UFT Election 2022 - High schools up for grabs, Split Ballots May Affect close votes, anti-Mulgrew sentiment even within Unity will increase splits

"I just can’t bring myself to vote for Unity - I can’t stand Mulgrew. He caves on everything." I asked will he vote ufc - he said “honestly I don’t know - but I just can’t go to mulgrew”... Anonynmous

Either this person splits the ballot or doesn't vote at all. A lost vote for Unity if nor necessarily a vote for UFC. Don't discount the Mulgrew factor. I saw a comment from a hard core Unity person who urges people to vote for Unity while recognizing the Mulgrew handicap -- paraphrasing: We know he's a liability. We'll take care of him inside the caucus. Is a post-election palace coup coming?

Sunday, April 10, 2022

 

In the next few days UFT members will be receiving in the mail a serious sized booklet listing all the candidates running in the election (Ballots must be in by May 9.) The easiest way to vote is to choose one of the two slates on the front page, tear it off, put it in the envelope labeled SECRET BALLOT and put that envelope in the other envelope.You'd be surprised how many people do not use the SECRET BALLOT envelope and just put their ballot in the mailing envelope. Does this invalidate your vote? Possibly. 

But what if you want to vote for people from both slates or don't want to vote for some people on either slate? That is known as a split ballot and requires picking through the entire booklet putting check boxes next to each name. Each caucus has 12 officers, 90 Ex Bd plus 6 candidates faux E4E labeled WECU running for Ex Bd at large, plus one independent. Unity has an additional 650 and UFC 300 AFT/NYSUT delegates. Machines do the counting, so any screwed up marks on these ballots cause problems and even invalidation. Some people check a slate and vote for individuals -- which can invalidate the entire ballot - though as a member of the UFT election committee I will argue to only use the slate and ignore the rest as some people get confused and think they have to also vote for their friends. In every election there are numerous invalidations. (We've seen some slate votes with both boxes checked -- invalid).

Slate voting - I say YES

I have always argued for slate voting only rather than going through the laundry list of thousands of names who are running in UFT elections. When not active in the opposition I split my ballot but then learned in election count observations just how few there were and how we reported only the slate votes since the relatively few split ballots were never enough to change the outcome. You'd find that the lowest totals for a candidate on Unity to the highest total varies by a few hundred votes. Same for the opposition. But this time those few hundred votes can turn an election. Can you imagine a split ex bd?

For instance, in last year's Retiree election, the slate vote for RA was less than 7K and for Unity around 16K. But within each group there was a different total for each candidate. For RA, the well-known Michael Shulman got the most votes - over 7K. My vote total was somewhere in the middle of the pack. It made no real difference, except for some egos. But what if the election were closer - say Unity and RA roughly split the vote at 50-50 -- then those individual splits would decide the election with a mixed group from Unity and RA. One strategy we used in this election was to run some well-known retirees for Ex bd at large - their names will appear on very ballot. I didn't make the cut and will only appear for Ex Bd on functional ballots. My chances are slim and none given Unity's bigg

In 2019, with me being so pissed at MORE and not thrilled with any caucus, I did split my ballot -  I had no dog in the race - I just re-read what I wrote then and made some interesting predictions. An eclectic group for sure: 5 for Solidarity, 4 for Unity, 3 for MORE.

Worth reading.

My (2019) UFT Election Choices: Duke Breaks Bracket, Ex-MORES In Play on Unity Slate - Yes, My Choices are Personnal

An eclectic group for sure:

5 for Solidarity, 4 for Unity, 3 for MORE

But this time I do have a dog in the race and am urging people not to split the ballot and vote UFC slate. For those continuing critics of MORE many have been won over by the broader coalition of UFC - including some people who had left ICE for being too left a decade ago.  Dislike of Mulgrew and Unity Caucus is a uniting force - even if temporary.

One story:

I ran into a CL and original MORE while leafleting a school last week - he recognized me even with my mask on - and said he was considering voting for Unity - which was an eye-opener. He introduced me to a colleague and I sold UFC to them - or tried. I explained the coalition and he listened - he has been so anti-Unity all these years -- but he was mad at UFC over the DA disruption issues - even if they are minor. The funny thing is he hasn't been very friendly to me over the past few years and I thought it was because I left MORE but it was the opposite - he was mad at MORE. I explained there are some great new people in MORE who have changed the chemistry.

In my April 2019 piece I cited above I asked this Post-election question:

Will New Action still be alive and can some alliance between them and Solidarity plus ICEers and other non-MOREs be put together as a serious bulwark against Unity?

Given the MORE anti-working with other caucuses and dim view of the UFT election at the time, I never expected MORE to join a coalition. So win-win. The question for this election is what happens to the UFC post election? That depends on outcomes. If they win some ex bd seats the hope is they work together at UFC instead of caucus focus. Chances? 50-50.

However, who listens to me? Not THE DOENUTS BLOG -- a friend who I have consulted with through the years, despite some rocky moments - after this election I hope we use the favored method of bonding - a beer in a bar.

