Showing posts with label UFT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UFT. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

A week late - First UFT Exec Bd Meeting Echos Labor Day Parade Lovefest - UFT Endorses Candidate Supporting Retirees on Healthcare



Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023

I'm reporting on last week's ex bd (Sept. 11) and other events around that weekend. 

I didn't go to yesterday's meeting because my wife offered me a better meal. But given my reporting on UAW and other strikes

here is Nick@NAC reporting on the Sept. 18 meeting re UAW:

There was a resolution on the UAW Strike. I didn’t speak on it, as I of course support my fellow unionists and had already spoken enough. But, there was a certain irony to voting to endorse another union’s strike for 40% wage increases over 4 years when Unity Caucus spoke out against gaining our own right to strike, and later mercilessly heckled opposition members for suggesting we ourselves should be strike ready. The DC37 pattern that UFT conceded to without a fight, remember was just 16.37% over 5.5 years. To put this in perspective UAW was offered 21% initially over 4 years – that’s more than we got in our final deal. We heckled our own members for asking for a strike over a smaller wage increase than the offer UAW is rightly striking over. I support the UAW, and also support the UFT being able to strike. UFT leadership supports the UAW, but not our own right to strike. The contradiction should speak for itself.
Nick's full report is here.

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

How UFT/Unity is More Management than Union as it Succeeds in Changing NO to YES on OT/PT Contract Vote

When we lose we re-do... Unity Caucus mantra

The evidence keeps mounting. The UFT is more an agent of the employer than a union. Ie - See healthcare
A major difference between the UFT 60s-early 70s and now? The leadership and staff were battle hardened strike vets while the current crew have spent their time managing the membership to tamp down militancy. The role of the Unity machine is to manage the membership and lower expectations, not to defend their interests. The story of the re-vote on the OT/PT contract is a perfect example.
...since collectively bargaining away our healthcare is so important to UFT leadership, there’s a certain irony to AAA certification of the OT/PT revote...Nick@NAC
Wednesday, Sept. 6

There were cheering crowds by Unity Caucus hacks in Mudville, as the mighty OT/PT chapter was struck out - for now, a Pyrrhic victory for Unity which will come back to bite them. The lesson for critics of Unity is to mock and boycott the bogus negotiating committees with their cone of silence in the future as the sham they am, and question the entire voting process on contracts and even on UFT elections. There will be much more scrutiny of ballots in the future - observers should camp out at the AAA offices.

When our UFT President communicated to membership that he wouldn’t be able to do the job of collectively ‘re-bargaining’ in a timely manner, Unity orchestrated a divisive and undemocratic re-vote campaign to avoid going back to the negotiating table...Nick@NAC
UFT Organizing Model

High school teachers have voted against Unity for most of the past 4 decades, yet are saddled with the Unity HS VP since the 1990s and might start calling for going back to the old pre-1960 days of the militant High School Teachers Association, which with the recent death of a UFT founder George Altomare, reminds us of his role in bringing HSTA into the UFT fold through a merger in 1960. There would be  no UFT if not for that merger. The history is interesting. Altomare was forced to retire when Shulman defeated him for HSVP in 1985, a cataclysmic event in Unity history and setting the pattern of "When we lose we re-do." (See Jonathan's dissection of the high school division.)

Highly paid 6 figure UFT staffers making double the pay of many therapists trolled and mocked the OT/PT leader and when challenged resorted to ghost twitter accounts. 

Imagine if these highly paid staffers actually spent their time defending teacher rights.

Unions and strikes are so popular right now that in every labor dispute a clear and overwhelming percentage of the American people side with workers, not the bosses. And that’s just the beginning..... Internet comment

But our leaders live in the UFT/Unity universe, so the summer/fall of strikes is a myth to them.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Regressive and Passive UFT Pales Behind Aggressive and Progressive Unions: Is it the Leadership or Membership?

It's the UFT/Unity Leadership, stupid.

