Now Is The Time To Fight Back, Not Give In To UFT Leadership - Part 2 by Rebel Teacher

Tuesday, November 21, 2023 -  Happy Thanksgiving

ICE being in a state of flux since the illness of James Eterno, zoom-met on Sunday night and will be meeting in person during the Xmas vacation in attempts to sort things out. ICE associate (ICE doesn't have formal memberships) Rebel Teacher continues a view of the union leadership and how critical voices should deal with them. In the current state of ICE this is one opinion. Others think alliances with Unity leadership should be built. Still others believe that there is something called "Unity light" - internal critics in the belly of the beast who whisper sweet nothings about reforming the union in their ears. I know that drill. I was a target for years when Randi took over c. 1997 and fell for it. Until I didn't.

• Part 1 - Are there emerging rifts in the UFT/Unity Caucus leadership that threaten its 60 year control of the UFT? If so what is a Path Forward for Independent Community of Educators (ICE/UFT)

Ed Notes published Part 1 and I helped edit it and part 2. 

Now Is The Time To Fight Back, Not Give In To UFT Leadership - Part 2

Written by Rebel Teacher, a  Long time teacher and union organizer with the Independent Community of Educators (ICE-UFT).

 

In part 1 the author raised issues related to signs of fractures in Unity Caucus of UFT President Michael Mulgrew while they continue to either vilify the opposition or try to fracture them by picking off those they see can be seduced by being offered a faux deal of access to power and influence. He argues in part 2 not to be seduced.

A prominent UFT Unity staffer recently said:

 “One Unity tactic to control the opposition is to put them somewhere where they can feel important but have little influence.”

Beware of falling into this Unity trap.

We can’t allow Unity to have an opportunity to sell their bureaucratic values, to tame the aggressiveness of chapter leaders and other activists. They are very happy to get them behind closed doors, in the shadows and out of sight of the rank and file. We must resist giving in to the impulse and temptation of being given a seat at the table – a bait and switch seat at the table – a tiny stool at the kiddy table. 

 

Unity has proven very capable of managing the membership despite its failures in managing the union

Unity does many things wrong but gets managing membership expectations right. UFT leadership doesn’t want their borough representatives or district reps empowering members. Rather than activate the rank and file, they view such activation as a threat to their power and restrain members to keep them under control. They’ve been successful in finding opposition people they view as susceptible to their message and make them feel important. One of the hidden issues in the removal of UFT Queens Borough Representative Amy Arundell was her push to get members to be more active, which stepped on some toes.

Unity/UFT leadership prefers the status quo, a membership content with what they have, not fighting for a better union.

The ICE-UFT blog over almost 20 years has been a compendium of UFT history and has publicized militant Chapter Leaders who fought against micromanagement and won by organizing their chapters, mobilizing them with letters of no confidence, working with SLT’s and PTA’s to remove bad principals and have filed mass grievances. 

ICE has been nonsectarian, open to working with all caucuses and independents

Dissident voices opposed to Unity should be ready to work with chapter leaders, delegates, and union activists in any caucus, along with independents, to show how to build their chapter and not to wait for the UFT leaders to come and save them, because they often will not show. How often have we heard praise for Arundell as someone who has shown up and is constantly present, in contrast to the rest of the UFT bureaucracy? Maybe her hard work has embarrassed them to the extent that she had to go.

The leaders of our union need to be challenged in public forums. Many members in our chapters, our shops, need to know there is an organized resistance to the tom-foolery coming from above. They will be resentful if they see opposition forces getting too cozy with those that work against our best interests. 

 

They want us standing up to our leadership, to be more militant and to actively fight for our rights and those of our students. 

It is important to show up at public union meetings with resolutions and petitions signed by our members. Expose the Unity-two step of saying yes now while doing the exact opposite later. 

 

One example is Unity taking a false stand against privatization of our healthcare while trying to force our retirees into a managed care plan and still working behind the scenes with the Adams administration to change health care of working members. When retirees won a recent ruling to stop co-pays, UFT/Unity was silent while the Mayor is appealing. 

 

Can UFT leadership be pressured?

Our answer is not by small groups lobbying because leadership is good at obfuscation and distraction while hinting at a willingness to change but with little intention of doing anything unless there is a massive uprising from below. That has rarely happened and when it did, Unity found ways to undermine it. 

Two examples:

In 1975, with 15k layoffs looming, the rank and file rose up and demanded a strike despite knowing there would be two for one penalties - which the leadership went along with for one week and then sold it out. Layoffs still took place but the starch was taken out of the members, teaching a lesson that such activism that worked so well in building the UFT in the 60s was no longer valid. Since then the leadership has worked successfully to dampen expectations.

