Is Unity suppressing retiree vote, Today - Retired Chapter Meeting, Unity Exec Bd REJECTS Call to oppose Tier 6 Architect

Unity plays hardball and the oppo tries plays by marquess of queensberry rules. -- James Eterno

Point of order, Mr. Murphy. Where is the Motion period for today's meeting, as required by Roberts Rules? In fact there has been no motion periods at any meeting this year.

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Oh, I'd love to make that motion today, but have been overruled by my colleagues and I'm a team player. But James' point about how the oppo tries to play nice is more pertinent than ever. And how about the Unity crowd claiming to oppose Tier 6 while endorsing an architect? Makes one want to be uncivil.

RA and Unity are in GOTV faze - contacting all UFT retirees to make sure they get their ballot and vote -- which requires actually going to a mail box. I will speculate on the outcome in a day or so. Unity is focused on getting out their vote while the main threat to them comes from those who usually don't vote. So why not make it harder for them?

 

Ok, I've got to catch the ferry to the city for the May retiree chapter teacher meeting where we can hear Tom Murphy and maybe Mulgrew and even today possibly Randi pontificate on every issue but healthcare. With the chapter election on, expect lots of gaslighting. I'd love to be positively uncivil.

 

I didn't make it to the UFT  Exec Bd last night to see the predicted outcome of our reso calling for the DA to vote on the Tier 6 champion, Micah Lasher endorsement, as I reported yesterday:

• Another Unity/UFT Sellout - Backs Micah Lasher, Bloomberg pro Tier 6, Charter School, Student First Acolyte - for State Assembly

Nick has the gory details in his report:

at the NYSUT assembly, every delegate we send is a member of Unity Caucus. There is no proportional representation, certainly no independents, and all positions are elected at large (high school members don’t even get to elect their reps, or I’d be at the RA too). In other words, Lasher, with his history of anti-UFT activities, only got an endorsement because every NYC teacher in the room was a member of Unity. Your average non-Unity teacher would not have voted yes to Lasher. Good luck fighting for Tier 6 if we’re sitting there deciding to send our COPE dollars to elect one of its architects. We must reform the endorsement process, as, again, I argue here.

• Why the UFT endorsed an architect of Tier 6 – UFT Executive Board Minutes 5/20/24

Nick points to the perils of winner take all, as is the retired chapter election. I wouldn't want our side to have total control either. But at least if we win, our 300 DA candidates have a variety of views and no caucus discipline. Since UFC got about one third of the total vote, in a proportional system we would have had over 200 NYSUT and AFT delegates, a better mix for the benefit of the UFT. But Unity doesn't care about the betterment of the UFT.

Unity actually had the nerve to claim Lasher has reformed and now supports public schools. Which is why the charter and Bloomberg crowd are pouring in money. Sometimes I smack my head when I hear Trumpies repeat FOX mantras. Unity is actually worse.

Is it time to be uncivil?

 

Unity has been attacking Retiree Advocate for being uncivil, which I find funny since I fight in the RA organizing group to be more uncivil and am in the minority. My colleagues seem to go out of the way to be civil, which is maddening to me. Like they worry about Unity heckling while I say fuck Unity. To me the Unity campaign to keep the oppo under control works, as my pals are convinced that making too much noise will cause us to lose votes. I say, the people objecting are Unity and we can be tame pussycats (which we are) and they won't vote for us. I think the oppo tails the anger of many in the rank and file who want to see more fire from the oppo. When New Action was on the UFT Ex Bd 25 years ago I was often disturbed at the way they responded - or didn't respond - to Unity attacks.

The late, great James Eterno, who when in New Action was the most aggressive, used to repeat endlessly -- Unity plays hardball and the oppo tries to play by marquess of queensberry rules.

 

I'm particularly pissed at the actions of the Unity controlled election committee which denied us other than 1 rep while they pack the meetings with 4 Unity. The latest is that at the June 14th vote count we will not be able to observe directly but through a barrier. Until recent elections we had full access. That is not observing. I also object to the delays - we pay AAA a fortune and they can't run more scanners, which break down constantly and delay the vote. In elections in years past we had faster results. I intend to make some noise at the count. I don't trust Unity and I don't trust the cozy relationship to the AAA. LeRoy Barr, the head of Unity Caucus, consults with them and claims he is representing the UFT, not Unity. Sure.

