UFT- Oh, Woe Is Me, But Let's Look on the Bright Side

UFT Chapter Leader Update, March 23

Thanks to UFT members, Lobby Day is once again a success

We'll be letting you know exactly what we gained, but in the meantime we:

Urge members to join pension plan before Tier 6 arrives on April 1

One of our great successes on lobbying day was that our efforts stopped Tiers 7-12, at least for now. Another success is that we limited the UFT members allowed to go to lobbying day only to those who gave to COPE - and by the way, don't blame this disaster on us but on the scumballs in your schools who didn't give to COPE or don't give enough -- if you chapter leaders don't get your asses moving on COPE collections, we are going to overturn your school's election and get someone in your school who can collect COPE money. How are we going to be able to pay for those hotels and meals when our crew goes up to Albany.

PERB agrees with UFT on appointing mediator for stalled talks on 33 schools

This is a big one for us. It will give those teachers in the schools some hope and also keep them off our backs  -- until the schools close and those not hired go into the dark hole of ATRs, never to be heard from again.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew responds to the mayor’s loan forgiveness plan

UFT President Michael Mulgrew sent a letter this week to Chancellor Dennis Walcott in response to Mayor Bloomberg's stated plan to give teachers in the “top tier” of their college class $25,000 to repay their student loans. Stressing the importance of balancing the need for retention of highly qualified teachers with the need for recruitment,

Another big one for us. The Mayor really wants this and we can get some crumb back.
As for telling the mayor no loans until every single ATR is hired, exactly what is an ATR again?

Schoolbook:
Concerned that lawmakers could pass a state budget that eliminates teacher training centers in public schools, the city’s teachers’ union is pressing Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to restore the financing.


Oh, shit. One of our patronage biggies where we get to pick 140 people for jobs. We promise that holding on to teacher center positions is the line in the sand for us. If we have to give up LIFO and -- you know -- those people going from school to school every week after we signed that agreement last June --- starts with an A or a B -- no problemo.