Another example was the ATR protest and rally at Tweed in Nov. 2008 that attracted hundreds and the leadership attempt to subvert it by holding a concurrent wine and cheese party. That was a perfect example of people in ICE working with others in organizing rank and file, mobilizing workers and educating them from the bottom and the Unity leadership undermining and subverting the efforts. 

Activists in the UFT should work with allies to inspire our members to believe a better version of the UFT is possible, one that connects with members, knows the classroom and hallways, fights for its members, and educates everyone inside the chapters to their rights and how to ensure they actually have them.

 

Without doing the above, there is a danger in focusing on closed meetings with Unity/UFT. It throws a lifeline to a group that already has power and money, but lacks mass support of its members. (Note low turnout for Unity in elections.)

 

ICE had a long history of working with partners, including parent and community groups, that were dedicated to worker’s rights and quality free public schools and supported groups opposed to charters and high stakes testing. It was members of ICE active in MORE that reached across the aisle to ask New Action to run with on a joint opposition slate which resulted in victory in the high schools in the 2016 election. And there are even some affiliated with ICE who have run with, or supported, Unity, when they thought it was the right thing to do at the time.

ICE-PAC and TJC won the high school executive board seats in the 2004 UFT election. ICE people came out every 2 weeks to support the chapter leaders James Eterno (Jamaica HS), Jeff Kaufman (Rikers) and Barbara Kaplan-Alpert (Forest Hills HS) in their regular battles with Randi Weingarten and the Unity leadership. These were among the most contentious years in resistance to Unity policy, especially in response to the disastrous 2005 contract, which ICE, along with TJC, organized a Vote-No campaign with rallies at the DA and in front of 52 Broadway that resulted in 40% voting against.

 

The problem was ICE didn't make enough use of these action as an organizing mechanism and often seemed content to engage in these battles at the top. ICE organized with various components of the UFT like the ATRs c. 2005-10, but never got deep into the schools. Let's learn the lessons of that experience. Top down engagement with leadership can give the illusion of progress, but if not accompanied by an open process that brings those battles to the schools, it is often a wasted effort. 

As stated above, Unity caucus regularly tries to either woo or undermine critical voices, with their major goal being to not only hold onto power, but to also minimize the ability of those voices to influence policy and to grow the movement. There is a cost to get Unity cooperation - hand-cuffs.

A growing New Action(NA/UFT) has learned the lessons of the past and is re-organizing as a militant caucus within UFT. Through Nick Bacon’s writing and their work on the Ex Bd, they are actively challenging the leadership and direction of our union. And they have a wide range of chapter leaders distributing their literature in the schools. They need to continue to grow by helping rank and file members run for chapter leader and delegates by offering targeted trainings for members interested in having democratic, militant chapters. Most ICE associates are very supportive of these efforts and are actively working with them.

Some of our retirees are organizing with the Retiree Advocate, which will be running in the UFT chapter elections against Unity spring 2024 on a platform of saving our healthcare, not selling out our retirees to the highest bidders.

ICE has been a space for people with divergent views who might suffer judgment for expressing those views elsewhere. ICE has been a happy place for many over its 20 years history, a place for friendships to grow, alliances to be built, and fight backs to be organized. We hope to continue the ICE tradition of fighting for a union that stands up for its members and the children we serve.

======

Part 3 is in the works.

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:

• Is UFT a union or management? Media sides with OT/PT NO voters, Upcoming Repercussions, OT/PT Chapter Leader Resigns as do some Ex Bd members. 

 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?

A Tale of Two Teachers Unions comparing influence of progressive Chicago CTU with Tepid UFT - Norm's article in The Indypendent

In contrast to Chicago and Los Angeles’s teachers unions, New York City’s United Federation of Teachers (UFT) has partnered with the Adams administration to move its retirees from Medicare, the only public health-car option, to a privatized Aetna Medicare Advantage plan. An amendment at the union’s Delegate Assembly calling for the UFT to lobby to remove New York State’s ban on public-sector strikes led union leaders to denounce the move with arguments that ranged from the ­obscure to the ridiculous. Recent headlines on an opposition blog captured the moment: “Why doesn’t UFT leadership want us to have the right to strike?”  Why have teachers unions in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York  taken such divergent paths?  What is New York City losing by having a neutered teachers union that eschews militant grassroots ­organizing in favor of insider politicking?--- Norm Scott in The Indypendent

I was asked to write an article for The Indypendent on the differences between the left wing teacher unions in Chicago and Los Angeles compared to the UFT. I didn't have the space to a deeper dive. Fundamental politics is that the left unions line up with the Berrnie Sanders wing of the Dem Party - clearly a minority vs the UFT lining up with the Dem Party center/corporate wing. What better example than the UFT leadership support for privatized Medicare Advantage and undercutting Medicare, the only publicly controlled option for healthcare? I also didn't get into the deeper reasons of a union controlled by one party for 60 years and how that helps distort the opposition forces and their ability to function. Let me also say right out, the opposition over the past 50 years has not been blameless but often tries to shunt off blame on the leadership. As part of that opposition for 5 decades I don't shun an analysis of what has not resonated with enough of the membership to topple Unity. I also didn't get into United for Change future prospects. Are teachers in Chi/LA so different from NYC or is it a combo of leadership (no Unity Caucus in those cities) and oppo failure or are there deeper issues? I will follow up.