Here are two posts on splitting the ballot

• First a presidential endorsement - Camille Eterno For President.
•  The Endorsements (Part1: the UFC) which will be followed by Part 2 where I predict Mike Schirtzer as the leading endosement for Ex Bd at large.

I agree on Schitzer

Why I support Mike Schirtzer - only if you split the vote he's a must but please don't

I can't vote for Mike since I am doing slate, but if I did split he would get my vote as the only semi-independent on the Unity slate. Mike won with MORE in 2016 and with Unity in 2019 - I couldn't vote for him then because I am not a high school teacher -- but this time he is running for at large -- which I supported him all the way when he proposed it to Unity. Mike has been helpful to the oppo people when we needed a voice on the ex bd without offending his Unity sponsors. And when he made his pitch to Unity leaders he was open about working with both Unity and UFC. When we pushed for electronic voting Mike was there for us.

By the way -- I think Unity wanted Mike to run for HS Ex Bd because he brings some votes - the former MORE I met above was very bothered that Mike wasn't running with UFC - so he has fans. Mike told me beforehand he would not accept a position on the Unity slate if he had to run against his friends. That Unity gave him an at large is a sign of respect.

So if you do split the ballot - Mike is a must. But please don't split the ballot.

Why more splits this year? Dislike of Mulgrew and Unity fatigue but no commitment to UFC yet.

Saying that, I think this year there will be an uptick in split ballots. In the vote count the one page slate votes are counted very quickly while the booklets have to be unstapled and run through machines and can take an entire day.

But lets imagine a close election - take the high schools. There are 7 candidates for each slate. If you look at the past as I reported last night -UFT Elections: Illuminating Stats from the past - 

You will see that total high school votes out of 20k are about 5K -- 25% return. And often roughly evenly split -- separated by a few hundred votes. Skipping the abnormal 2019 votes, you can see that MORE/NA won with about 2350 in 2016 and Solidarity running non slate still got about 250 -- total oppo around 2500. Unity got under 2200.

So start with those numbers as a HS base for each group. If UFC only holds onto that base and Unity goes up, the split ballots could make a difference. UFC would have to surge -- there was a time that New Action topped 3K with Unity almost hitting that number 20 years back. Imagine if both groups rouse their base and 6 or even 7K vote? All bets are off. My ideal -- Unity gets its base and UFC surges toward 3k and wins with over 60%of the vote in the high schools. Am I predicting that? Hell no. But based on the past HS elections over decades, if UFC loses HS it will be slim while the potential to win big is out there. Unity is running a heavy campaign and Janella is popular and should have been the presidential candidate and will probably be next time.

I will do more analysis in the coming days. I may be on another podcast talking about the election and was interviewed by a reporter who is pitching the story.

-------

Just for giggles: 

In my research I came across this 2017 post from a real life fiddler: Unity Fiddles While High Schools Unrepresented - Oct. 2017.

2016 UFT Elections: Winning the High Schools - Part 1

UFT Elections 2016 Historical Analysis: Winning the High Schools, Part 2 - The 2014 MORE Retreat

 

Handicapping the 2022 UFT Election: Can United for Change Win? Part 1 - UFC Unique Coalition, Unity on the Attack, Will UFC Hold Together?

Mah nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot?  
How is this UFT Election different from all other UFT Elections? 

Tentative Ans: The UFC Unique Coalition, Unity on the Attack 

UFT Unity is in a lose lose situation. If the percentage of their vote dips below 65 percent there will be a bloodletting in Unity and if not we will have a hobbled union when contract negotiations start in earnest. ....South Bronx School, running with UFC

This year they're (Opposition) making nice, but next year they'll devolve into the same incomprehensible ideological battles on which they thrive."... NYC Educator, running with Unity.

It was perhaps the best lock in all of sports — until it wasn’t. A No. 16 seed had never defeated a No. 1 seed in March Madness until UMBC shocked the world by toppling Virginia in 2018. ... Oddsmakers

Unity Caucus is the longest running continuous autocracy in the world over the past 60 years - except maybe the Chinese Communist Party -- but I'd maintain that even they have had more internal party democracy than Unity. There are no Las Vegas odds on the UFT election - yet.

Monday, March 21, 2022

This is my 6th UFT election cycle since the 2004 election and I think I've learned a few things - or not. In the past I never expected us to win.  There was always hope we would make heavy gains as a way to build a serious opposition to Unity but have always been disappointed.

Results have been remarkably similar (I'll do a year by year breakdown as part of this series) with the 2019 three caucus oppo to Unity disaster being an exception which we mostly toss out in our analysis except for a few lessons - lessons that have driven those three caucuses to come together along with others into the United for Change COALITION -- NOT CAUCUS. This is an important point to keep in mind over my next few blogs about the UFT election.

