves. Everyone in the know will assume a deal to end the battle, lets see how Callaghan handles this.I hope he has the chops for this fight.
INSIDE THE UNITY CAUCUS:
Another Mulgrew posting- clever hatchet job while pretending to be neutral. Skeletons? A perfect KGB hit. Own up to it Michael; spell it out. Don’t you have work to do?
Norm,
I work at the union. I am in the Unity Caucus and we are disgusted by what Mulgrew did to Jim, who everyone respects for his commitment to justice for the members, which is what Mulgrew just can't stomach. I have seen Jim work unbelievable hours when chasing a good story, which we don’t run anymore. He is relentless but always manages to stop and say hello to the cleaning crew, the security people, the building staff, etc.
Mulgrew can barely offer a grunt when he sees them.
Please Norm, I have been sick these past two days watching what Mulgrew and Barr and Engler and Hickory did to Jim.
Call the cops to a union because someone who just got fired was taking too long to pack 13 years of stuff? In a union of professionals?
Mulgrew should be ashamed of his low class behavior.
Jim’s office is stuffed with books and photos of his life and history magazines.
Emails and phone calls were flying back and forth Thursday and even Friday when the place is closed. Everyone is checking their emails to see how many notes and letters we sent praising Jim and thanking him for doing a story. We all know we will have to testify in Jim’s lawsuit and we will- nobody wants to lie (well that’s not true; one person said Thursday. “ I don’t care what I wrote. I will tell any lies Mulgrew wants.” I told him to talk to his lawyer first and he laughed at me.
Please post the FOX NEWS clip Norm.
Jim summed it up perfectly and struck the right balance. He said it wasn’t about him and that he wasn’t going to stoop to Mulgrew's level of mud slinging and explained why writers at the UFT need a union. I am paraphrasing but he said it was because writers need to feel comfortable pushing the envelope with Mulgrew and ARGUE WITH HIM TO do stories about abusive principals (while saying there are lots of good principals) because if an abuser is infantilizing the teachers, then the kids suffer and teachers have to trust the writers to fight for them."
I wish that was the slogan they put on our building instead of paying a consultant $20,000 to come up "A Union of Professionals."
The fact that Jim was so composed and could say without notes on live TV without notes shows what a classy guy he is- a true defender of our members able to tell a national TV audience exactly what the issue was-
Randi made a great move when she hired him. Its too bad she let this happen to him.
Mulgrew has set this union back ten years- what he did is giving fodder to our enemies.
for what?
to settle personal vendettas with our dues money?
They couldn’t have just told Jim he had the rest of the day to pack and say goodbye to his co-workers?
Jim was not just a writer. Ask around about all the other work he did at the union. I know plenty of my friends here who have worked with him and find him to be the ultimate professional, a hard worker, helpful to us and a lot of fun.
This is not the first time Weingarten and Mulgrew busted a union.
Call Local 424 in Queens- Artie Pepper and Weingarten busted them at the Welfare Fund in 1998 and got the scared women there to de-certify, then gave them raises.
Valqueria Green sued for racial discrimination and settled for $150,000. Norm, see if you can find that- it was in the Wall Street Journal.
SHe was a black woman from BRazil and Candy Cook made fun of her accent.
How much did Natalie Bell get to drop her lawsuit for racial discrimination after McFadyen fired her last year just because she hated her?
Listen, I have no dog in this race but:
If Rona and her girl friend- I say IF -----were doing something wrong with DOE time sheets and Randi hired the person who was doing the investigating, then Randi has a lot to answer for at OSI, Condon's office and the D.A.'s office.
She is required under the law to report something she knows is happening.
Again- it's a big IF but interesting.
Also, IF Callaghan and Combier have the e-mail from Randi calling Betsy a homophobe for going after Rona, why isnt Patty Crispino- the king of unposted per-session work at her school while she also works as a PM staffer for the union -criticizing Randi? She is chair of the UFT gay and lesbian caucus.
Why arent the Empire Gay Pride Agenda members complaining?
Randi hired a homophobe?
How does that happpen?
Would be hire a racist?