 

https://indypendent.org/2023/05/a-tale-of-two-teachers-unions

Militant Chicago Teachers Union shows how to transform a city.

• Norm Scott May 8

On April 4, former Chicago public-school teacher and Chicago Teacher Union (CTU) organizer Brandon Johnson was elected mayor of Chicago. His opponent was Paul Vallas, former CEO of the Chicago school system and an adamant foe of the CTU who staked out tough-on-crime positions that were expected to give him a clear path to victory. The long and tangled history between Vallas and the CTU made this victory especially sweet. Vallas was the favorite of The Chicago Tribune, pro-charter school billionaires, the police union, Republicans in general and corporate Democrats, including the Obama wing of the party.

The rise of the leftist Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE), founded in 2008 and taking power in the CTU in 2010, galvanized the nation’s labor movement with a 2012 strike that embarrassed Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Obama administration shortly before the 2012 presidential election. To pull off the strike, the CTU hired organizers, including Brandon Johnson, to spread its message. Street actions, including demonstrations at banks, were part of the strategy. The union’s power and influence in Chicago have only grown.

  

I'd also recommend reading the review I co-wrote of the Shanker bio which gets into some of the issues.

Albert Shanker: Ruthless Neocon -

http://newpol.org/content/albert-shanker-ruthless-neo-con

 

 

UFT Contract Teach-Ins Raise Profile with Members and gets good ratings, Some Talk - strike prep (shhh) in schools, Report on Jan. 29 Pep Rally - and other News

Don't tell anyone, but s-t-r-i-k-e was mentioned at some chapters taking part in the UFT contract Teach-In. Taylor Law spies were monitoring and if you uttered the word you will get a two for one penalty. A NO vote on a contract doesn't mean a strike but why not scare the city and show the UFT membership is ready and willing if necessary?

Best union discussion I've heard forever...  comment on the pre-teach in PEP rally.

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2022

Over a week has passed since the UFT contract Teach-in on Jan. 30 and the previous Sunday evening Jan. 29 fabulous and historic EONYC Prep rally chaired by Daniel Alicea. Daniel is doing some amazing things with his web site on The Wire by offering a wide range of people space to publish. Support EONYC. The slides are here.

• [Ed Notes promoted both events: UFT Contract Update Yin-Yang - Jan. 29 EONYC 7PM PEP Rally, UFT Rally Monday Outside Whitney Museum - Reality Bites].

Reports coming in are that the contract Teach-in was a success, as was the PEP rally the night before with about 90 people on the zoom and another 100 or so on the FB stream and included a panel from across the spectrum of the UFT. In a number of schools salaries and health care were big items. And there was some talk about strike. And some anti-Mulgrew sentiment. But there was interest and we give the UFT kudos for engaging.

Due to Mondays being a long PD day, some schools did the teach-in later in the week, as MS 53 (Daniel's school) did. The UFT did promos - and pre-training that 900 people attended and held a noon Jan. 30 press conference in front of the Whitney Museum which got some good press coverage - and also some criticism as to the optics of using a fancy spot instead of a gritty school - there are reports that 700 Queens school held an event. Kudos to Queens UFT Borough rep Amy Arundell for pushing this plan aggressively and enthusiastically.

The great Work-Bites reporter Bob Hennelly had UFT officials on WBAI:

Bob's guests are Vice President for the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Janella Hinds, special education teacher Faiza Khalid, and UFT Borough Representative in Queens Amy Arundell on the UFT building rank and file solidarity at contract time.Listen here. (They go on at the 31:30 mark). Note- Janella Hinds of a Secretary Treasurer at MLC in addition to being VP high schools. Hennelly knows his stuff on healthcare.

In addition, UFT contract committees met in person during that week after school. It was a pretty busy week and Yes, Virginia, the oppo people have been supporting the leadership initiatives on the contract while maintaining the right to be critical.

James Eterno commented a few days before:

• UFT CONTRACT TEACH INS: CAN WE AT LEAST ALL HAVE THE SAME SET OF FACTS TO WORK FROM?

