A Unity stooge on Facebook stated that Unity does not do caucus work such as signature signings at 52 Broadway or the district offices. I call total BS on that.... Comment on: UFT Elections: Petitioner and Pensioner Reveal Fear and Loathing Toward Unity Caucus/UFT Leadership
Funny, we were in 52 and union people were asking us where to sign. How many Unity people have been seen going around schools to get signatures? Their signings are mostly internal Unity, not asking teachers to sign on their free time. I actually think if there is a court case over UFT election process, petitioning will be a factor. Also how Unity gets 8 union employees on the election committee which meets when they are on the union clock.
Friday, Feb. 4, 2022
I reported on how many retirees met up this past Wednesday to sign a pack of 450 petitions for the United for Change at-large candidates.
I was literally on my feet from 10:30-4:30 supervising the signings - in shifts to avoid close quarters -- and people still hadn't finished but Mike Shulman, Kathy Perez and I had to go up to the 19th floor for the Election Committee meeting. Every Unity member, all on the UFT payroll and getting paid for attending were prosent while UFC was short two members - one who tested positive and one with childcare issues.
See my report on the meeting below these comments. But think of the optics of a full house for Unity.
Remember - we asked for a delay in the election for a few weeks or electronic signatures and were turned down by the Unity dominated election committee - they get 8 and the UFC get 5 members in the Unity Caucus version of democracy. I reported on that back in January:
Thursday morning I went to a school to pick up petitions with 35 signatures. There should have been 60 but the main guy was out with covid with a possibility he got it from having to use his spare time to get them signed. We've had people who agreed to sign not be able to show up. In past elections we would get a big space and get 60 people in the room for a mass signing.
To follow the same rules for petitioning for this election borders in criminality.
We have another mass signing scheduled for later this afternoon and evening, postponed from last week when the weather was so bad. MORE had to postpone its mass signing event from last Saturday to tomorrow. We have another one scheduled for this Sunday on Long Island.
My wife is telling me not to go tonight but if I don't I have visions of hundreds of people not getting on the ballot. You see, real classroom teachers in small schools and retirees don't have the easy ability to go around schools on their lunch hours to gather so many signatures. UFT complicity with the DOE has left so many exhausted. So it takes an enormous effort even in normal times to run a serious slate against the Unity machine.
I don't know how many people will actually show up after school today in the north Bronx to sign. Those who do will illustrate their commitment to challenging Unity. I guarantee, no Unity people will be out in the ice to get signatures today.
In some ways I almost wish there was no one but Unity on the ballot so they would be left trying to explain UFT "democracy."
Fact is, I think even if we get on the ballot, their denial of some flexability -- like we asked for an extension - can be part of a future court case.
Well, here's my report on the election committee meeting - the highlights of which were the chips and plastic wrapped cookies and a diet coke.
Coin Flip for ad position in NY Teacher
We were there to fundamentally flip a coin to decide the order the Unity and UFC ads will appear in the NY Teacher. Chair, Manhattan Borough UFT Pres Carl Cambria, announced that the winner would get to choose to go first in the Februrary NY Teacher edition or the March edition. Carl, who tries to be eminently fair - considering - and also seems like a decent guy -- decided Unity would be tales and UFC heads - and Unity. They didn't seem to have a strategy so he invited them to go outside and caucus and they came back with what would have been my decision: Let the other caucus go first in February and take the first position in the later edition. So UFC will have the pole position this month. I hear our ad is beautiful so keep an eye out -- and note the ICE logo was designed by Kara Eterno.
District 1 and 9 Unity officials used official UFT sites to promote Unity and disparage UFC. They offer a remedy for UFC - equal time
This was an interesting one. And let me say that a UFT lawyer is on all these meetings remotely. A Unity member, Dist 4 rep Servia Silva made a reso to tve UFC equal time on those sites for the same amount of time Unity had and for similar ads. We quickly checked out pockets. Not thinking through all the implications the three of us voted in favor.
Later when we reported to UFC we were told we probably should have abstained. They are discussing whether to turn down the offer because allowing us to post for the same time and same type of ad allows them to control what we do. Unity will use our vote against us but that is trivial.
Shulman and access to mail boxes blocked not by principals but Unity Chapter leaders
Mike told the story of a New Action member telling his chapter leader he would be putting materials in the boxes and was told that only the chapter leader has that right. Bullshit, of course. Mike asked for the union to put out a statement to chapter leaders. I added an amendment that Mulgrew should make the announcement at the Feb and March DA. Unity unanimously opposed it, showing that underneath they will turn the other way when their rabid CLs deny us access. They voted to send it out in the chapter leader update. We will hold any Unity CL who tries to stop us accountable -- and use it in any court case.
I told a story of how I went to a school a few years ago where the Unity CL was known as a hack who had removed oppo lit from mailboxes. I went at 5 PM when I figured she was gone and stuffed the boxes. I had no problems getting in. I went back the next day with another leaflet and was told by security I could not go to the boxes. I said who said I couldn't since you let me do it yesterday -- he fingered the CL. Now that CL is a full-time union official and is in fact on the election committee --- I made sure to look in her direction while speaking.
Election reporting by school and districts to counter voting deserts
The turnout in UFT elections by working members illustrates how weak the structure of the UFT is. Maybe 25% at most while retirees turn out is well over 40%.
I called for the UFT to pay the AAA for school and district voting per centages as a way for the union to monitor voting deserts which are a sign of union weakness. I had raised this at the 2016 vote count with then election chair Amy Arundell and other union officials when I asked the AAA guy if that info were available. David Hickey I remember said the union didn't pay for that data. I Said they should in future elections.
Unity spec rep Patti Crispino said she opposes that but before she could give her reasons a motion to table until the next meeting in March was made. We all agreed. I asked Patti for why she wouldn't want a report on school voting patterns and her response was turnout is always low and why embarrass people. In some circles that is known as Unity Think.
The meeting ended and I grabbed a few bags of chips and raced to get the ferry.
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