J'Accuse: Unity/AAA Delayed ballots suppress the vote

So we were told that ballots were to go out on May 10 but no one we know received their ballot until at least a week later and many haven't gotten it yet. Then when asked, AAA reported "on or about May 10." Really?

I asked a former colleague who is a snowbird and up in Boston now and he hasn't gotten his ballot and probably never will unless he contacts AAA and gets them to send to his summer home. I expect we will have loads of people who ask the AAA for replacements and they do la, di, da and it takes a week to get one and another week for it to get back to AAA? If I were on the election committee I'd demand they extend the deadline for ballots received to a few extra days to make up for the delayed mailing. 

 

But of course that will be rejected, as Unity is all about vote suppression. They are the Republican Party of the UFT.

Now we know by their actions, that Unity is nervous, as Jonathan chronicled: The UFT Retiree Election and “Unusual Activity”.

At today's meeting Retiree Advocate will be handing out our standard leaflet, but I am handing out a supplemental leaflet based on reporting by Wendell Potter damning Aetna/CVS and the impact on Mulgrewcare. Read the entire article here. I modified it for today's meeting.

 

Arthur has some thoughts on the retiree and TRS election (which I will update you on tomorrow.

• Make SURE to VOTE: Your vote strikes fear into the cold, dead heart of the UFT Unity Noise Machine

• Trying Times at the UFT Unity Patronage Mill. --By Arthur Goldstein -- The unofficial TRS election survey results are in; UFT to still file lawsuit against NYC DOE asking for re-run of the election

Educators of NYC comments on the Unity spin on Lasher last night:

Once again @UFTUnity has been loose with the facts. Yesterday, they voted down a UFT exec board resolution that would bring the @nysut endorsement of @MicahLasher to a more direct vote by @UFT delegates. (The UFT has endorsed him via proxy essentially thru a NYSUT vote.) One argument that Unity apparatchiks made is that he is ANTI-CHARTER schools, now. This simply isn’t true. His politically expedient change of tone is not a change of heart. While he no longer heads the charter school PAC, StudentsFirst NY, nothing in his career or his current positions as a candidate for state office in the last 8 years indicates this. While he has called for more *accountability of charters*, such as special education and other areas, you won’t find a SINGLE instance where he says he is against charter schools. Because he isn’t. Lest we forget during his most recent 3 year stint as director of policy for @GovKathyHochul, we see her administration called for lifting the state cap entirely last year and when rebuffed by the state legislature, Hochul worked out a deal to bring back 22 zombie charters statewide — 14 in NYC. Hochul is pro-charter. And you bet your bottom dollar — so is Lasher. The donor money he’s beginning to compile in his run for AD 69 is starting to have privateer Bloomberg fingerprints all over it, too. Lots of former Bloomberg administration folks, and most prominently, Emma Bloomberg and her husband, Jeremiah Kittredge, who used to run the maligned charter lobby operation, Families for Excellent Schools, before it was caught up in scandal. 

Source. https://politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2016/09/lasher-puts-distance-between-himself-and-charter-schools-105111

 

Another Unity/UFT Sellout - Backs Micah Lasher, Bloomberg pro Tier 6, Charter School, Student First Acolyte - for State Assembly

Mayor Bloomberg Announces Director Of State Legislative Affairs Micah C. Lasher Will Leave City Government:  Lasher has been a member of the Bloomberg Administration since January 2009, beginning as Executive Director of External Affairs at the Department of Education. He has helped lead the City’s efforts in Albany on many major issues, including reauthorizing mayoral control of the schools, lifting the cap on charter schools, a new pension tier for City employees - April 4, 2012...

Lasher in his unsuccessful 2016 campaign for State Senate and his present campaign for State Assembly received significant funding from individuals closely associated with the charter school movement and/or hostile to teachers and their unions.

Monday, May 20, 2024

 

The UFT/Unity gang seems to love the good old days of the Bloomberg era of closing down public schools and expanding charters. And remember how Micah Lasher gets credit for helping bring us Tier 6, which the UFT claims it opposes - NOW - but not very much in 2012.

 

There is no end to the perfidy from our erstwhile leaders, but this endorsement takes us beyond the pale, bringing back memories of the awful dozen years of the Bloomberg assault on public education, led by Micah Lasher in the latter Bloomberg years, who then became head of the despicable Student First, an organization that pushed to end tenure and to replace public schools with as many non-union charters as they can manufacture. Lasher proudly helped lead the parade. 