Will Randi lie at Callaghan's lawsuit or if he asks Condon to investigate?
INSIDE THE UNITY CAUCUS:
Norm,
Have you noticed the "Anonymous" posts all sound the same?
Remember when Loudmouth "Four Pension" Zahler Red-baited Randi's opposition? I know two people who were there when Randi approved it.
Maybe they will talk to you.
Also, Mulgrew and his coat holders all share one thing: they only act tough with others around. That is the basis for the carpenters wing of our Caucus: to physically threaten the other side.
I am very close to getting a story for you about a Special Rep who smacked a member in the face at an arbitration and was never fired because he was a Randi enforcer. Wait until that gets in the tabloids!
All two of these Anonymous bloggers- one of whom got his nephew Adam Ross a job as Randi's Legal Aid lawyer- would last five minutes in a bar if they mouthed off as much as Loudmouth Zahler,
By the way, Mulgrew was laughing the other day when he told someone he was blogging on your site!
So, for the honest members of the union: take the Anonymous hits on Callaghan as similar to what Mulgrew said in today's Post, forgetting to say that Callaghan was his ghostwriter for his columns because he can barely string three words together on a computer.
If Calllahan owns a horse like that movie producer in the Godafther, he better get rid of it fast. Remember Ted Maritas.
Unity people posting here have been willing to sell out UFT members for years, particularly in 2005 when UFT gave away many of our rights. How many of the current Mulgrew critics were telling us how becoming ATRs was good back then?
You kind of remind me of informers turning on the mob. Better late than never but how many teachers have been hurt in the process while you count your money and double pensions in your union jobs while keeping your mouths shut for years as teachers were getting screwed and you sold us the Unity party line happy talk?
We are glad you have finally seen the light but what took you so long?
Some of you have a lot to answer for.
Great post!
But maybe some of these people down deep have a conscience and they know that Callaghan treated Unity and non-Unity folks with respect which is why Mulgrew and his henchmen hate him so much. The Mulgrew postings from his Staten Island home can't answer the larger issue: Callaghan's writings defending members are all over the web; was he doing nothing for 13 years? ask Maria Colon and Ara Muradyan and many others.
He had six articles in the June 17 NY Teacher didnt he?
Will someone call "All Muscle" Hirsch Monday to ask him if he threatened to kick Callaghan's ass at a staff meeting but he wasnt fired? Who has behavioral problems?
And as Callaghan said on FOX yesterday, why was he sent to schools for 13 years to deal with educators, parents, students, City Hall, public meetings, etc. if he has a behavioral problem? His professionalism is above reproach; ask Mulgrew how many complaints- except for those who were in bed (some literally) with principals-at Flushing HS and John Adams HS among others--- did they get from the members? And ask Callaghan how many hundreds of letters he has from UFT'ers -Mulgrew and Weingarten included--and others praising him and thanking him for his suppport,- even on weekends when he wasnt "working"--- especially those who were thrown over the side by Weingarten and Mulgrew?
How will Weingarten weasel her way out of the truth on the witness stand after the jury sees the videotapes of Weingarten calling Callaghan her ace investigative reporter, one of the best historians in New York (but he wasn't alllowed to write Labor History columns, the conscience of the union and -the best- her "co-revolutionary?"
Callaghan has told friends he will the jury he is not keeping any money from his lawsuit; he is giving it to a trust fund for workers abused by their union dictators like Mulgrew.
How many millions of the members dues money will Weingarten and Mulgrew spend defending a losing battle? And who will pay a $30 million award? We will!
This is almost criminal.
Did you see Mulgrew the painter in the Post today-with his faux working class costume--right out of central casting. Just another working stiff making $350,000 a year and a $120,000 a year driver a union paid for SUV and unlimited expenses for food and booze to screw his members.
If someone had a conscience, they would have quit Unity long ago or if they worked for the UFT, they would have exposed the muck within the Union many years earlier, not when they are terminated.
I hope Calighan wins but let's not make a working class hero out of him.
Callagan was never in Unity- the union for slackers at the UFT.