Whither United for Change Coalition
We cannot emphasize enough: UFC is a temporary arrangement for the elections with no post-election plans at this time, though there has been some back door chatter. Of course the future of UFC to some extent depends on the election outcomes:

• Partial win: some ex bd with big gains with retirees, divisionals and functionals: 
• Partial win similar to the past: Winning HS seats.
• Total loss with no change from previous elections.
• Winning it all - In past years I'd always say Zero chances. This time I wouldn't even consider it a #16 vs 1 seed but I'd actually give some odds of possibilities if everything broke right -- a subject for a future post in this series- what would it take to win. Crucial point- UFC would be a sort of parliament with lots of points of views and no one is shy so a win would be very vibrant and in fact UFC would actually make changes that would decrease the power of a victor by reducing the winner take all policy -- and if they didn't do that much I would join the new opposition- which would be Unity - YIKES!  But there also might be food fights at Ex Bd meetings.

Every one of these options is on the table in this election.

 

What is different? UFC - a remarkable coming together of almost every voice opposing Unity (and some backroom voices allied with Unity) over the past 50 years plus a plethora of newcomers - and young newcomers, including some key people who either ran with or voted for Unity in 2019. 

• New Action
• Solidarity
• MORE
• ICE
• Retiree Advocate
• Educators of NYC
• Independents - The Uncaucus including ex-Unity supporters
  

Danger signs for Unity

Nick Bacon, elected on 2019 Unity slate, is running for UFC Ex Bd HS-- is now co-director of New Action and has been doing great work on their blog and has brought a young perspective to New Action. Some blog pieces:

• Unpacking Mulgrew’s Concession of ‘Mulgrewcare’

• Open Market is Not the Solution to Abusive Administration

• Unpacking the February DA

Daniel Alicea - who voted for Unity in 2019 and has become a glue of sort to bring all the oppo groups together. He is now co-host of the WBAI Talk Out of School with Leonie Haimson. His program Saturday had two fab interviews: A Conversation with Noah Teachey and Arlene Laverde.

While we have seen defections from the oppo to Unity, these two represent a reverse defection and have brought creds to the oppo and function as a uniting force since they don't carry old baggage.

A New MORE -- One story-- In the past month I have been working closely with a youngish MORE member who joined after I left and brings well-needed diversity to the oppo and became very active in the election around the end of petition time, one of the most remarkable people I've met. She's organized and relentless in getting even old farts like me to do stuff. If she and others like her remain active, that represents the biggest long-term threat to Unity. One day I will tell the entire story. 

 

Bonding -- Yes, there may still be some old resentments from the past but every day I see bonds being formed between people from different caucuses. If that lasts and grows ----- 

There is a delicate balance between caucuses that compete with each other for members and influence - always fragile -- and the affiliation of what I call the Uncaucused - people who do not want to be affiliated with a particular group's ideological - they find the boundaries too limitiing - but are opposed to the Unity leadership. 

 

This forces an even more delicate balance but the input of this unaffiliated group has actually kept things relatively peaceful once the stresses of choosing candidates in a balanced manner where every group felt represented  - was out of the way.... An  excruciating process where consensus was the rule turned out to give UFC the best field of candidates I've every seen plus the largest group running in decades -- around 400. And we could have had more but as the chief of petitions I begged people to stop recruiting as I had only 2 suitcases.

 

Unity Caucus leaders full well know the long-term stakes which explains their high level of push back compared to previous years. Peter at South Bronx Schools thinks their response is due to fear of losing: UFT Unity The Smell of Fear. "In the past, the opposition had won high school seats and in my opinion UFT Unity just dealt with it." 

 

This time they really want to bury the opposition and shut them out of winning anything. Imagine if they are successful and the oppo gets a significant portion of the vote and gets no ex bd or AFT/NYSUT positions. I can see going to court over dues taxastion without representation.

More control to Unity than even Putin has in Russia. Unity may invade the pockets of resistance to their rule -- oh, I forgot -- they already do that by using their district reps to get their lit on teacher boxes.

 

I believe Unity is too arrogant after 60 years of power to think it can really lose. Unity is putting up an extraordinary effort in hope of ending the UFC coalition threat and relegate the other caucuses back into the competition with each other. 2019 was a dream year for Unity and they kept the opposition completely out of the Executive Board for the first time since the 1993 election.

 

I will go deeper into the founding, the evolution of UFC and its potential in future analysis, most likely after May 10. 

I see the long-term possibilities of UFC, win or lose as more important than the election outcomes itself. Winning some seats on the Ex Bd is important but the oppo has been doing that for decades with similar outcomes. Winning a significantly larger share of support from UFT members, even it UFC loses the election, is a key to the future health of UFC and the union as a whole. Getting larger turnout would be a major move. Getting in the high thirties approaching 40% would be win.

 

Some people connected to Unity don't think there is much of a chance of UFC surviving the election:  Arthur Goldstein, who is once again running with Unity for HS Ex Bd says, "I tried working with opposition for years and it's a dead end.  This year they're making nice, but next year they'll devolve into the same incomprehensible ideological battles on which they thrive." Arthur, who I still consider an over 15 year friend despite some recent rancor, has some legit gripes against MORE from past years -- I had similar gripes but would never have been driven to run with Unity. Well, maybe I will when Unity is the opposition caucus.

