Over the past two months, Unity Caucus/UFT has spent over $60,000 sending favored people (exactly who are they?) to conferences plus sending 50 Unity retirees to the AFT convention this summer in Houston - figure at least 2k or more (Plane fair, hotels, meals, etc) - 2000x50= 100K plus the recent NYSUT convention at the NY Hilton at 2kX750-800 = $1,500,000.
So we are talking in the vicinity of almost $2 million to feed at the trough of our dues. And I'm not including the buying off of potential opposition candidates with offers of jobs. No wonder it's so hard to shake people loose from the Unity machine which has controlled the UFT for 62 years.
And they see threats to that control in the UFT's 3 Consequential Elections and are playing games where they can, but more on that later.
Meanwhile Jonathan Halabi reports:
Look at those salaries. We may need some RICO charges.
Also see Ex Bd member Ronnie Almonte:
Here are the ugly details:
Motion: To send 6 members to the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) 53rd Annual National Education Conference on July 15-19, 2024 in Hollywood, FL, at a cost of $2,300 per person. Carried -- 2300x6 = $13,800
Motion: To send 8 members to the Micron Technology Convention on May 14-16, 2024 in Manassas, VA, at a cost of $350 per person. Carried - 350 x 8 = $2800
NYSUT Convention at NY Hilton - 750 x $2000 Plus = $1,500,000 - at least. After all, a free room at The Hilton is higher priority than considering improving the dental plan.
How Unity spends our dues from April Adcom:
Motion:
To send 9 members to the National Association of School Nurses
Conference on June 28-July 1, 2024 in Chicago, IL at a cost of $2,568
per person. (9x2568= 23,112)
Motion:
To send 1 member to the Early Educators Leadership Conference on
October 16-19, 2024 in Washington, DC, at a cost of $3,030. (3,030)
Motion:
To send 3 members to the National Art Education Association National
Convention on April 4-7, 2024 in Minneapolis, MN at a cost of $1,982 per
person. (3x1,982 = 5,946) Carried
Motion:
To send 5 members to the Coalition of Labor Union Women National
Executive Board and 50th Anniversary Gala on May 8-11, 2024 in Niagara
Falls at a cost of $1,461 per person. (5x1,461 = 7,305) Carried
Motion:
To send 4 members to the IEL-National Community Schools and Family
Engagement Conference on May 29-31, 2024, in Atlanta, GA at a cost of
$2,595 per person. (4x2595= 10,380)
Total = $49,773
And this:
Motion:
To authorize up to 50 retirees to participate in the 2024 AFT
Convention and retiree activities associated with the Convention. Carried
Let's Estimate the cost -- plane fair, hotel, meals --- let's call it 2 grand per x 50 --- $100,000.