Nick Bacon had some advance advice for how the Teach-in should run:

UFT: Let’s do those contract teach-ins right today

Contract teach-ins start today. As I wrote last week, I’m in favor of the teach-ins, albeit with some modifications. I support them to the extent that they help members learn, think, and build some organizing infrastructure around our contract. I oppose them to the extent that the timing is odd (though better late than never) and the materials designed for them resemble propaganda to pre-organize members for a potentially undeserved ‘yes’ vote.  Luckily, at this point, we have some new materials. The good folks over at MORE published a much better version of the UFT’s official powerpoint. It looks to resemble the original powerpoint well enough that it could be switched out without any new planning. And, James Eterno over at ICE-UFT published an awesome article thoroughly analyzing the flaws with UFT leadership’s explanation on what we ‘do and don’t’ have power to bargain over. (Spoiler alert: we have way more power than union leadership would have us believe). I’d frankly print out that article and read it with your chapter. You might also take a look at some sample contract demands like New Action’s and share those with your chapter.

 I wonder if the leadership didn't open up a pandora's box by getting people involved while telling them about all the things they can't negotiate. James takes these apart one by one.

Unity Caucus Election Violation at IS 44M as Unity Chapter leader mistreats UFC Retiree

Here is another example of an abusive Unity Chapter leader mistreating a UFT retiree, as if MulgrewCare was not enough mistreatment of retirees by Unity Caucus. I reported on the PS 107K story:

• Dear UFT Member of PS 107K - How Did The UFC Fliers Disappear? The Chapter Leader Did it

The chapter leader of IS 44M was even more over the top, violating numerous chancellor regs and UFT election rules -- and also happens to be a prominent Unity candidate. Just a few photos of her work at the school - with Unity posters all over the place.

Given that her actions could spark on investigation over these violations we are not using her name in this report.

The report is from retiree Sheila Zukowsky of Retiree Advocate, who has been active in UFT elections for the first time -- yes, due to MulgrewCare - as she explains in the excellent podcast with Noah on his excellent PD podcasts. It is a great listen:

I was interviewed regarding my aborted attempt to flyer the IS44M building for the podcast  "Professional Development: The New York City Teacher Podcast".

This is the link if you care to listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAmcTvxDHdU&list=PLxHXlMQexW5zerKJGi0jIh8zmMX6AlJnU&index=43

 

 

 

Here is Sheila's written report which will be incorporated into the general election complaint being filed by United for Change.

 

I entered the former IS 44 M building at 100 W 77 St, Manhattan, at about 2 pm on April 14, 2022 in order to distribute informational  flyers to UFT members working in the building for the UFT election ending on May 9, 2022.

When I entered the building, I saw each of the 3 doors in the vestibule all had Unity flyers on every one, plus two in the lobby: one on a pillar, and one on the the security guard's plexiglass partition facing the public,  which was the first thing I saw when I  walked through the vestibule doors intro the lobby of the building. 

I was startled by the display of electioneering materials that were prohibited by the Chancellor's Regulations which was apparently going on with the blessing of the administrations of the 2 separate schools that occupied the building. The posting of these materials were in clear violation of Chancellor's Regulation D-130, which specifically states in Section I. B. 3. that material supporting candidates or slates may not be posted or displayed in a school building except on union bulletin boards in areas closed to students.

I told the security guard who I was and why I was there,  She called one of the two schools, which was apparently MS 245 and spoke to someone looking to receive permission for me to enter. I was told to wait and someone would see to me shortly. A woman arrived in the lobby of the school who did not introduced herself as from M245 as as having been "pulled out of class" but did not introduce herself further. I assumed I introduced myself and stated what my business at the school was. I presumed my interlocutor was the principal, an assistant principal, or someone else involved in the management of the school.

She was polite and calm but nevertheless was persistent in arguing  with me about my right to distribute election flyers at the school. She repeatedly told me that I could not be there on "Department of Education time" although I explained that according to the Chancellor's Regulation D-130 I.C.3., this prohibition was relevant to DOE personnel only, and that I was not a DOE employee. Nevertheless, she continued to make the same argument over and over, until I offered to show her the Chancellor's Regulation in question as well as other documents affirming my right to distribute literature. At that moment, she relented, which indicated to me that she had been aware all along that she knew I had the right to be there but was attempting to wear me down in the hope that I would go away.   At that moment, she consented to allow me to distribute the literate but she said she would have to "watch me" while I was doing it.

It was only in getting to the 4th floor, where the school's office was located, that I found out she was not a school administrator at all but the school's chapter leader. I found this out when I asked her if the  schools' administrators approved of the  posting UFT electioneering material in the public areas of the school, as I knew it was in violation of the Chancellor's Regs, and that the school principals were supposed to enforce this prohibition, according to D-130, Section I, B., 7.

At that moment, I realized I was not speaking to a school administrator, as she replied, "Well, if you had been paying attention, you would have noticed my picture on the flyer since I am a chapter leader in this building".

