Over the next 4 months I will be doing a series of posts on the state of the union in the UFT, tapping into information about all the caucuses.
I can only hope that the folly of 3 opposition caucuses comes to an end and a strong force to stand up to Unity Caucus emerges to penetrate deeply enough into the schools to reach the 99.9% of the rank and file who don't give a crap about the caucuses.
That is what I will fight for -- bringing people, even with different political tendencies, under one banner to force change in the UFT. I am getting as much of this information on record before I lose all my faculties as a possible lesson for future activists in the UFT. Untangling this mess will take more than one blog.
Having been an active participant in the UFT opposition politics since 1970, I would say this is the weakest state of the opposition for decades, if not ever. With the opening of the UFT election season, it is time to review the disastrous state of the opposition to Unity Caucus as Unity is set to win every single seat on the Executive Board for the first time since the 1993 elections.
The opposition of three caucuses under the NAC label (since the 1981 election) had won 13 Ex Bd seats in 1991 and also won the high school VP in 1985. Now we have regressed to having 3 opposition caucuses running on their own and splitting the usual 10-12,000 opposition votes in the UFT.
So in this, and upcoming posts, let me survey the state of the UFT opposition from an historical and current perspective and why things look so dismal for the growth of the opposition in the future as we live deja vu all over again.
While I remain involved in the periphery of MORE I am non-sectarian in terms of other caucuses. I like the people in New Action and the work they do and I have tried to make peace with the people in Solidarity. I continue to organize ICEUFT meetings once a month and invite people from all caucuses to come. I think we are the one place where all groups can sit down and talk.
For the first time since the 2004 elections, there will be 3 opposition slates to choose from in the UFT elections.
- New Action
- MORE
- Solidarity
- ICEUFT remains in operation but as a non-participant in elections.
I've written a few blogs about the current situation with the opposition in the UFT:
UFT Election Season Opens, Does Anybody Care?
UFT Election Update: It's Beat Up MORE Time as it ...
UFT Caucus and Election History: 1962 - Present
Let me point out that none of the caucuses have more than 20-50 real members - actually less - and in fact each are run by a small coterie of people numbering single digits who make the real decisions. Imagine -- the truly active core of all the opposition groups total 30 at most.
The saddest is MORE, which had so much promise when it was founded in 2012 and now seem proud to have shrunk in the name of unity under a single political line which it thinks will resonate with the membership. (More on MORE isolationism in future posts.)
Election petitions go out at the January 16, 2019 Del Ass and are due in mid-February. Ballots go out in mid March and are due back by April 16, with the count April 17. As a non-participant in the elections for the first time since 2001, the outcome will provide some lessons and will be fascinating to watch.
I'm urging a boycott for the election process - not only a boycott against Unity but also against an opposition that cannot come together, with each group trying to convince people that their position is best.
Why would people choose any of them? How could any of them claim they could run the union when they can't even agree with each other?
The number of non-voters will be a vote and send a message to the opposition to get their houses in order before the 2022 election.
Boycott? That is such nonsense. Vote for anyone EXCEPT Unity. We need to vote against Unity as a message that we do not agree with how they run things.
ReplyDeleteNonsense is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. 87% voted for the contract. That’s an indicator. A vote for any of the opposition is a vote for their absolute incompetence over decades. And I include myself as one of them. Time to try something different. Don’t take part in the farce until there is one opposition united against unity. A vote endorsed the divisions
ReplyDeleteor all the groups can set aside their political stances and trample UFT Unity. Disagreements and outburst can be forgotten and forgiven, these are minor wedges. The biggest wedge is being too political.We cant vote cuz when we do we are outvoted, we cant work together cuz when we try every one tosses stones, when we vote this year now our votes are split into more groups, we cant strike cuz we would lose pay.... I think the last action will lead to a small percent of Teachers/para/aides/etc to speak with their money. I assure you a few million dollars lost will be noticeable very fast.
DeleteI am voting with my heart. I hate Unity. I am voting for Solidarity even though Portelos is a hot head. They are the only caucus that is 100% is focused on fighting the DOE. They have balls and won't win but to me it is a matter of voting for what I believe is right. I want to show Unity that I do not believe in their leadership.
ReplyDeleteI understand why Eterno and the rest of ICE feel the way they do. I can equally understand your position. It's sad really. I agree with the idea that Unity needs to be sent a message, I just don't think they are capable of listening. Sadly, a low voter turn out will just be publicly presented as how satisfied teachers must be with the job we are doing. An alternative campaign might be to push some sort of counter culture vote, like drawing a big X across the ballot. The problem is Unity will likely just refuse to count how many X'd out ballots they receive and claim it was very few. Sadly I think we find ourselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place. I'm not sure how you send Unity a message they will hear, or more accurately actually hear correctly.
ReplyDeleteYes a rock and a hard place. I think we have to look past this election. Unity has never gotten a message and won’t this time no matter what. You know the only message they will get - I won’t say it. It is up to a bunch of us that put Humpty Dumpty back together again after the elections.
ReplyDelete