He is a hero to plenty of teachers and has been an inspiration to every underdog he has written about for 30 years. He had his car blown up by the mob, had his office burned out, his tires slashed, his advertisers threatened and Tommy Billoti- the button man whacked with Paul Castellano -told him he would put him in a cement mixer if he didnt stop writing about the mob. Callaghan just kept on writing.
Whatever you think of the guy, he has balls and integrity and has never ducked a fight because of who he was exposing. That is probably why he didn't duck the union organizing battle. Show up at his trial against Mulgrew and you will hear the truth about him.
Or why not just google his work for the NY Observer, the Village Voice, Newsday, The Chief, the Times, Daily News. Some lousy writer he is and a horrible human being according to the Mulgrew smears.
You are right about the Unity slugs- I stand corrected. I was giving them too much of the benefit of the doubt.
Also: even if Callaghan deserved to be canned after 13 years- what union fires someone in the fashion Mulgrew did? The cops? At a union?
-Ted Maritas
To get a sense of what corruption means in the trades, I would offer a brief longitudinal study of the NYC District Council of Carpenters. I'll go back only as far as 1982. That's when the wallet belonging to Ted Maritas, President of the District Council, turned up beside the East River. They never found Ted. The consensus explanation was that he had a family problem. His mob family was concerned that after he got indicted in 1981, he'd cooperate with the feds.
GOOD LUCK AND GOD SPEED TO JIM.
DONT FORGET TO CARRY YOUR WALLET AND A LIFE PRESERVER AS YOU EXPOSE THE UFT.
-TED MARITAS.
All you are saying might be true; I will take it on faith that Calaghan has done some great work on behalf of members. Here is my question to you: What did Mr. Calaghan write about the 2005 Contract? If he wrote favorable stories, then his hands are as dirty as anyone else in the UFT's propaganda machine. Much of the expansion of the rubber room was caused by the 2005 fiasco.
All you are saying might be true; I will take it on faith that Calaghan has done some great work on behalf of members. Here is my question to you: What did Mr. Calaghan write about the 2005 Contract? If he wrote favorable stories, then his hands are as dirty as anyone else in the UFT's propaganda machine. Much of the expansion of the rubber room was caused by the 2005 fiasco.
You are right about Callaghan and the 2005 contract if he wrote about it. His hands would be dirty. So, it's pretty easy to check: go to uft.org. Let us know what you find.
Or ask a UFT supporter to check the original newspapers.
I remember when Callaghan showed up at one of our UFT Committee meetings. He approached me before the meeting started and had a folder in his hand with a copy of an article I had written about substitute teachers. He shook my hand and said, "I like your article and want to print it in the NY Teacher" I said that was nice, and gave hime permission. However, he did say it may be edited. Little did I know it was edited out completely. When the article was never printed I called him and asked what happpened. He said he would look into it. When I did not hear from him I called again. He said he did not "run things" at the paper and they decided not to print it, and abruptly ended the call when I probed a bit further. He was pressured by UNITY as many I think are, that if they do anything independently they could get in trouble. Maybe he tried to help us but had to be a "good little staff writer" to keep his job. It's all so sad. What in the world is going on over there? I am always being threatened by the UFT "officers" with removal from my position on the Committee when I try to advocate for per diems after nothing is done. I don't have a paid position, but kind of understand how Jim feels. I try to organize per diems and when the UFT finds out, they threaten me. I guess they don't like anyone actually trying to accomplish something for the rank and file members. Would removing me make a difference when they don't let me do anything anyway?
when you advocate for per diems and lie about your position and invoke god...in albany, no less, one cannot do anything but disassociate from you...sorry.
The per diem poster described Jim Callaghan perfectly: graceful, courteous, respectful, friendly and honest. He can make you laugh in the saddest of times.
And everyone who knows him would write the same thing. When teachers saw Jim, we all knew we were safe and that he would never betray us. He was our guardian angel.
Why the shock that he doesnt control the NY TEacher? THat is not news.
He has helped me for the past five years for endless hours on the phone with his on the mark advice as I fight my princpal after Weingarten and Mulgrew bailed out on me.
