Categorize this story as Occupy the UFT.
I've been tracking this story since last spring. When Mulgrew fired NY Teacher ace reporter in July 2010 (here, and here) he refused to reimburse Jim for expenses incurred over the use of car service to cover certain stories.
So Jim took them to small claims court.
Today is the 4th time in this court on this issue and the UFT is apparently using their law firm - Stroock and Lavan, that wonderful law firm that spat out Randi like one of those tee-shirt shooting guns at ball games into the bowels of the UFT over 20 years ago.
Strook bills at $500 to $1000 an hour. Let's do the math even at the lower end: they leave Manhattan at 5-billing clock running- spend 6 to 9 pm in the court room-billing clock running and get home lets say at 10 pm -billing clock still running.
5 hours times 4 appearances is 20 hours even at the low end of $500 per hour --has cost the members $10,000 already. Well, maybe they're giving a hometown discount.
In addition there are reports they will have CFO Dave Hickey who makes $230,000 and staff lawyer Adam Ross (Jeff Zahler's nephew) at around $180 grand to argue with Jim over $400, most of which they are not disputing? They are claiming Jim didn't list the exact mileage from his home to a chapter leader retreat in Connecticut.
In addition to the big march today the UFT is preparing their appeal on releasing teacher data.
========
Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on the right for important bits.
Why is Mulgrew allowing this? Easy answer: He is using our dues money to continue his vendetta against Callaghan. Isnt there one person in the UFT leadership to talk him down and tell him how folish he looks and how embarassing it is for him behave like Bloomberg in closing down Occupy Wall Street?
ReplyDeleteIt's not like there arent like other major issues like no contract for two years?
Hickey has hated Callaghan from Day One because he knew that Callaghan knew about the UFT phone and UFT car service scams and wasn't afraid to say so.
This is a vendetta and inexcusable. My dues have not been serving the rank and file.
ReplyDeleteDid you see who are getting nice, cozy Unity jobs??? The offspring of Unity--those who have only taught a few years!!
Mulgrew is Randi's Rosemary's Baby.
ReplyDeletehow dare he waste my dues on this personal agenda? Mulgrew was such a UFT star that his school -GRADY HS ----had one of the lowest COPE participation rates in the entire city- 35 percent!
Randi passed over a half dozen more qualified candidates but she despised them all so Mulgrew was the bottom of the barrel.
If Callaghan ever writes a book about what he knows about the corruption inside the UFT and how Randi and Mulgrew routinely cover up for crooked principals, he will need 24/7 bodyguards for the rest of life.
I am happy to see they havent bought him off. He was working on a Special Ed story involvinig criminality by Klein's top deputy, but Randi and Mulgrew closed it down at the behest of UFT officials. I gave him hundreds of pages of documents to prove the criminal case and he was all set to write the story.
Also, didnt I read somewhere that Callaghan accused Mulgrew of trying to stop a story he was writing by hanging a phony porn rap on a veteran teacher? I remember something about Callaghan testifying under oath and Mulgrew wesealing out- there was no porn and the teacher won his 3020A.
THere are more cover ups at the UFT than at Penn State- that is why Callaghan was fired.......
$400? the price of a Mulgrew dinner and drinks------alone.
Hickey- another RAndi hire. She plucked him ouit of the scandal ridden PBA as they were being looted for over $15 million by their lawyer (how do you steal from cops?) Hickey is the UFT money man and harasser of the staff. ----and he cleans up after Weingarten-Mulgrew disasters when he is not causing them.
Adam Ross is useless- another affirmative action hire-white males with connections to the front of the line.
Didnt he hire someone who was investigating Rona Frieser, the Queens UFT rep and close pal of Weingarten?
Too bad Ross never lifted a finger to help the rubber roomers but now he is the big shot going after a guy for $400! two years without a contract and Mulgrew has told the mayor he will settle for nothing less than a five year contract with no raises. Bloobmerg is holding out for thre years but Mulgrew is adamant- five years!!!!!!
This is quite outrageous!
ReplyDeleteWhat can the members do to avoid such waste?
What can you do? The leadership has things so locked up you can get more done against the ruling party in Syria.
ReplyDeleteBut do share with other teachers you know - and send them to ed notes.