I would have agreed with Arthur a year ago about future infighting. Unity has always known that the more oppo caucuses there are competing with each other, the better for their control. Having had negative experiences (I'm too libertarian in oppo groups over the years I have some to see consensus coalitions, where individual caucuses cooperate but are free to operate on their own, as a potential model for an effective opposition in the UFT.

Some people who are skeptical of the opposition and also of Unity control have told me they want a vibrant opposition that won't win in order to present a credible threat to Unity that would wake them up and make them better. I can see that point of view. If you think UFC can't win, that is one reason to vote UFC - for the health of the union. Even Unity people who hate Mulgrew are thinking that way -- close the gap and get rid of Mulgrew.

The biggest disaster the UFT would face would be a massive victory for Unity with an 80% vote and a breakup of UFC where an arrogant autocracy will continue to make bad decisions and take the membership for granted. And most of all, consolidate the power of Michael Mulgrew. To see just how bad that would be for everyone -- 

• A Halabi MUST READ: An unheeded plea to Unity to Do the right thing? and dump Mulgrew.

Jon Halabi, who was with New Action, is now independent and also works with Daniel and Nick as glue to keep the UFC coalition working together, hopefully post election.

More Halabi reads:

Saving Medicare: Why is Unity anti-Optout today?, March 20, 2022

Mulgrew on Medicare?, March 19, 2022

Yes, UFT members can defeat Unity / Mulgrew

UNITY Caucus Modus Operandi: Oppose debates and Attack Female Pres Opponents, Moms Camille Eterno and Julie Cavanagh on DA Attendance

What Really Happened at the February '22 DA with Nick Bacon, UFC Candidate for HS Ex Bd  - superb and not to be missed.

https://www.spreaker.com/user/14957478/ep-29-what-really-happened-at-the-februa

...to expect a young mother to teach a full day, tend to her infant child, and travel to meetings without fail is ridiculous at best, and misogynist at worst.... Arthur Goldstein, NYC Educator, March 24, 2013- Should Working Mothers With Sick Babies Attend the DA?

Julie Cavanagh --- I certainly do not need to defend my attendance at Delegate Assemblies. While I do attend, often, DAs are not a democratic forum. As I am sure the commenters on the ICE and MORE blogs know, and as all Unity folks know, for most chapter leaders, the first DA in October is their last. Why? Because, the room is not even large enough for all of the CLs and delegates to be seated and when you do go and sit, you listen to Mulgrew practice his stand up routine for an hour or so, after which you *might* have the chance to ask a question or bring a resolution to the floor if Mulgrew recognizes you. Regardless, it is an effort in futility because it really doesn’t matter what you say, ask or bring to the floor; the ruling Unity caucus will disagree with it or vote it down, since they control the DA. If the UFT leadership actually held Delegate Assemblies each month that were informative and provided fair and ample time for discourse and discussion, I would be there in a New York minute....

instead of relaxing while my baby takes a nap, I am writing this in response to comments on the ICE and MORE blogs attacking my commitment as a unionist and chapter leader and questioning my worthiness as a candidate for UFT President. All of this because I, and the caucus I represent, had the nerve to insist that Michael Mulgrew engage in a forum or debate with me 

UFT Presidential candidate Julie Cavanagh, March 2013

February 21, 2022

The recent attacks at the Feb. DA by Unity hacks, led by the wailing of Leroy Barr and the bullying of Mike Sill, assaulting UFC Presidential Candidate Camille Eterno over her DA attendance record reminded us that they did the same to brand new mom Julie Cavanagh when she ran against Mulgrew in 2013. Of course Camille, due to Unity acceptence of fundamental ed deform that led to closing schools based in UFT supported high stakes testing, the end of seniority and the creation of the ATR pool, has had to shift over the past years from school to school, so attending the DA until recently was not an option, especially during the pandemic. Plus the fact that Camille's credentials were not sent in time for any of the DAs this year so she could attend in person.

Perhaps seeing the UFT under Mulgrew and Unity is a locked box, Julie went another route and became a supervisor. She is now one of the most respected (by teachers and other UFT members) principals in the city. Last week I met a teacher at her school who told me she felt blessed to find herself working for Julie.

They are not even creative enough to come up with something new. While you'll get a dry partial story on some reports from the DA you will get the full story by Nick Bacon, who was actually elected running on the Unity slate in 2019, but now in New Action and running for HS Ex Bd with UFC:

New Action – UFT Unpacking the February DA - The February DA was a farce, but not for the reasons our leadership would have you think. United for change has a problem: we haven’t been called on durin... 

And James:

ICEUFT Blog UNITY ATTACKING CAMILLE'S UNION RESUME AS THIN SHOWS THEY CAN'T EVEN DO OPPOSITION RESEARCH HONESTLY - This post is for the Unity Caucus people who have made their line of attack on Camille Eterno that she doesn't have the experience needed to lead the lar...