When we got to the office where the mailboxes were located, she stood there, in the tiny office, watching me as I placed flyers in 3 mailboxes. Then she announced that she had to be at an assembly in 10 minutes, and insisted that I leave and give the flyers to the school secretary, who was sitting nearby, for distribution. 

Therefore the Chapter Leader again committed a violation of the Chancellor's Regs by asking the secretary to distribute the literature during Department of Education time, which, as a DOE employee, she was prohibited from doing.   

When I asked the secretary if that was ok, she just shrugged. It seemed to me that the secretary did not know or did not want to admit to me whether or not she should be taking orders from the Chapter Leader, especially orders which would have her violate the Chancellor's Regulations.

In all, I feel that during the episode described above, the following Chancellor's Regs in D-130, Section I, B were violated by the Chapter Leader and indeed, the school's principal:

1. The use of any Department of Education school during school/business hours by any person, group, organization, committee, etc., on behalf of, or for the benefit of any elected official, candidate, candidates, slate of candidates or political organization/committee is prohibited.

3.  No material supporting any candidate, candidates, slate of candidates or political organization/committee may be distributed, posted, or displayed in any school building except as noted in Section I.B.4 below:

 

4. Staff mailboxes and union bulletin boards in schools and district and central headquarters offices are to be used for the following purposes only:

(2) by the union for the dissemination of union-related materials. Toward that end, the union may:

a. Place materials advocating the election of a candidate, candidates, slate of candidates or political organization/committee in staff mailboxes.

b. Post materials advocating the election of a candidate, candidates, slate of candidates or political organization/committee on union bulletin boards located in areas closed to students.

7. The principal is responsible for ensuring that unauthorized material is not posted, distributed or displayed.

I would like this violation to be corrected.

Thank you,

Sheila Zukowsky

UFT Retiree Advocate Caucus

 

Eleven Reasons To Vote Out Unity - Why Only 11? - UPDATED April 15, 2022

April 14 update - Let me add the "Tenure binder" bullshit - I met a teacher whose binder was due today - busywork for teachers with not a word out of UFT/Unity which has allowed indignity after indignity to be loaded onto the backs of teachers.

Oh - and every secretary I speak to as I distribute lit says how awful it is for them compared to the days of yore -- UFC should have paid more attention to one of the most important people that keep schools running.

TEN - er- Eleven Reasons To Vote Out Unity

During the reign of Unity, the following changes were implemented...and not for the betterment of teachers.

 

1. Chapter leaders lost the right to elect district reps in 2003

 

In June 2003 the UFT Executive Board changed the District Representative position, an elected position for 34 years, to an appointed position. They had the right to do this since there is no mention of District Reps in the UFT constitution. Only chapter leaders voted in these elections and there were restrictions on who could run to current and former chapter leaders. Each school got a weighted vote based on size of school. And you needed 5 signatures of current chapter leaders on a petition to get on the ballot. During those 34 years every district rep was in Unity Caucus - except for one - the Manhattan HS rep from 1990-2000 and his replacement from 2000-2003 when elections were eliminated, mainly because of his election. UFC would institute an electoral system for District Reps in some form, including the possibility of  general election of all UFT members in the district based on open discussions with the membership even if Unity reps run and win.

 

 

2. Teachers lost the right to seniority transfers in the 2005 contract.

 

Seniority transfers allowed teachers who had accumulated many years of seniority to request a transfer to another school if there was a vacancy in the same license area. One had to choose three possible schools and could be assigned to any of they.  If they rejected the choice offered they were not allowed to reapply for two years. Most principals abhorred these transfers and often were able to hide vacancies.  I think the number allowed each year was limited. Their current principal could not stop the transfer and neither could the incoming principal. For many senior teachers who wanted to get out of their school or just wanted a school closer to home this was a rare opportunity to choose a school without, a very different system from open market, where senior teachers are at a disadvantage. Would UFC consider trying to reinstate these transfers? The DOE would resist this very strongly and UFC would have to make a strong case but also decide how high on the list of contract priorities this issue would be. Ending fair student funding which would remove the senior teacher salary stigma might be a more fruitful endeavor but finding a way to offer those who had put a great amount of time into the system an opportunity for a sort of Get Out of Jail Card would have beneficial effects. Another factor to consider is the open market system which allows teachers to transfer without needing principal permission.* - see below for an objection to seniority transfers and a response.

 

3. Third in the series of compelling reasons to vote out Unity: 

During the reign of Unity teachers lost the right to placement through seniority when excessed or when their school closed. After the 2005 contract they were forced into an ATR pool with no home school. This was a major loss that allowed Bloomberg to close a massive number of schools and throw staff into an ATR pool. Previously, the entire system based on licenses ran by seniority. If you were excessed you were automatically placed in a school and were able to bump less senior people. This was an important support mechanism in case of layoffs or schools being closed down. Once the need to place all the teachers in a school being closed was removed, it was “Katy Bar the Door.” The creation of the nomad ATR pool of mostly senior teachers has been one of the tragedies of Unity Caucus leadership. Bloomberg closed 150 schools and there was little Unity resistance until he closed a massive number in 2009. The UFT went to court and managed to salvage a few.