I will be forever grateful for his support when all the UFT people--- who are nothing more than vipers living the high life off our dues monies -----refused to help me.
I wish I could sign my name but my case is still pending and I see by these postings how vindictive and truly vicious Mulgrew is as long as he doesnt have to sign his name. Jim knows that when I win, we will both tell the truth about the massive stealing at the UFT, which Mulgrew is complicit in allowing.
Jim has my undying loyalty and if there are any doubters out there, just google his wrtings and you will see how many others he has helped. Mulgrew cant hold a candle to Jim's defense of the abused members and he is probably jealous that we hold Jim in such regard.
Stay well, Jim; you too shall overcome.
All these posts are way too confusing.
Are people saying that Betsy Combier was investigating the DOE time sheets of Rona Frieser, the UFT Queens Boro Rep., then got hired by Weingarten and Adam Ross?
Why would Weingarten hire Combier if there was nothing to investigate and Frieser was clean?
This makes no sense to me.
But if there was someting to investigate, and they hired Combier after Weingarten sent her an email calling her a homophobe-- wouldnt Weingarten be in huge legal trouble right now?
Are people here saying Callaghan has all the Adam Ross letters and the Weingarten e-mail?
He should go to Condon to ask him to investigate Weingarten and Mulgrew for keeping Combier on but that will probably come out anyway in his lawsuit.
Can anyone clear this up?
Maybe that is why he was fired.
The alleged stuff with Rona happened years ago. There is a statute of limitations on these matters.
It goes back to the Principal of John Adams HS - Grace something or other - going after senior teachers. One contacted me and I put him in touch with Betsy and she began helping him. She was doing this on her own time. The NY Teacher sent Jim on the case and he said he wrote an article and it was going to be in the NY Teacher. Then it disappeared.
There was some suspicion that Rona as Queens HS district rep (before she took over the Qns borough office) was a pal of Grace and killed the Principal from Hell piece in the NY Teacher to protect the principal even though she was going after people unfairly. (I have hearsay confirmation on this but won't put it up till nailed down.)
There are people at central who are reasonably honest and capable of outrage at principals being favored over teachers who were privy to some of this and passed on the info to me suggesting a FOIL of Rona ti try to prove the connection to Grace. I don't have the energy to do FOILs and passed it to Betsy.
She ran with it and FOILED the DOE. What she found I do not know but insiders were telling me there was almost panic at 52 over the FOIL.
Now here it gets interesting. The UFT found out when the DOE told the UFT what Betsy was doing. VERY INTERESTING for people supposedly at odds.
Adam Ross sent a letter to the DOE claiming Rona's info should not be released and saying he and Michael Mendel were going to meet with Betsy to resolve the matter.
Negotiations went on between the UFT and Betsy through the spring of 2007 and at one point she told me she was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. She was officially hired I believe after the summer but I am not completely sure. She was teamed up with Jim and Ron Isaac as the so-called Rubber room SWAT team.
I never checked what she was making. I found out when a reporter checking the LM-2 sent me an email with a number of $52,000.
All this is interesting in that I heard that Randi hated Betsy. But what's $52,000 in dues money to protect insiders?
I have Randi's email to Betsy, cc: Zahler: May 2007:
"Betsy- I have asked Jeff to call you. I am really disappointed that you would do something as homophobic as foiling material from Rona Freiser's life partner. I heard you had a great conversation with him, I asked him to pursue it, but I never, never, in all the time I have been a lawyer or advocate do things like that.
Randi
The latest rumor was that Rona was going to retire and the UFT had noting to lose in firing Betsy but all this is speculation.
I just got a letter signed by Rona asking me to do political action. Could you please cool the rumors here for a while. She apparently is alive and well.
Lets hope Callaghan sheds some light on this and other matters. No doubt he knows many interesting details about life at 52 Bdwy. Randi is consistent in her defense of human rights interests too bad she did not use her position to defend the rights of the members in schools with the same passion. I guess she has her priorities. Zahler while competent was no more than a bag man for Randi.
Tell me this is not a Rod Serling script.