 

I maintain that by their actions, our UFT leadership is fundamentally anti-union. The Lasher endorsement is further proof. But just as bad is the process to avoid putting the Lasher endorsement in front of the DA by claiming NYSUT endorsed and the UFT is following, a bag of worms - not to insult worms. 

 

At tonight's UFT Exec Bd meeting, a reso calling for the endorsement to be voted on by the Exec Bd and DA will be made. Watch the Unity hacks scramble to avoid going on the official record as they hide behind NYSUT.

• Nick: The UFT has an Endorsement Problem 

Last night I was on a zoom with a much better alternate candidate, Eli Northrup, super impressive who supports the issues we care about. Northrup has criticized Lasher for his charter school support and also for his role in making Tier 6 a reality. Northrup wants to ensure public schools remain truly public and accountable, prioritizing adequate tools and support for teachers and students, including mental health resources in schools, protect and expand pre-K and 3-K programs, expand paid family leave, and move toward a vision for universal childcare. Northrup was a United Auto Workers member as a Bronx public advocate.

 

I believe the UFT should endorse Northrup, not a fringe candidate with no chance of winning – he comes backed by significant endorsers, https://www.eli4ny.com/endorsements. Here a few:

“The Jewish Vote is proud to endorse Eli Northrup for state Assembly.

 

 

Here is his website: https://www.eli4ny.com/

 

 

 

 

Resolution to Consider the UFT’s Endorsement for the 69th Assembly District

Whereas the UFT and NYSUT have apparently endorsed the candidacy of Micah Lasher in the 69th Assembly District, as evidenced by campaign literature and flyers mailed to members with the UFT logo on it;

Whereas, in the case of the UFT, this endorsement was made without any discussion or vote by the Executive Board or the Delegate Assembly;

And whereas the endorsement of Lasher is problematic for the following reasons:

• Lasher is the former head of Student First New York, the leading advocacy group promoting the expansion of charter schools in New York;
  

• Lasher served as Director of Policy for Governor Hochul during a period where her office proposed the expansion of charter schools in New York State;
  

• Lasher, as chief lobbyist for Mayor Bloomberg, actively promoted policies that were anti-teacher and anti-union;

• Lasher in his unsuccessful 2016 campaign for State Senate and his present campaign for State Assembly has received significant funding from individuals closely associated with the charter school movement and/or hostile to teachers and their unions;

• Lasher was a major force in lobbying for Tier 6

And whereas the Executive Board and the Delegate Assembly are entitled to vote on UFT endorsements;

Be it Resolved: the Executive Board shall vote on the issue of the 69th Assembly endorsement and forward its recommendation to the Delegate Assembly for its consideration.

Signed by:

Ronnie Almone

Nick Bacon

Ed Calamia

Alex Jallot

Ibeth Mejia

Ilona Nanay

Luli Rodriguez

Mike Schirtzer 

UFT Tier 6 DISASTER - It's worse than you thought - New Action

I will be at the DA today handing out this leaflet before the meeting. There is a demo also re the cease fire at some point. I will take a few photos. I haven't been following the exact issues but expect some UFT reso and a push to add cease fire. I have a lot to say on this issue but not here at this time. There are enough people taking on the BIG issues. Some people have to still keep their eye on the daily conditions UFT members face.

Tier 6 is a major issue

I see the Tier 6 issue becoming a big factor in the next UFT election in 2025 because it is doubtful the UFT will get much change. But I would bet on some minor incremental change, oh, say around January 2025 just a few months before the election.

A committee sponsored by New Action has been working up some data on just how bad Tier 6 is. Over 50% of current UFT working members are in Tier 6. And for us Tier ones, Tier 4 looked rotten. (Tier one was ended c. 1973.)

Remember when Randi traded our 8.25% down to 7% for peanuts? Until recent interest rates hitting 5%, 7% still looked like gold so most of us didn't complain much. The handout says the difference over 40 years is $1.5 million compounded. It doesn't say based on what base but back of envelope calculations show that for every 100k you get 7k in interest each year  vs what we used to get - $8,250. So in one year that's a loss of $1250 for teachers. Compound that number even over 10 years. Randi the negotiator. As we always say, the UFT often seems more interested in working to save the city money than in its own members.

But the Tier 6 stuff is even more sickening. The UFT leadership claims Tier 6 reform is a high priority but they also talk about incremental improvements. People will be dead and new teachers on Tier 10 and working till 80 to get a pension.

 

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