You can hear Camille on the Matt and Abie podcast - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5AsrTYY5hoboFYHU96Y4fI

Back to 2013 -  Sunday, March 24, 2013 NYC Educator post:

Should Working Mothers With Sick Babies Attend the DA?

There's a small ruckus on the MORE blog about whether or not UFT President Mike Mulgrew should debate his sole opponent, Julie Cavanagh. While the respondents are often more civil than the juvenile ravings that haunt the ICE blog comment section, their arguments are bizarre, to say the least. As it happens, candidate Julie Cavanagh has an infant son, and the best argument they can seem to muster against her is that she doesn't attend the DA frequently enough.

The implication that she would neglect her duties, as a result, is beyond offensive. With all due respect, Mulgrew is not a full-time teacher. It is one of his primary responsibilities to conduct the DA. Cavanagh's primary responsibility is to teach her classes. If she couldn't be bothered doing that, we might have something to discuss. Or, depending on the circumstances, we might not. But to expect a young mother to teach a full day, tend to her infant child, and travel to meetings without fail is ridiculous at best, and misogynist at worst. 

UFT members deserve to hear the ideas of those who'd presume to lead us in a free and open forum. If, in fact, Unity's ideas are so much better than those of the opposing caucus, it behooves them to demonstrate it.

The notion that the DA is remotely a substitute for free and open debate is preposterous. It is an insult to the intelligence of teachers everywhere. Anyone who contends the DA is a suitable forum for a debate between candidates is disingenuous and misleading, qualities I wouldn't seek in a chapter leader, let alone a union employee. 

and a follow-up on Mulgrew refusal to debate Julie: Saturday, March 30, 2013

Who's Afraid of Julie Cavanagh?

I think we saw at the Feb. 22 DA, nothing much has changed from this report 9 years ago - in fact the lack of democracy is worse.

James reported back in 2013

Thursday, March 21, 2013

• DA REPORT: PERSONAL ATTACKS INSTEAD OF DEBATE ON SCHOOL GOVERNANCE; UNITY VOTES NO TO UFT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DEBATE

 and here he prints Julie's response and challemge to Mulgrew to debate her.

• MORE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JULIE CAVANAGH TAKES ON HER UNITY CRITICS

Wow. While having breakfast with my husband and almost nine month old son (who is finally on the mend after more than a week of a fever ranging 102-104 every day, during the same time my best friend’s 18 month old daughter was in the hospital, who by the way is also a teacher and a single mother of two young children) I picked up my phone to see a mention on Twitter from Arthur Goldstein (teacher and chapter leader in Queens). I frankly couldn’t believe what I was reading. Usually a mention from Arthur has me in stitches, not this time.

Now instead of relaxing while my baby takes a nap, I am writing this in response to comments on the ICE and MORE blogs attacking my commitment as a unionist and chapter leader and questioning my worthiness as a candidate for UFT President. All of this because I, and the caucus I represent, had the nerve to insist that Michael Mulgrew engage in a forum or debate with me so that our members can be fully informed and engaged when it comes to their voting choices in the upcoming election.

First let me say that I do not feel I need to defend my role as a chapter leader. Nearly every UFT member in our school, signed my petition for UFT President, and many of my colleagues are actually running in this election with MORE. 

Second, I certainly do not need to defend my attendance at Delegate Assemblies. While I do attend, often, DAs are not a democratic forum. As I am sure the commenters on the ICE and MORE blogs know, and as all Unity folks know, for most chapter leaders, the first DA in October is their last. Why? Because, the room is not even large enough for all of the CLs and delegates to be seated and when you do go and sit, you listen to Mulgrew practice his stand up routine for an hour or so, after which you *might* have the chance to ask a question or bring a resolution to the floor if Mulgrew recognizes you. Regardless, it is an effort in futility because it really doesn’t matter what you say, ask or bring to the floor; the ruling Unity caucus will disagree with it or vote it down, since they control the DA. If the UFT leadership actually held Delegate Assemblies each month that were informative and provided fair and ample time for discourse and discussion, I would be there in a New York minute. As this is not the case, I attend as many delegate assemblies as I can, but sometimes other events such as a childcare issue, my son being ill or an important meeting in my community to bring a new partner into Red Hook to service children and families with disabilities will take precedence. I do not need to go to the delegate assembly to prove who I am or that I am committed to my union; I act every day in a way that highlights why I should be president of the UFT.

I am a mother and a teacher. I have been a teacher for thirteen years, and have been working with children with special needs and their families for even longer. I have stayed in the same community and school since moving to NYC in 2001, because I am committed to the process of leading school change and improvement from the school level. I became chapter leader at the request of my colleagues a few years ago and have worked hard with them, our parents, and our principal to make sure our children and our teachers have the best learning and working conditions possible. I fought for my school during the dictatorship that my union handed to the mayor, during a co-location of a charter school in my building that my union didn’t adequately help fight (which is difficult since the UFT leadership chose to co-locate its own charter), while our class sizes rise steadily and our budgets are slashed, while teacher’s choice was eliminated and insultingly reinstated to cover no more than a few boxes of pencils, while ATR’s rotate in and out of my building- some of whom have approached me on the brink of tears desperate for someone to listen to their struggle, during a time of a tidal wave of assaults on our children, our schools, and our profession. 