3a - supplemental --The impact of Bill Gates money on the closing of most big, comprehensive high schools in NY, especially in the Bronx and wide areas of Brooklyn, including almost all vocational schools. Instead of fighting the Gates plans - which he admitted years later to have failed, the Unity/UFT/AFT wildly welcomed and cheered Gates at the 2010 AFT convention in Seattle and hooted at the people who walked out in protest.

 

SEE - Bill Gates Controversial speech to AFT Convention - Substance.

I taped the walkout and the booing by Unity - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Ezri0pVOg

 

Also see Mulgrew punch in the face video if you take his common core:

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2014/08/aft14-convention-video-common-core.html  

And a follow-up at the Dec 2015 Del Ass where Mulgrew brags about stopping common core -- https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2015/12/mulgrew-punches-himself-in-face-as-he.html

 

4,5 - Teachers lost the right to file Step 2 grievances and to grieve letters in the file.

Also a 2005 contract loss. Teachers lost the right to grieve letters in files.

Principals don't have to face the music of a grievance when they put bogus letters in the file. The Unity Caucus just handed this over without a fight. 

6. Teachers lost 1.25 percentage points from 8.25 to 7% on their TDA accounts while supervisors in the CSA maintained the old rate. For every 100K in your account that is a difference of $1025 per year, compounded. Another way to look at it: At 8.25 you double your money in 8.74 years. At 7% it takes 10.24 years to double your money. What did you get for this major economic loss? I forget if it was a few extra days for the February break or the two days after Labor Day, not something you can spend in your golden years.

 

7. Teachers lost the right to traditional Medicare in retirement without paying an exorbitant fee for the same services they were receiving for free until a judge temporarily ruled in their favor. The deal to move retirees from a low-cost publicly managed system to a privatized profit making system was negotiated by Mulgrew

in a deal between the city and Central Labor Council where Mulgew is VP with the largest union and where he plays a major role. Mulgrew's stated goal was to save the city $600 million due to the fact the 2014 UFT contract used up $600 in the reserve stabilization fund due to Mulgrew's agreement to use that money to pay for teacher retroactive pay. 

Unity people who are brainwashed don't see the obvious outcome of moving people from a publicly managed to a private, profit making, high admin cost, high salaried exex, massive advertising campaigns (you don't see Joe Namath advertising Medicare). How does Aetna, etc make money? By denial of care and upcoding our conditions to ravage public money and undermine Medicare so they can get the whole ball of wax eventually. They play long-term, Unity plays the next 10 minutes.

 

8. Teachers keep losing ground in the pension system as succeeding tiers up to Tier 6 make things worse and worse for succeeding generations of teachers where the prospects of reaching retirement increasingly fade away.

 

9. Mulgrew gave unqualified support for the current evaluation system based on a faulty Danielson rubric that unfairly holds teacher ratings hostage to principals' ability to use observations as political punishment. Mulgrew also supported common core, high stakes testing and holding teachers accountable for student test scores, in addition to arguing that 4 observations were better than 2.

10. Untenured teachers' situation has seriously deteriorated, going from 3 to 4 years with the added power of principals to force teachers to sign extensions for a 5th and even 6th and 7th years or be fired. Teachers have to fill out an enormous amount of paperwork, much of it of no use - busy work. Mulgrew has accepted these changes as principals and superintendents use tenure extensions as a political football to demonstrate how "tough" they are. Add the lack of rights and union protections for the untenured, including the often unfair dreaded D -for discontinuance, often  career ending.

11. Tears for Tiers -- 60 Years of power, 6 pension tiers. One addition per decade.

There are more reasons to consider...but consider this...Mulgrew is being paid $336,452 annually. He makes more that Kathy Hochul. ( She makes $225,000). So, in reality we pay more to Mike to not represent our best interests. 

 

So vote United for Change. You can't afford not to!

Resource:

Change in DR voting:

https://newaction.org/2014/05/07/uft-executive-board-resolution-election-of-district-representatives/?fbclid=IwAR3WBaeIiNn1AGAvDPUGyGBHOfjIy7ZDQn_T0ofpVqFLIixYcwixQuFJyts

 * Seniority transfers - the bad teacher myth

I received this from a teacher who has a friend who pushed back on seniority transfers and her ambivalence about seniority and merit demonstrates how deep the ed deform anti- seniority myth of the bad teacher has infiltrated our ranks.