A statue of limitations on Weingarten and Mulgrew and Adam Ross- a lawyer an officer of the court- covering up a possible crime by a top UFT official?
Has Mulgrew lost his mind posting that?
They spent $150,000 of our dues money-theee years pay for the person going after Rona----on this and Callaghan -not them- was fired? And now Betsy gets fired also?
Isn't it a matter of time before some one of our hedge fund/charter guys puts up the money to bankroll a class action suit against Weingrten and Mulgrew for abuse of our dues money?
Now we will have to pay Callaghan's settlement and UFT lawyers fees because they are have an unlimited treasury while we are being attacked left and right by people who want to wipe out public education and teachers' unions?
What is clear by Norm's post is that Weingarten hired a homophobe.
How does she explain that when our political endorsments are based in part on the human rights record of the candidate.
This is what they are spending their time doing?
Now I fully understand why Weingarten and Mulgrew abandoned us rubber roomers. They had so much to hide.
To anonymous 2:02 August 15..
Yes, I do advocate for per diems,
because I can advocate for per diems. You are right there.
You are wrong..I do represent per diems and was appointed by Randi as an officer of the UFT Per Diem Committee that recommend valuable policy changes for the rank and file members. Resolutions the UFT Executive Board ignores. Callagnhan approached me at a Committee meeting because he liked my article and wanted to print it in the NY Teacher. The one the "union leaders" pulled. And now you pulled him.
And most importantly I can "invoke" the name of God because I represent the King of Kings, the same one Miraldi serves as an Assistant Pastor of a church.
Lying about HIS servants is not a wise decision on your part.
You seem to hate anyone who tries to get the things done that the UFT refuses to do. By firing Callagnan you reveal who you represent. There is still space for you to repent, and turn your life over to Him. Larry did and so did I 30 years ago, and have never regreted it. Now it's your turn.
To Anon abve, aka Carol R., try spelling Callaghan's name right just one time.
Also, don't you realize how ridiculous it sounds when you babble on about being appointed as an officer to the UFT Per Diem Committee? Who else is on this committee? The toothfairy? Bigfoot? Santa Claus?
And what's that part about Kevin James? Representing "The Kings of Queens"? Seriously, separation of chuch and state and how about a little tolerance too? Some believe in the Quran and others believe in the Torah too.
INSIDE THE UNITY CAUCUS:
The whole building is shaking because Weingarten and Adam Ross are trying to come up with a cover story for apparently protecting the Queens Rep.
They know they hired the person who was investigating the Queens Rep's time DOE sheets along with her partner's DOE time sheets.
If there was nothing there, they should have turned over the time sheets- DOE and UFT collaborated to say No to the investigator who then got hired by Weingarten and Ross in a series of letters which will be made public soon.
As lawyers -and union officials-- Weingarten and Ross have zero discretion NOT to report criminal wrongdoing.
none. zero. nada.
So if there was a problem with the Queens Rep, Weingarten and Ross essentially paid blackmail.
If there was nothing wrong, why was the investigator hired after Weingarten sent her an email calling her a homophobe? How many other homophobes did Weingarten hire?
And Mulgrew needs a good lawyer now too because he kept the investigator on the payroll.
Let's see where James Vasquez winds up at next week's staff UFT meeting.
We have a pool going guessing when Rona leaves for the border.
But the better story is how the Big Guy was allowed to retire instead of being prosecuted for his day time -members' money- trysts with an underling in a freebie kickback hotel room.
INSIDE THE UNITY CAUCUS:
We are all wondering today just how deep Randi's cover up of the Queens Rep and her life partner went and how she may have been compromised in deaing with the rubber rooms since Randi told three UFT staffers that Kelin was probing her "private life" and she owed him big time because she got him to call of the Klein KG operatives.
so what was Keling probing about Randi's private life?
Why did Mulgrew allow the Queens cover up to continue?
Did Zahler's nephew Adam Ross write to the person investigating the Queens Rep and her partner offering her a UFT job -on behalf of RAndi-as hush money?
Isn't Randi implicated in his criminal cover up, as well as Mulgrew?
