Let's Blame the UFT for Everything

For the past almost 5 decades I've been one of the UFT's biggest critics and they deserve a lot of criticism for what they are and how they operate. My gripes which are somewhat fact and experienced based. But I won't list them at this point. My goal had always been an organizing goal - and if you read the lead at this blog it says: Educate, organize, mobilize - in that order. You can't mobilize or organize if you don't have the knowledge you need. Thus my aim has been to give people information and use that to get them to act. I used to believe that by organizing a group of people who are in a lot of schools we could present a real challenge.

A main area of action - the main area of action - has been organizing opposition caucuses to challenge the UFT leadership on a number of levels. Since the opposition led by MORE has fallen apart in the goal of challenging the leadership on a broad-based basis, I've rethought the point of griping about ever single thing. I mean, what exactly is the point other than to get your rocks off? I've not been interested in getting my rocks off. With no organizing goal we are left with using the internet and social media to broadcast our ideas with no reach into the schools -- to me organizing means giving people info they can read and talking to them about it. With no base it becomes preaching to the ether.

I've also taken a different look at the leadership and rather than slamming them I try to see things through their eyes in an attempt to divine their motivations for their actions. I still put forth the idea that watch what they do, not what they say. Use what they do as a basis of analysis rather than a gut check attack.

My advice for activists in the UFT would be to take your activism elsewhere -- there's plenty to do with many organizations. Thus if you want to fight racism, you are wasting your time doing it in the context of the UFT, especially when the Unity Caucus is so much more diversified than its critics. Try NYCORE or Teachers Unite. Or if you are left enough go join DSA and take on their work on housing or healthcare where you can have a bigger impact. Or go work for one of their progressive candidates. Don't waste your time and energy butting your head up against a wall.