WHAT DID YOU EVER DO BESIDES WHINE AND TALK ABOUT FALSE LOYALTY OATHS? -- Danny Feldman accusing Arthur Goldstein, who actually does something as chapter leader of one of the largest schools in the city, with almost 300 members.Gee, Factless Feldman, get a clue. As a union official did you actually know what chapter leaders did?
Diane Ravitch, who praised the contract, also gave Arthur space to respond. He did. Brilliantly. Feldman took umbrage and lays out a typical Unity response - with hints of red-baiting, fear mongering about the only alternative to turning down the contract is a strike, claiming the critics are lying, etc -- all with no facts of his own. Call him "Factless Feldman." Actually, I love Danny's comment in all Caps -- shows Unity people are a tad nervous.
I'll try to put up a long post reporting on yesterday's almost surrealistic Ex Bd meeting where over 15 MOREistas attended and participated in.
Read Arthur's latest on his blog:
How Much Does This Contract Cost?
Danny Feldman
LET’S BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR; RETIREES DO NOT VOTE IN CONTRACT REFERENDUMS. TO IMPLY OTHERWISE OR TO IMPLY DOUBT SHOWS THE OPPOSITION’S TRUE COLORS: THEY WOULD DECEIVE THEIR COLLEAGUES IF THEY COULD. JUST BECAUSE YOU WOULD BE DISHONEST DOESN’T MEAN THAT I WOULD BE. YOU SEEM TO HAVE NO DIFFICULTY SPREADING McCARTHY-LIKE LIES. IF PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH YOU THEY MUST BE WRONG–AND EVIL. VERY REPUBLICAN. AS A LONG-TIME UFT ACTIVIST AND ELECTED REP (SCHOOL AND DISTRICT), NOW RETIRED, I WILL ATTEND DA BUT I WON’T VOTE. AND I WON’T RECEIVE A BALLOT IN THE MAIL EITHER. I WANT TO HEAR THE ARGUMENTS, WITNESS THE SPECTACLE. I ACTUALLY WENT ON STRIKE–TWICE–IN ’68 AND ’75. I’VE PICKETED, RALLIED AND DISTRIBUTED LEAFLETS TO OUT-OF-TOWNERS OUTSIDE RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER. I’VE LIVED THROUGH WAGES FREEZES, WITHHELD MONEY, THE WORKS. EVEN 2 PREPS A WEEK! WHAT DID YOU EVER DO BESIDES WHINE AND TALK ABOUT FALSE LOYALTY OATHS? WHEN THE POPULATION’S READY TO TAKE A FANTASY GENERAL STRIKE TO CLOSE DOWN THE CITY UNTIL THE RICHIES GO AWAY AND LIFE BECOMES FAIR, LET ME KNOW.
Arthur Goldstein
First of all, Danny, I neither said nor implied that retirees vote for contracts. Second, while you may not like it, the Unity-UFT invitation-only application most certainly contains a loyalty oath. I have seen it and can produce it.
I resent and reject your implication that, as chapter leader of the largest school in Queens, I am not active. That’s abject nonsense.
I further resent and reject your implication that I am “spreading McCarthy-like lies.” It’s unfortunate you see fit to resort to invective rather than civil discussion. It’s unfortunate that you offer no evidence whatsoever your gratuitous accusations. I understand, of course, that there isn’t any.
I am weary but accustomed to this style of argument, and it’s precisely this intolerance for dissenting views that have reduced our organization into one in which fewer than 20% of working teachers deem it worth their time to vote in union elections.
If you read further down in the comments, you'll see that Feldman apologized to Arthur because his CAPITALIZED tirade was meant for the commenter Haber. I'm not defending Feldman but I felt the need to bring this point out.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Arthur.
ReplyDeleteThis contract is terrible. It's a disgrace to all the UFT workers. The Union is no longer protecting us. They take our dues and let someone else dictate what our contract is going to be. Mulgrew needs to go.
ReplyDelete