He believes that seniority transfers aren’t a good thing because schools could easily get stuck with ineffective teachers if based on seniority alone when someone else would be much more qualified. He said, shouldn’t principals be able to make choices for their own schools?,  I said well I think there should be a balance of power and principals now have all the power to hire people for all kinds of equally invalid reasons, eg less senior teachers are cheaper, or they want to hire someone for personal or political favors rewards for compliance to toxic leadership etc and do you think the ATR pool is a good thing  Did I miss anything  because in one sense he does have a point that seniority alone  may not the ideal sole deciding factor.  I’m not sure  know ideally how to balance other than maybe giving priority to senior people while still allowing for other merit-based criteria and maybe through an SLT process. 

I defend seniority over merit as the only system that really works even if we have some clinkers. We have seen how abusive principals can be even to tenured teachers. And merit is in the eye of the beholder. My defense of seniority as the only fair system even when a few bad eggs slip by because the principal judgement is too flimsy. If we elected principals I would have trust.

I responded:

He has a point if you take the principal side of things. What is the reality we faced? The overwhelming majority of seniority transfers were competent teachers with maybe a stinker thrown in here or there.

But that's like saying don't ever cross the street because someone got hit by a car or fly because some plane once crashed.

His view is all too typical of the attempt to brand the so-called "bad' teacher as the problem with our schools.

I saw teachers I'd rate from 1-10 on scales of competence. Most were 5-8. The 1s couldn't last anywhere.

So what he's doing is taking the CSA point of  view -- like principals have no way to get rid of a bad teacher?

But I forgot to include that there was a limit to seniority transfers in terms of numbers a year. Maybe 600?

I do not believe principals own the schools and teachers should have a right to be part of the process of whom they will be working with.

Also - the open market system was put in its place which is good for many people.

The old system - if you wanted a transfer -- non seniority etc - the principal had to give permission.

Principals used pass the lemons -- get rid of a teacher you don't like -- you see to them a  lemon coudl be a great teacher but one that speaks up and criticizes -- they want mice.

UFT Pres. Candidate Camille Eterno with Daniel Alicea: WBAI Saturday, 1 PM; Halabi calls for Unity to Replace Mulgrew, Election petition return day

The UFT’s leadership has an opportunity to make the union stronger. Will they do the right thing?... Over the course of the pandemic members of our union have seen our union leadership in different situations and different ways than before the pandemic. Policies affected us directly, in what were truly life and death situations. Members who never paid attention paid attention. And now that members were paying attention, what did they see?..... Jonathan Halabi

This is a wonderful explanation of how teachers were thrown under the bus. All other city workers union stood up for their workers for as long as they could. Mulgrew said he didn’t try because he knew he not win, so why did we vote for you. Try, try and you may succeed. I am sick of this mess, teachers are left to fend for themselves. Kudos to you. double thumbs up.... Comment on New Action blog. Dear Michael Mulgrew, We’re Overworked!

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL

Why You Should Vote for Camille Eterno - This is not going to be a wordy post. Just want to get right to the point. I could go on an on about how Camille Eterno will be there for the members of ...

There's a lot of anti-Mulgrew talk out there. Jonathan Halabi touches on a crucial issue -- the activation of people in the UFT who had never been active before.

A high school teacher who has not been active in UFT politics but is running with us for AFT delegate, at one of the biggest high schools in the city sent this:

I've been reaching out to everyone I know in the elementary schools since that seems to be where we need most support. Spoke to 4 elementary school teachers at 4 different schools. All friends of mine. At least 2 of them indicated they were already supporting UFC. I encouraged them to spread the word at their schools. The other two seemed to lean UFC as well - UNITED FOR CHANGE - UFT: HOME - 

• Get UFC Swag
  

These are the kind of rumblings I haven't seen before. I went to a petition signing party at a home on Long Island last Sunday expecting to find 5 people. Instead there were 25, mostly from Queens elementary schools happily signing 400 petitions. This is an area rarely penetrated by the opposition and an indication of a shift of sorts. One woman in her 50s was so excited and said she ordered a UFT sweatshirt which she will wear around her school.

The day before MORE held a signing event at a bar in lower Manhattan for 70 people. I tried to imagine a merging of the Sat MORE event with the Sunday Long Island event and my head began to swim. Yet here we are -- two signing parties with such a contrast but for the same candidates. I couldn't have imagined that happening even 6 months ago.

Hear the alternative to Mulgrew, Camille Eterno: From Daniel-

Join me, Sat 2/12 at 1pm on @WBAI 99.5 FM  as I chat with @NYCSchools educator & parent, Camille Eterno about the state our our city schools and her run for president of @UFT. We will discuss smaller class size, mayoral control, health & safety, evaluations, ATRS, more!--

Jonathan Halabi wrote a scathing blog obliterating Mulgrew on his record. His call for Unity to replace hm at the top of the ticket for the benefit of the union. In fact if Unity were to replace Mulgrew, their odds of doing better in the election go up.