This is basic premise of this post and was stimulated by attending the SAG/AFTRA/AWG picket line with thousands from a variety of unions that make the UFT/Unity leadership look like ghosts.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

In the midst of thousands from active unions, seeing the sparse turnout from the UFT - they looked mostly like staffers - got me to thinking, a very dangerous thing.
The sense of militancy on that picket line was inspiring.
I started thinking of the strike fever around the nation and the contracts being won and realize there's no way our UFT leadership wanted our rank and file to witness this strike militancy.
I heard a UAW worker on a podcast recently talking about how demoralized workers were under the old leadership which bargained away their rights -- asking them to vote for bad contracts and how the new leadership has invigorated the rank and file.

United Auto Workers members voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike for their 150,000 members. If the CEOs of the Big Three auto companies―Ford, GM, and Stellantis―don’t offer fair terms, the workers will have no choice but to turn this Hot Labor Summer into a Crisp Labor Autumn.....More Perfect Union interviewed UAW workers―find out what they’re striking for, then send a message of solidarity to the CEOs of the Big Three!

The same thing in the Teamsters which voted in a new and aggressive leadership.The membership had voted down a recent contract but the leadership over ruled them. Sound familiar? Think of the overturning of the OT/PT NO vote. I wrote:

 Leadership counts:

From Detroit to Hollywood, New Union Leaders Take a Harder Line Pushed by angry members, unions representing actors, autoworkers and UPS employees are becoming increasingly assertive under new leadership.

  • New Leaders: Several prominent unions, representing groups from automobile workers to actors, are now in the hands of outspoken leaders who have taken their membership to the brink of high-stakes labor stoppages — or beyond.
  • United Auto Workers: Shawn Fain, the new U.A.W. president, has vowed to be tougher than his predecessors in contract talks with the Detroit automakers. His initial demands attach big numbers to that promise.

The UFT outspoken leader focuses on attacking our health plan, critical voices in the union, and to sell an inferior contract. 
Then I read articles about how in a little over a decade the newly elected leadership in the Chicago Teachers Union has turned what was a moribund union into the most progressive and dynamic political force in Chicago. The same with the UTLA. And then fought down nausea thinking of the 60+ year reign of our own Unity Caucus in the UFT. You know what Unity shills say to this? We still have it better. It we do it is because of the militant strikes and contracts won over 50 years ago.

LEVER WEEKLY: What’s Behind Chicago’s Great Upsurge?

 ...an insurgent socialist-led caucus, the Caucus of Rank and File Educators, had taken over the union in 2010. By 2012, the teachers’ union — then under the leadership of the late visionary Karen Lewis — had launched a strike in response to the state legislature passing a bill that curtailed teachers’ bargaining power and right to strike.

100 Days In, Brandon Johnson Is Steadily Shifting Chicago’s Political Terrain - In These Times

I followed the Chicago story since I connected with the late George Schmidt in 1999 and that union was dead in the water in 2009. Look at how things changed with the new leadership elected in 2010? In over a decade they've made up a hell of a lot of ground, and in times when teacher unions have come under massive attack.

So I make the case that only new, progressive leadership will change the UFT from a passive to an aggressive union. 

 

The big issue is whether such a nascent potential leadership currently exists like it did in LA and Chicago? So far I haven't seen anything comparable to CORE or the coalition in UTLA here in NYC with similar outreach. After all, this is a much bigger enchilada with 1800 schools. (George Schmidt used to tell me Chicago is roughly equivalent to Brooklyn -- in the 2010 election there were about 675 schools). Also neither city had a Unity-like machine or anything like a lock on the union that Unity has had. (In the 2010 Chicago election, there were 5 caucuses running and a runoff). Unity has set up an undemocratic fire wall that other unions don't have.

There will be no change in UFT leadership until there is a powerful counter-force to the Unity machine with deep outreach into the schools, especially elementary and middle schools. 

So far building such a force is a work in progress and progress has been very sketchy with too many caucuses doing their own organizing. The founding of the coalition, United for Change for last year's UFT election was a step forward. I don't believe any one caucus can win power in the UFT. So the UFC coalition is the only way forward and Unity will do anything to disrupt its progress, including divide and conquer. 

Unity may be passive when it comes to dealing with the DOE and principals but when it comes to threats to its power from opposing forces, Unity becomes a tiger.

So what's the verdict? Is the UFT leadership saddled with a membership -- New York's meekest as my late friend used to lament? 

Or is the rank and file saddled with a leadership that only shows militancy when its own members who challenge it?


