I posted a developing story about the upcoming para election in the UFT -
As the nominating petitions were being circulated, word was getting out
who was on our team. We had one para who was a member of the Unity
Caucus, who has strong feelings that change needs to happen and did not
want to support the current Unity candidates. Well, that para was
called into the district office and offered a union paid position, so he
opted out of running with us.
Then it happened again! Another
potential candidate we had, who was also “all in”, is a member of Unity
and felt he needed to take a stand and run with us, and who we were
proud to have him on our team, just a few days before the deadline to
hand in the nomination petitions, he told us he was asked to “stand
down” and not run with us.
I'll say this time and again: The prime directive of the UFT/Unity Caucus leadership is to maintain power at all costs, even at the expense of the membership. I've always believed that if the oppo ever came close to winning or actually won, the leadership would pull one over Trump - actually refuse to leave - or maybe incite the Unity fairlful to storm the ramparts in their own version of January 6.
People ask me about what happens when our petition campaign hits the required 19-20 thousand. My answer is Unity denies, denies, denies the legitimacy of every signature even in violation of the constitution. And their mob-like behavior continues with the latest news from Arthur NYC Educator
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This came in from the team running:
Due to Shelvy Abrams and Reggie Colvin retiring in September 2023, and after 17 years as 2nd Vice Chair, Hector Ruiz Jr has moved on to another position in the union, which left their positions open for election, a special election to fill these positions, and a few others, is now underway and ballots will be mailed out on April17th. (It’s still a mystery to us why it took 8 months after those retirements were effective to hold this special election…or was it to let the interim people get their names out there for 8 months...aka let them campaign for 8 months)!!!
Marie Para was very interested in running for office and approached other paraprofessionals who felt the same way she did about speaking up for paras and had the desire to step up. Once she met with several paras, from many boroughs and districts, we had a very strong and diverse team. The first step was to get a full commitment from each who wished to run, and it was easy as each of us strongly felt paras need leaders who can make changes that need to be made.
We needed to get on the ballot and to do so one needed to collect signatures on a nominating petition. Each of the potential candidates provided all the personal information on their nominating petition and collected signatures for themself as well as for the other team members. We were all feeling good about the solidarity and unity within our team.
Then it happened! As the nominating petitions were being circulated, word was getting out who was on our team. We had one para who was a member of the Unity Caucus, who has strong feelings that change needs to happen and did not want to support the current Unity candidates. Well, that para was called into the district office and offered a union paid position, so he opted out of running with us.
Then it happened again! Another potential candidate we had, who was also “all in”, is a member of Unity and felt he needed to take a stand and run with us, and who we were proud to have him on our team, just a few days before the deadline to hand in the nomination petitions, he told us he was asked to “stand down” and not run with us.
Disappointed, yes, but also expected. This leaves me asking if Unity is more interested in Unity than its membership. These two Unity members are “insiders” and believe the paras need leaders that will speak up and not be part of the status quo. Its heartwarming to know they, and other Unity caucus members have told us, privately, that they will not support the Unity candidates and will cast a vote for us. At the end of the day, its just very simple, our team is all about improving and giving the paras a long overdue voice and respect in the union.
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James has this on the ICE Blog:
This is from Marie Para showing Unity cheating at an official UFT event. The video is on Facebook.
Spotlight on Truth
You can’t say you didn’t….cause ‘ya did!! Lets look at the video tape!
Let’s
pay attention to the rules of the UFT. Let’s be clear on a few
things….the UFT is our union, Unity is a caucus within the union. Just
as there other caucus’, such as MORE, ICE and SOLIDARITY. Unity has
been the controlling caucus within the union. Whenever there is a
function that the UFT pays for, NO caucus can campaign at these events.
If they did allow this, all candidates should be given the same space,
time, and expense of campaigning on the UFT’s dime…or should that be on
YOUR UNION DUES.
Now let’s pay attention to the timeline.
January 26, 2023 the UFT held the BRONX SRP at 4PM at the Bronx Borough
Office….(this was a UFT paid event), yet the Unity Candidates were there
campaigning BEFORE THE OFFICIAL ELECTION PROCESS WAS ANNOUNCED.
The
nomination petitions weren’t even ready until February 16, 2023. There
was no official announcement of when this special election was going to
be…..so why were the Unity Candidates already being introduced as
candidates and what position they were running for? And how did only
Unity know about the election ahead of the official announcement? And
again, no caucus is allowed to campaign at UFT paid events!!!
This
is obviously and attempt to gain an unfair advantage over other
candidates. If Unity has no regard to adhere to the rules and
regulations in this election process, which would ensure a fair and
transparent election, what can you expect from them if elected?
Ultimately, you want leaders that know and respect the rules and regulations governing this election process.
SHAME SHAME SHAME
Petition spreading
The petition to get a UFT mandated member referendum on significant
changes to our healthcare just passed 6,000 signatures, with a thousand
signing over spring break.
Tuesday, we will be having a live Zoom
on the campaign. I will be speaking. We are getting close to being a
third of the way there. Pease sign and then spread to every UFTer you
know.
Union-strong friend,
We hope the spring break has been restful and rejuvenating.
We're beyond excited to report that more than +6K UFT active and retiree members have signed the UFT Healthcare Referendum petition.
What
we're witnessing is the growing momentum of a people-powered
movement demanding quality, premium-free, and affordable healthcare in
NYC and around the nation.
This past week in a rally organized by the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees, hundreds of city retirees and union workers congregated to raise their voices around preserving traditional Medicare for eligible city retirees, while City Hall and elected leaders had to take notice.
Mayor
Adams and the Municipal Labor Committee's de-facto leaders, Mulgrew
(UFT) and Garrido (DC37), must make good on the promises made to us all.
In addition, we are among the thousands in our union that are galvanizing around a petition organizing effort that
gives us agency over our healthcare, while mobilizing others and
educating them about our member rights and responsibilities regarding
mandatory subjects of bargaining, like healthcare.
Less than 4 weeks ago, together we successfully launched our member-wide referendum petition campaign
calling for a membership-wide vote for any significant changes to
active and/or retired members’ healthcare. These include any significant
changes of our healthcare carriers, limits to our choice of healthcare
carriers, or institutions of or raises to premiums, deductibles or
copayments, etc.
We
also demand that UFT members must be provided full disclosure of the
wording for such proposed changes, prior to the membership wide vote.
We
continue to drive toward our 10% threshold of written member
requests that are needed to trigger the UFT constitutional mandate
compelling the UFT executive board to bring a member-wide referendum
vote to all members.
Lastly, take a moment to read a piece entitled, "Activism is Circulating the Petition", by
Arthur Goldstein, longtime educator, union leader and activist. Share
it with others who are going back to school on Monday, along with the petition.
THE NEXT STEPS: CHAPTER-WIDE SIGNATURES AND OUR FIRST PETITION ORGANIZING ZOOM CALL - APRIL 18TH AT 7 PM
In our next phase, we are asking chapter leaders, delegates or any UFT member seeking
to organize their chapters around this cause, to print the petition and
share it with as many members at your school as possible.
Scores
of school chapters have already mobilized and are submitting their
petitions. Retirees are also getting multiple petition signatures from
UFT friends and colleagues.
Find a PDF copy of the petition to download, print and share here.
Join us this Tuesday, April 18th at 7 pm for our first organizing call for all those who want to help in reaching our goal of +20K signatures. To RSVP for our first Zoom organizing call, click here. We will map out a winning strategy together