But it's not just the Queens Rep- we all know UFT people who fake their DOE time sheets with Mulgrew's blessing, so they can do union- not DOE----(its called teaching) work.
What is new about that affair at Grady HS?
We are all talking about when the Department of Justice will be called in to investigate Weingarten, the Queens Rep and Mulgrew and Ross. This is bigger than anything Spitzer did- a classic UFT cover up of a crime.
Can anyone get Callaghan on this story or does he know about it already? He can cut through the Weingarten- Mulgrew cover up in about one hour.
If Rona and her life partner had nothing to hide, the investigator would never had been hired by Zahler's nephew......Mike Mendel, who seems to have a consciense, might be the first to turn state's evidence against Mulgrew.
Any news on that Grady HS affair and the OSI report tht was a whitewash of the UFT perp?
Dear Anon 5:50 August 18th..
You spelled "church" wrong, and yet of course, nobody is perfect. Callaghan although also imperfect, was treated like a criminal and something should be done about that. In terms of your vitriol against me, it is unfounded. If you want to know who the other "officers" of the UFT Per Diem Committee are, just look at the recent UFT/DOE Contract. My name is listed under Officers, as well as a few others who you may know who work at the UFT. I and the Chair are volunteers appointed to our position. It's your prerogative to deny the facts if you think I don't represent them on this Committee. I was appointed in 2008 by Randi Weingarten and unlike you, she had enough respect to honor my efforts for the most under-represented group of members at the UFT. When Steven Shovers was ousted from his post as Chair of the Committee they lied about him too because he, as myself wanted proper representation, and like and Callaghan, we like to get things done. Again, I can invoke the "name of God" because I know Him and serve Him. There is freedom of religion and freedom of speech in this nation and on this blog. http://www.uft.org/member/contracts
/daytoday/substituteteacher07-09
.pdf
INSIDE THE UNITY CAUCUS.
CAUCUS MEMBERS HAVE BEEN TOLD NOT TO HELP CALLAGHAN BUT THEY ARE SECRWED BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEM HAVE WRITTEN EMAILS AND LETTERS TO HIM THANKING HIM FOR ONE STORY OR ANOTHER OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.
THEY ARE TERRIFED THEY WILL HAVE TO TESITFY AND MOST OF THEM WILL NOT LIE BUT MULGREW'S PALACE GUARD HAS TOLD THEM THEIR LIVES WILL BE HELL IF THEY TESTIFY.
THE EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS HAVE BEEN GOING ALL OVER THE PLACE. UFT OFFICERS WHO LOVED CALLAGHAN WILL BE ON THE WITNESS STAND- COSTING US OUR DUES MONEY WHEN HE WINS.
BIG CHANGES DUE THIS WEEK:
THE QUEENS REP. HEADS FOR THE BORDER; VASQUEZ PROMOTION; CASEY TO D.C.; GENTILE GONE; FRIEDMAN GONE- TWO H.S. REPS STILL IN THE RUNNING. ELLEN PROCIDA TO TAKE SOLOMON'S PLACE- GREAT IMPROVEMENT SINCE HE DID PRACTICALLY NOTHING TO HELP MEMBERS.
THEY CANT FIGURE OUT WHERE TO HIDE BIG BAD LEROY BROWN BARR- "LET'S TAKE IT OUTSIDE NORM," SO HE WILL PROBABLY STAY AS A MULGREW ENFORCER- TOUGH ONLY WHEN SURROUNDED BY CAUCUS THUGS.
MICHAEL FORDE AND HIS SOON-TO-BE CELLMATES FROM THE CARPTENTERS UNION COMING TO THE BUILDING TO GIVE MULGREW A NEW BUNKER- AS A FAVOR FOR KEEPING HIS MOUTH SHUT ALL THESE YEARS ABOUT HIRING NON-UNION LABOR AT SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION SITES.
GRADY HS PROBE WILL RESURFACE SOON- HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS.
WHO FIRED BETSY AND WHY?
-TED MARITAS.
Now we all wait patiently to see if they Teddy preditions are correct.