Throughout this time, I not only worked in my own school community, I worked with parents and union members across the city and the country to fight back. You can find links to some of my work here, but I will list a few highlights: I co-wrote/edited/produced/and narrated a film that stood up to corporate education reform, a film that has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people in every state and on every continent (except Antarctica); I have appeared on several TV and radio programs and written several articles where I have spoken out forcefully against corporate education reform and for the schools our children deserve -- and I was invited or asked in every single case to participate, so while those in Unity caucus pretend to not know who I am or what I have done (but yet "know", falsely, that I am not at DAs) apparently the national media does; I have also worked with other union members in the city and nationally -- I helped organize a conference, and attended and facilitated, in Chicago in the summer of 2011 with other teacher union members; I helped lead the solidarity efforts with Verizon workers at the end of that same summer. I have sued, with a parent and a student, Mayor Bloomberg for the right to protest school closings and co-locations on his block and successfully organized and co-led that protest. I was the only teacher petitioner in the effort to stop and overturn the appointment of Cathy Black and also recently the only teacher on record to join with parents in sounding the alarm of student and teacher data privacy issues regarding SLC/inBloom data systems (Randi Weingarten, by the way, sits on inBloom’s advisory board). I say all of this not because I think anything that I am or that I do is so special, I share this information to highlight the outlandishness of the attacks from people whose usual line is there should be no attacks on union folks because we are under attack from outside forces and therefore need ‘unity’. I also share this because these are the things the president of a union should do.

Beyond of all of this, if Unity caucus can attack me for the number of times I went to the DA (this year I believe I have been to four DAs), the number of grievances I have filed (none), the number of UFT trainings or committees I have attended (none), then I wonder why they nominated Randi Weingarten as their presidential candidate, since she never attended a DA as a chapter leader, was never a chapter leader, and therefore never filed a grievance, attended the trainings etc.  

I personally do not think any of those things are what makes someone qualified to run our union. What matters is leadership. What matters is vision. What matters is the philosophy by which one will govern and represent the membership. I believe in a union that is member led and member driven. When I, or a candidate from MORE caucus, become president of the union, you will not have to attend a DA and sit idly and listen. The DA will be yours. When we take over leadership of our union, we will organize, support and build fighting chapters at the school level with elected district representatives who are trained organizers.  When we run the union, leadership and staffers will make salaries equivalent to the teachers we represent -- there will be no extra perks, no double pensions.  When we lead our union, you will not go more than three years without a contract, at least not without organized job actions and a fight. 

When Unity’s stranglehold of the leadership of our union ends, the members will have representation that believes in solidarity with other unions and in the power of our collective action. You will have a union that educates, mobilizes, and organizes our members and the public and who organically partners with parents and young people. You will have a leadership that truly understands that our working conditions are our students' learning conditions, that a harm to one is a harm to us all, and that we must stand side by side with deep roots in the communities we serve to fight for social, racial and economic justice in our schools, in our city and across the country.

I am more than ready to share who I am with the members of the UFT and I am happy to answer their questions. In fact, that is precisely the reason I sent the email below to Michael Mulgrew. I believe a union membership with a less than 30% voter turnout needs to be engaged and exposed to open discourse and conversation between the two people who seek to represent them.

Mr. Mulgrew, I am still waiting for a response. 

My email to Mulgrew:

Sent: Mar 14, 2013 8:01 PM

Michael,

I hope this email finds you well.

While we have differences and disagreements concerning education policy and union democracy, we both are committed to our union and the children we serve. In that spirit, we should be able to engage in an open conversation during election season so we can ensure our fellow members are informed and engaged.

To this point you have ignored outreach regarding your participation in a debate or question and answer town hall with me. I would like to directly and formally ask you to participate in such an event.

I believe that our members deserve the opportunity to ask questions of their presidential candidates and I strongly believe this kind of open and honest discourse strengthens our union: an educated and engaged membership that is listened to and participates makes us stronger.

There is precedent for an event such as this between presidential candidates during election season.  As you know, Randi has participated in presidential debates in the past: one in 1999 and again in 2001.  

I am open to a debate format with a third party moderator or a town hall question and answer event with the membership. My only specific asks are that the event be filmed and/or livestreamed so that we can maximize member participation, that the date, which I am open to any, be agreed to a few days in advance, so that I can secure child care and that the date be as close to April 3rd as possible, so that we provide a fair amount of time for members during the election timeframe.

I look forward to your response.

In solidarity,
Julie Cavanagh

 

UFT Update: Unity Slogan #wedothework- badly - #WePutYouOnHoldWhenYouCall

Unity did the work of ed deformer anti-unionists and corporate Democrats and Republicans by supporting:

• NCLB and Race to the Top
• Charter schools
• Closing down public schools and destroying most of the large comprehensive HS
• High stakes testing that cost millions
• End seniority transfersCommon core -- remember punch Mike Mulgrew?