Monday, August 21, 2023

Mulgrew/Weingarten/Unity Healthcare Lies and misinformation exposed by Daily News Op Ed and Marianne

The MLC has never bargained for or represented retirees, and surely not for me as a non-union City Council employee.... Gary Altman, lawyer for City Council for 38 years.

Monday, August 21, 2023

This Altman piece is a dagger Mulgrew's heart. But just like Trumpies back him no matter what the crimes, watch the Unity Caucus hacks stay on the gravy train and shill away for whatever crap Mulgrew makes up. What's coming next is an assault on working member healthcare to make up the money not being saved by screwing retirees. He will try to put working members against retirees -- it's the rich boomers, not UFT leadership that's screwing you.

Here's the quick skinny before you watch the videos. Mulgrew, Garrido are lying openly about the retiree healthcare issue and are exposed in this op ed by Gary Altman, who was a legal Council on the City Council for 38 years and goes back through the history of how the UFT testified more than once to the very opposite of what they are claiming now. Marianne reads the op ed below with emphasis. 

Mulgrew has been claiming the City Council can't pass bill 1099 which would offer retirees a choice of healthcare options.

Altman points to previous legislation to protect healthcare via City Council and not once was there a claim that it hurts collective bargaining. Somehow Mulgrew has been dragging the Taylor Law into this issue, claiming that by passing 1099 they violate the law. Utter bullshit.

Gary Altman

 Marianne reads the entire op ed.

https://youtu.be/jrl2BPZWhOk

Here's the link to the article, which is behind a paywall.


And here she exposes DC 37 Henry Garrido.

 

https://youtu.be/EFD47wGGr18

EONYC chimes in

🚨 This is not a drill. @dc37 and leadership is making their threat to the rank and file PLAIN. 🚨 Now that their BIG LIES are being dismantled concerning any amendments hurting collective bargaining, the talking points are more honest and bare in their threat to active city workers. And even as their actions are ruled illegal in court… There is another nuclear campaign afoot to scare members to act on lobbying city council members to not protect retiree choice of healthcare. Translation: They are saying if we can’t screw retirees … we will need to screw you, active city workers. And yet the choice is not binary for our city unions. It’s not force retirees into MAP or we will need to agree with the city to charge healthcare premiums on city workers. Henry, Michael, and Alan know this. They want to path of least resistance. And the one that preserves their welfare fund patronage system. There are various paths and solutions that help all workers and keep costs manageable. And QUALITY, PREMIUM-FREE.

Friday, August 11, 2023

Unity: Caucus of Knifing Membership in the Back - A parody of the Unity Caucus blog

Did you see this twisted, deceitful, ad hominem attack on the Unity website? It deserves an exposé showing what fucking liars and manipulators they are.  ... UFT retiree Sheila

It is such a mess Norm! I've been thinking a lot about your posts over the years since this all went down. Mulgrew refused to do anything for us and proposed the revote himself! The whole thing felt like begging for a plea deal .... Rank and file therapist no associated with opposition

Melissa Williams, Uncensored: "The game is rigged. It was rigged for two years. We are only now seeing the full force of the abuse of power in a union with one-party rule."

Melissa Williams, shares her experience as chapter leader for occupational and physical therapists under Michael Mulgrew's Unity - the partisan patronage caucus machine that controls UFT leadership.

Friday, August 11, 2023

Unity Caucus is the gift that just keeps giving. It has used its blog to engage in an assault of OT/PT Chapter leader Melissa Williams. Her is her eloquent response explaining the rational for resigning from a chapter that has been divided and undemined by the Unity leadership is below the parody.

The above comment from someone I've known since she was in high school and has never expressed political views on the UFT shows how their assault is backfiring.

Their recent post was exactly as Sheila characterized it: twisted, deceitful, fucking liars and manipulators.

Their attacks remind me of how the actions of Trump help energize the base of the Dems to vote against him. Sheila's reaction is an example. I predict that the Unity attacks on the opposition will have the same effect in future elections because the overwhelming majority of members either don't give a crap about them because they have not led and in fact have allowed working conditions to deteriorate. So their bombast calls for this type of parody - and is so easy to do. I may start a blog just to parody Unity. I will do a deep dive on Melissa's response soon. Note she is visiting family in Korea. I suggested she visit North Korea to get advice on bringing democracy to the One party Unity control of the UFT.