While the internal leaks of unhappiness with Mulgrew inside Unity stopped once the UFC coalition was announced. reports come filtering in of hidden Unity support for UFC and backroom offers to assist. I won't believe that until I see it. 

Those are signs of Mulgrew lack of popularity internally. Jonathan Halabi blogged about just how bad Mulgrew is and asks:

JD2718

The UFT’s leadership has an opportunity to make the union stronger. Will they Do the right thing?

He is asking Unity to replace Mulgrew at the top of the ticket to save the union. I guess from the perspective of hoping UFC will win, the worst thing that can happen is Mulgrew not running. But not to worry - Unity has no mechanism to make Jonathan's wish come through. Unity is a pseudo feudalistic system which requires Shakespearian-driven solutions. Mulgrew will be running for president against Camille Eterno. The choice can be no clearer. But if you are in doubt, go read Halabi filet Mulgrew under the following headings of transgressions:

• Policy, Pandemic, Conciliation
• Running Meetings Poorly, and Being Obnoxious About It
• Endorsements
• In the Field

And the deepest cut of all, Medicare Advantage / Mulgrewcare.

Retiree votes make up 40-50% of those who vote in UFT elections. I would say the major threat to Mulgrew and Unity is the potential loss of enough of those votes to cause real damage to Unity.

 

Go read through them and think of whether you want Mulgrew as president for the next 3 years. https://jd2718.org/2022/02/10/do-the-right-thing/

 

Jonathan, who is running for HS VP on the slate but is urging Unity to do the right thing to save the union even if it allows Unity to stay in power.

He says:

...while I do not support the reelection of this leadership, it is still OUR union. I am fiercely proud of our union. I want it stronger, better.

So United for Change has a better (still slim) chance in the election because Michael Mulgrew is at the top of the Unity ticket.

But the UFT is weaker, has less support from members, with all the negative attention Michael Mulgrew has garnered. We all suffer with him in the lead.

We (United for Change) cannot do the right thing here. It has to be Unity. Make our union better. Shore up support from members whose confidence in the union has been shaken through the pandemic. Even though it hurts my election chances, I am asking, pleading with Unity, do the right thing. Remove Mulgrew. Replace him with someone, anyone. Promote him to some position where members don’t see him.

Because in the end, no matter who wins, we all lose if members are turned against our union, against the UFT.

I'm not sure we don't all lose if Unity wins without Mulgrew. The Unity machine has been in charge since the UFT's inception over 60 years ago and that is the problem. Mulgrew being pulled would only lead to another leader who would distract us. I saw that happen when Randi was becoming unpopular and Mulgrew took over. "A breath of fresh air" proclaimed an opposition supporter who quickly jumped on the Mulgrew bandwagon and is now a full time UFT employee. Other Randi haters came on board too. 

 

Mulgrew may be toxic and often inept but so is the Unity machine where loyalty is prized over competence. Besides, there is no mechanism inside Unity where a coup could take place.

 

And who is on that Unity bench to be taken seriously as a UFT leader? I used to think it might be Evelyn de Jesus but Randi snatched her away for AFT Executive Director and potential heir apparent.

In many ways this all a fantasy and Jonathan knows that and is making a point about just how bad Mulgrew is. 

This past Wednesday, Unity met to sanctify its slate. There are supposedly petitions with Mulgrew's name as president that are due next Friday, though no teacher has actually seen these petitions in schools. I think the UFC election committee, of which I am a member, should ask to see these petitions. 

But if the opposition wins high schools and challenges in middle schools and makes a big leap in elementary schools and oppo retiree vote climbs to around 40%, I would bet Jonathan will get his wish before the next election. Which is why even if you are Unity and don't like Mulgrew you should vote UNITED FOR CHANGE.

And here's a little secret - many Unity people are actually saying they will, some even offering to campaign for us in their schools. 

I'm still in middle of the petition campaign for UFC, along with Jonathan, and this weekend is "turn in and collating time". Today in Bryant Park from 1-4PM near the ping pong tables and tomorrow a team is meeting nearby to put all ths reams of paper together. 

It's going to be 60 degrees today so stop by at Bryant Park and even if you don't have a petition, I will have one for you to sign.

We should have had  a system of electronic signing so entire forests didn't have to die for the UFT petition campaign. 

• UFT Exec Bd Vote Opposing Electronic Voting: Mike Shirtzer and another are Lone Dissenters, 13 Reasons For Electronic Voting as Unity Echoes Republican Vote Suppression, MULGREW SAYS PRIVATIZED HEALTHCARE ISN'T PRIVATIZED