UFT President Mulgrew Says He'll Punch Common Core ...

Jul 17, 2019 — Michael Mulgrew United Federation of Teachers (New York) President says he'll punch common core opponents in the face: ...

Unity is out there with the self-mocking faux #wedothework. I reported on the Salesforce CCC - Clueless Call Center.

• UFT Outsourcing to Salesforce Update - Workers sue...
• UFT Staffer - The face of the UFT is Salesforce - ...

A United for Change crew came up with apt variations.

#wedothework

• … of keeping rank-and-file members in the dark until AFTER we make decisions that will affect them

• …of rigging the rules to box out members of other caucuses (someone who knows the specifics of rules they’ve changed to their benefit can flush this out)

• … of hiring from within with non-transparent hiring practices so that only we can do the paid union work

• … of obstructing rank-and-file members’ voices from being heard

• … of assuring the mayor and chancellor that the UFT members will obey orders #lockstep

• … of messing with our retirees’ healthcare

#wedothework of

• privatizing retiree healthcare
• failing to win smaller class sizes
• failing to give in-school covid tests to more than a handful of students
• failing to protect teachers from administrative harassment
• shutting out the opposition at the DA
• appoint, not elect, district reps

We do the work of...

• pretending we're doing the work.
• handing out givebacks.
• rolling over and playing dead while John King & NYSED demoralize us with Danielson APPR ratings.
• selling off retiree healthcare to for-profit insurance companies.
• lobbying against universal healthcare.
• letting new teachers be tortured with four years of probation.
• negotiating wage increases that don't keep pace with inflation.
• ignoring our membership.
• letting teachers work in unsafe, Covid-filled buildings.
• saying, "What can we do? We're not the employer."
• getting rid of seniority school transfers.
• providing patronage jobs to Mulgrew's sycophants.
• firing UFT phone staffers and replacing them with Salesforce™ call-center-script-readers.
• quashing debate at Delegate Assemblies.
• supporting mayoral control (and saying that we don't).
• hiring lawyers and consultants who have never stepped foot in a public school classroom.
• doing whatever Marty Scheinman tells us.
• bending over and getting fucked by every politician who says they'll give us "a seat at the table."
• telling you that everything Mulgrew does (including bending over and...) is the greatest victory ever.

 

UFT Unity Joins Keep Schools Open at any cost brigade, Unity Controlled Election Committee says NYET to election modifications in face of raging pandemic

UPDATE - Breakthrough infections in NY up 7-fold., “Exclusive: Biden sending medical teams to six states to help hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19,” including NY.  --- Tell UFT leadership

• I've never seen anything spread as fast  -- it's approaching Measles--- epidemiologist on Omicron 

• Ask UFT officials about horrendous conditions in the schools and you get a shrug and a "what can we do?"
  

• What struck me at the election committee meeting was not just the hard position on petitioning, but the sense of callous disregard for UFT members and children's health and safety ... UFT election committee member.   

• I'd see the entire city of Newark unemployed before I allowed one single teacher's aide to die needlessly... John Abeigon, Newark Teacher Union president 

• President Michael Mulgrew spent much of the Town Hall telling you how wonderful you are for risking your health in a pandemic to come to work...ICE blog

The latter point is hysterical given the outcome of Tuesday's UFT election committee meeting where Unity members acted like the pandemic was over.

 

I was at a surreal zoom meeting of the UFT election committee Tuesday where the 5 United for Change reps were outgunned by the 8 Unity, all on the full-time UFT payroll on the UFT clock, plus a UFT lawyer. The UFC whose teachers actually spend their days in classrooms, called for emergency changes in the one month UFT election petition campaign beginning next Wednesday, lasting a month, in the teeth of a massive virus outbreak in NYC schools which has caused enormous disruption to normal school activities.When the lawyer cited constitutional issues with all our requests, I asked where in the constitution does it say the caucus in power gets 8 reps and everyone else gets 5.

Just in the past two days, at least two key members of UFC tested positive with one dealing with more than mild symptoms. And the young son of another tested postive today. Until a few weeks ago I didn't know many people who had Covid at the same time. Now it seems everyone working in schools are being exposed. Maybe it's ok over the long run to give us herd immunity. But people have been asking for a few weeks of zoom to let this pass. And we asked for the same thing.

I thought I was at a Trump rally where the Keep Schools Open at all costs campaign was in full force.  Ya know Omicron is mild -- mild means you don't end up in the hospital.

The Unity line lines up perfectly with the lies being told about infection numbers by de Blasio.  UFT/Unity also buried the stories about the poor filters used in schools by the corrupt de Blasio admin by giving a sweetheart contract to one of his campaign buddies. Or that teachers are spending their own money for masks and testing kits. Or that students are walking out: HUNDREDS WALK OUT AT BROOKLYN TECH.