 


Unity, Caucus of Knifing OT/PT Chapter in the Back

When Unity caucus members were elected to ‘lead’ the UFT they promised to organize with an eye on the 2023 contract.

In the year that has followed the only “organizing” they’ve done is a “vote yes” campaign, with little foresight or strategy. They told people to vote yes and will turn their back on their members when the actual repercussions and consequences of the contract became apparent. Makes one wonder if these so called "leaders" were amplifying the voices of their members or driving their own Unity Caucus agenda regardless of their union members needs. 

Case in point:

60% of the OT/PT chapter voted NO on the 2023 contract, as they did in the 2018 contract, rejecting their Unity Chapter Leader's urging them to vote yes. Makes you wonder. Those who cannot lead, don't.

In the 2021 chapter election, the OT/PT voted down this misleadership and elected new leadership.

Nurses, Audiologists, and Supervisors of Nurses and Therapists demanded to be separated from the OT/PT chapter in 2018 and were promised that would be done at an Executive Board meeting in late 2018 but that was not done. They voted yes for the contract but their votes were drowned out by the no votes of the OT/PT chapter. Why were they part of the bargaining unit with the much larger OT/PT chapter in the first place and why was their request to be separated ignored then? Where was democracy for them? 

For the 2023 contract, the demands of nurses, audiologists, and supervisors of nurses and therapists found themselves still in the same bargaining unit and facing the same undemocratic process as they did in 2018. Where is the democracy and who is at fault? Clearly, those in Unity Caucus, who claim to lead but cannot do so.

In 2018, there was not a revote but a proper renegotiation of the contract with the DOE which was voted up by the OT/PT chapter in February 2019.

Yet, in 2023, the UFT leadership found an excuse not to renegotiate but instead to overturn the democratic vote of the OT/PT chapter, an unprecedented action. Where was the democracy in that?

What is the difference between 2018 and 2023? The loss of control by Unity of the chapter leadership and a two year assault on the leadership of the chapter by the Unity machine with the goal of using this revote to recapture control of the OT/PT chapter by unprecedented attacks on the current chapter leader.

Unity claims they have received over 1,500 emails from rank and file members of the OT/PT Chapter and other UFT liaisons expressing that they were sold a fake bill of goods from their chapter ‘leadership’. They claim the members of the Chapter, have asked for a revote. Unity has offered no proof other than some expressions of disgruntlement from the minority of YES voters and non-voters. Their virulent campaign will probably result in may of those who voted NO originally to refuse to honor the revote campaign by voting again, thus giving the disgruntled minority their opportunity to reverse a landslide democratic vote.

At the first sign of rough waters Mulgrew abandoned the OT/PT members and is asking them to vote again for the same contract 60% rejected just a month ago.

Seeing that their agenda was not the will of the chapter, UFT President Michael Mulgrew has thrown a tantrum and blamed chapter leader Melissa Williams, taken their renegotiation ball, and gone home by asking for a revote.

Case in point 2:

When Unity led an assault on retiree health care, with thousands of complaints from retirees being forced out of Medicare and into a privatized Medicare, first Emblem and then Aetna, Advantage plan, those pleas were not only ignored, but mocked as fake news. Yet so far a judge has supported the retirees and these nefarious plans to reduce retiree healthcare as a way to save the city money, have come to naught.

Makes one wonder – what’s more important to those in these in the leadership: the members or undermining or the interests of the leadership of our union in kowtowing to the DOE and Mayor Adams? 

Makes one wonder – is this how the leadership will handle dealing with management and the membership of our union should they be entrusted with leading it in the future? What will they do when the stakes are higher? Surely they don’t believe that it’s their way or the highway? What kind of democracy is that?

Those who can, lead.

Leadership isn’t for the fragile. 

VOTE UNITY OUT IN FUTURE ELECTIONS

 =====

See below the break for the Unity twisted, deceitful, ad hominem attack. I hope I exposed what fucking liars and  manipulators they are.