Check out the front page of The Chief newspaper, August 27 about the Callaghan firing. I don't beleive the UFT will succeed in demionizing him, thank God. It's high time they got exposed for the evil they do to decent people like Jim. Let us restore honesty integrity in the UFT so our union dues will be spent on things that really help the members, not patronage jobs, parties, politics and trips etc. Justice and righteousness shall prevail!
The Chief said it all. Callaghan worked his ass off on behalf of the members for 13 years and was FIRED only after he handed Mulgrew a letter saying he was going to organize his colleagues.
Mulgrew never made a move on Callaghan until AFTER that letter.
That is all the members need to know. We will now pay a huge settlement with our dues money because Mulgrew and his idiot savant advisors cant control their rage when people like Callaghan refuse to be castrated like they all were by Weingarten.
Beside the obvious bad press that this story will no doubt continue to generate, there are layers to this fiasco that could devastate the UFT. Jim Callaghan has many many admirers in the NYC media community. In time many of them will extend themselves to Jim and owe no allegiance to the UFT, in fact, many despise the UFT equal to the DOE media folks. They both speak from both side of their mouths on many of the same issues.
The fact that the firing was handled so poorly indicates the lack of control that Mulgrew has over his emotions and those he works with daily. Weingarten for her many faults was a highly effective professional when it came to her handling of touchy situations, especially issues that could become public. No way would this have gone down the way that it has if Randi were still UFT president, no way.
Finally this firing is a move that should indicate the type of organization the UFT under Mulgrew has become. Apparently there is little or no respect for seniority under the present regime that be for teachers or staff at the UFT. I am beginning to believe that Weingarten chose Mulgrew with the intent on destoying the UFT and having a patsy to lay the blame on. Similar to what Gov Christie is doing to the NJ education system. Weingarten and Christie two lawyers drunk with power and ruthlessness qualities admired by many ed reformers..
Here is the inside "scoop" from a fellow UFT NY Teacher staff writer.
I will let you guess who said this:
1- "Nobody told us “not to talk about it.” Never happened".
2- "Jim was NOT organizing a union. That’s the sexy story he sold to the press—man bites dog stories always are--and it was the threat he tried using NOT to get fired. It didn’t work. Mulgrew just pulled the plug at long last. Bottom line: Callaghan didn’t have the people skills to organize a lunch, let alone an organizing drive. Great story of victimization for a noble cause; but pure and ignoble invention. There are plenty of cases in which bosses in and out of unions screw staff; this is not one of them".
We will soon discover who appears to be telling the truth after the case with the NLRB is over.
THe above post was written by Mike the Plagerizer Hirsch, which is how he is known to all his colleagues.
He is Deidre McFadyen's cabana boy -spouting lefty rhetoric while he gets special hours, so he doesnt have to get his fat ass out of bed on time; he rewrites press releases handed to him by McFAdyen, who is as anti- union as they come. She is a tyrant who is hated by her staff and other UFT officials. SHe is Weingarten's Rosemary's Baby- incapable, a miserable human being who walks up ans down the halls to see who is taking too long to go to the bathroom (Except for Hirsch).
The NLRB case will be lots of fun for the media- Mulgrew and his flunkies will have to lie and risk a perjury rap.
The Chief today has the entire story- Callaghan's rebuttal to the Mulgrew/Engler/McFadyen/Hickey/Barr lies, especially how they undermined the Obama campaign.
Long live writers like Callaghan- you can judge him by his slimy UFT enemies. The members loved the guy.
Thanks Hirsch- you can come in at noon now to rewrite Mulgrew's lies....
can you help me rat out your colleagues at the paper? I need to get two more fired to meet my quota from PBA Man Hickey.
how do you steal from cops?
by the way Hirsch, dont you find it difficult to spout all that lefty bullshit while you are the Gypo Nolan of the UFT?
-your protector Deidre.
Steven Shovers was fired for his utter lack of civility and his jaded past around young children.
This story resurfaces with a vengeance. Caught it on Facebook last night.
9-20-15 Guest Speaker Jim Callaghan Speaks Out About UFT Unity Corruption & Collusion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkDmcCpfcFM
Post a Comment