A Unity hack twitter account liked and reported an attack on these students that claimed radical teachers were behind it. You know, students at Tech are not smart enough to figure out the school was unsafe on their own. I know non-radical teachers at Tech and they say there are rampant infections. There is even a parent who is a major commentator on YouTube whose daughter goes there and she mocks the education she's been getting the past week. Lots of auditorium time.

The Unity election 8 (mostly district and special reps) acted ho-hum. Like nothing has changed since the Dec. 5 first meeting, despite the massive Omicron outbreak in the schools.

I wrote about the first election committee meeting in early December: 

• UFT Exec Bd Vote Opposing Electronic Voting: Mike ...

At that time, Omicron was still a blip and the one month petitioning and election schedule seemed workable. The UFC people even supported the Unity resolution to get only wet signatures -- no electronic signing. What we fought about was over electronic voting in the election itself. I posted about that issue when it came up on the Ex Bd where I believe only two members voted against.

• UFT Election Committee Meets, Petition Dates Set, ...

The reactions of the election committee are almost funny when you consider that all UFT courses for retirees were announced as going on line. And all Retiree chapter meetings are online for the entire school year. But asking people to race around schools in their spare time to gather signatures is fine.

 

There was a lightness of being in the zoom - a total sense of no urgency. Like if you get sick fine. Like long covid doesn't exist. And reports of childhood diabetes. Or that Omicron is one of most infectious ever -- it may be milder for short covid but the increased numbers put enormous pressure on hospitals.

I raised the point that the numbers before December were not worrisome as  every teacher is vaxed but the sudden rise in numbers of vaxed teachers infected in such a short time is astounding. Vax won't stop you from getting it but will mitigate - however greater numbers will be getting it.

NYC Elementary school teacher with children of her own

This was a special meeting called in response to a request by UFC/New Action rep Michael Shulman who raised a number of points and requests based on the vision of asking teachers to go around schools gathering signatures in the midst of the worst outbreak we've yet seen with hopes that a few weeks will lead to safer conditions:

• Waive petitioning for this election.
• Add two weeks to petitioning time and move the election back two weeks.
• Allow electronic signatures.
• Reopen the issue of electronic balloting in the face of the pandemic

The Unity 8 rejected every suggestion. I wasn't surprised at their rejection but was astounded at the arguments they were making which seemed so similar to Donald Trump in the initial stages and President Biden today. But then again, the UFT leadership is Democratic Party central and lines up perfectly with them.

 

Arguments against? Infections are down from last week. Message - it's over. My head hurts from smacking myself. They were proud when a UFT nurse at NYU joined in the pooh poohing. Ya know, like hospitals seem fine. Probably we're hearing fake news about cancellations of elective surgery.

Like there's no way teachers are getting sick -- 

 

Two key UFC candidates tested positive on Monday are home sick with some serious issues. The message -- get out of bed next week and go petition.

 

Every one of these Unity people are either full-time UFT employees who are actually getting paid to attend the meeting and at most spend a period a day in a school. Unity will be holding a big petition signing event at Fashion Industries HS on January 19 after the DA. Someone should go picket the event.

Here are some more voices from classrooms being ignored by the Unity/UFT leadership.

NYC UFT Member twitter thread:

• Well. Thanks to the NYC Mayor and DOE I contracted COVID on my first day back at work after being exposed to multiple students who were positive. Here is a/thread about my experience /1
• I’m an itinerant related service provider for the DOE and am routinely in 3 or 4 schools per week. I worked on Monday servicing students in grades K-3 in my elementary school. Testers were there in the morning. /2
• I was unable to get tested because I was “not on the list.” Tuesday night I was informed via school-wide email of positive cases. I was not alerted as being a close contact. However, when I returned to school Wednesday, several of my students were absent so you do the math. /3
• I alerted my supervisors for my itinerant position. They told me that as long as my home rapids were negative and I was symptom free, I should go about “business as usual” and travel to my other schools as scheduled. /4
• So I went for a pcr test and also did home rapid tests Wednesday, Thursday, 2x on Friday (because symptoms started that night), and Saturday. All my home rapids were negative. However, Saturday night I received my PCR results and, lo and behold, they were positive. /5
• As a result of these failed policies by the DOE, numerous students and staff in MULTIPLE schools were exposed to me. I am 100% certain I was infectious despite negative rapids b/c my husband and two children - who are under 5 and therefore cannot be vaxxed - all have symptoms. /6
• This illustrates yet another hole in the system. My daughter is in 3k. There is NO DOE testing protocol for 3k and prek kids. They are among the MOST vulnerable as they cannot be vaccinated. Some also have difficulties wearing masks. /7
• Hospitalizations for unvaccinated kids are on the rise. Also, my mother and MIL - who care for my infant son - were both exposed through me. They are both over 65. Our nanny was also exposed and she has underlying health concerns /8
• Q: How many of students, educators, and our loved ones have to get sick and die before the DOE does it job and implements REAL policies that protect us? A: all of us. They don’t care. /9       

 

 

 

Mulgrew is holding a town hall. Get your bingo card.