Sunday, August 6, 2023

James Eterno Recovery Fund, Sunday Night Replay of Interview James did with Daniel on WBAI, Talk out of School

Jamaica High School - James Eterno Against Closure -- Dec. 17, 2009 - 700+ Protested Against New York City's Attempt to Shut Down Jamaica High School, Queens. James Eterno, the UFT (teachers' union) Chapter Leader & member of ICE-UFT speaks to outraged crowd.


https://youtu.be/6O8ZxBRjOVU

In May of 2023, James Eterno, beloved retired educator and union activist, suffered a major stroke. James is recovering and currently needs 24-hour care.

James has been a consummate fighter for his family, his union family and the City of New York.
 
He will prevail in this latest fight!

Please help the Eternos during this challenging time. Pray for us and donate.
https://gofund.me/363527e6

Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023

The news came on a Saturday morning in early May as I was having breakfast with Arthur who had just handed me hundreds of signatures for the healthcare petition. I even told Arthur, as the phone rang with James' name, "This is James calling to bug me to have an ICE meeting." But it was Camille with the devastating news.

Thursday, July 27, 2023

NO to Promised Healthcare is Not Enough – Retired Teachers Deserve Real Leadership


 

Retiree UFT/Unity Caucus driving retirees and working members off a healthcare cliff

When the Unity Caucus RTC chapter leadership came into office, instead of organizing the chapter’s rank and file to defend their hard-won healthcare benefits, they did nothing but push on retirees an inferior, privatized plan that denies care with countless preauthorizations, a plan whose company is under federal investigation. They disseminate misleading information and sow division within the chapter by accusing those who stand in their way of bad faith and playing politics while using their positions to pursue their own political agendas at the expense of 60,000 retired UFT members. 

For the past two years the RTC leadership has failed [and in many cases refused] to put in the necessary work and listen to the calls, and often pleas, of rank and file retirees to defend their enrollment in traditional Medicare.

Instead of using chapter meetings as a way to connect and organize, members sat through endless political rants, rehashing of personal grievances, and misleading promises.  With lives hanging in the balance with uncertainty, the final in-person meeting was made completely remote.

Members were misled into believing that their chapter’s leadership was up to the task of defending their healthcare  – instead they learned that there was nothing to back up their rhetoric.

Countless retirees have stated that they believe that their chapter’s leadership misrepresented the contents of the first one Medicare Advantage plan under Emblem which they pushed as the greatest health plan ever, followed by an equal propaganda campaign under the new even greater Aetna plan in order to push a NO opt-out vote.

After losing the initial court case, the chapter leadership sent emails encouraging people to contact the  members of City Council  to get then to change a law that has protected retirees for almost 50 years.  The final straw for rank and file retirees was the sight of 5 Unity Caucus retirees on the UFT dole and tied to the leadership begging the City Council to change the law so they could keep Senior Care and not be forced into Medicare Advantage. A short time later they were standing up and defending the Aetna plan that they so derided just weeks before.

The chapter and union leadership totally failed to get the politicians to support them. Unfortunately, Clicktivism ≠ Organizing.  

So it comes as no surprise that when retirees asked about a plan to move forward to preserve traditional Medicare and Seniorcare, they learned that their leadership had none, other than to continue to push their forced enrollment into a privatized Medicare Advantage plan.

And after once gain losing in court and  hundreds upon hundreds of members reached out to their chapter leader expressing deep concerns about next steps they were met with silence. 

Members of the retired teachers chapter deserve leadership that is responsive to their concerns even when those concerns don’t align with their own political agendas. 

 

NOTE: In the spring 2024 chapter elections, vote to replace the Unity Caucus chapter officials with Retiree Advocate. And if that actually happens, expect the Unity leadership to demand a revote.

Monday, July 24, 2023

Important Support needed for OTPT For A FAIR Contract

I am working on a detailed analysis of the outrageous calls for a re-vote by people who were too busy doing their hair to vote in the first place. How about the 75% of UFT members who didn't vote in last year's election? Let's give them another shot.


Here is a way to counter the Unity manipulations:

 

 

 

 

 

From: OTPT For A FAIR Contract <otptforafaircontract@gmail.com>
Monday, July 24, 2023

 

Greetings all,


We’re writing to keep lines of communication open during this important time. It is a tumultuous time for our chapter and we hear and understand that the chaos and uncertainty surrounding the contract vote is causing division and anxiety.  


Principles of democracy, transparency and grassroots organizing have been and continue to be cornerstones of our actions. The contract vote was conducted in a democratic way following established practices, and certified by the American Arbitration Association. 1619 members of the OT/PT chapter mailed in their ballots, voting 2 to 1 against the contract (1074 to 545). Department of Elections Certification of Results UFT 2023 contract


The concept of a re-vote on the SAME contract is unprecedented, and at its core, would threaten the legitimacy and value of the democratic voting process. Such a thing has never been done in our 60+ years as a union. In fact, we couldn't find an instance of this being done in any union. We’re also concerned that a re-vote could set a dangerous precedent for our union and others - that any contract vote that has been certified might be put to a revote when some parties ask for it.  We should demand that the UFT support our chapter, do everything in their power to get us back to the table and negotiate a better deal.             

 

While the OT/PT chapter may be small, our voices, when united, are powerful! We believe that negotiations do not only happen at the bargaining table and have always advocated for folks to take action to increase awareness and support for a fair contract. Now is an important time to take action:


  1. Email the Chancellor, UFT  and Panel for Educational Policy (see email addresses below) with a message such as:

Get back to the table and negotiate a fair contract for therapists, nurses, and audiologists. 


  1. Next, encourage community members, parents and fellow UFT members to also email on our behalf with a message such as:

Get back to the table and negotiate the fair contract our DOE therapists, nurses, and audiologists deserve. Our families and school communities stand in solidarity with these vital service providers who work tirelessly with all of our students, especially our students with disabilities.


  1. Then, find your city council member’s email address here: https://www.mygovnyc.org/ and send a message asking them to do the same



UFT emails:

Michael Mulgrew - mmulgrew@uft.org; Richard Mantell - rmantell@uft.org; Carl Cambria - ccambria@uft.org; Beth Norton - bnorton@uft.org; Cynthia Bennett - cbennett@uft.org; Melissa Williams - mwilliams@uft.org; Susan Kavanagh - skavanagh@uft.org;Catherine Cirillo- ccirillo@uft.org;

Michael Herron-mherron@uft.org; Mike Sill-msill@uft.org; Brad Alter- balter@uft.org; MaryJo Ginese-mginese@uft.org; Laura Tamburo -ltamburo@uft.org; LeRoy Barr-lbarr@uft.org


City emails:

Chancellor David C. Banks- Davidcbanks@schools.nyc.gov

Mayor Eric Adams- via https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/contact-the-mayor.page


Panel for Educational Policy Members:

Aaron Bogad-Staten Island Borough President's appointee- ABogad@schools.nyc.gov; Alan Ong- aong3@schools.nyc.gov; Anita Garcia=  AGarcia141@schools.nyc.gov; Anthony “Tony” Giordano, mayoral appointee- AGiordano16@schools.nyc.gov; Chantel Cabrera-  CCabrera18@schools.nyc.gov; Dr Angela Green, Chairperson-  agreen419@gmail.com; Ephraim Zakry- EZakry@schools.nyc.gov; Geneal Chacon- GChacon@schools.nyc.gov; Gladys Ward- gward7@schools.nyc.gov; Gregory Faulkner, Vice Chairperson- gregfaulkner1@gmail.com; Jessamyn Lee- JLee235@schools.nyc.gov; Kaliris Salas-Ramirez-  ksalasramirez@schools.nyc.gov; Khari Edwards-  KEdwards43@schools.nyc.gov; Lily Chan - LChan85@schools.nyc.gov; Maisha Sapp, Contracts Committee Chair- msapp@schools.nyc.gov; Maria Kenley- MKenley@schools.nyc.gov; Marjorie Dienstag-  MDienstag@schools.nyc.gov; Michelle Joseph - MJoseph74@schools.nyc.gov; Naveed Hasan -naveed@cs.columbia.edu; Phoebe Sade-Arnold-  PSadearnold@schools.nyc.gov; Sheree Gibson, Queens Representative- sgibson11@schools.nyc.gov;Tazin Azad - tazad4@schools.nyc.gov; Thomas Sheppard, CEC Presidents Representative- TSheppard5@schools.nyc.gov


City Council Members: https://www.mygovnyc.org/ 



In solidarity,

OTs and PTs for a Fair Contract