This was the smarmiest of the smarmy DA's I've been to in my 1 1/2 years as a CL. I left feeling like I needed to take two showers. I mean, Holy Moly! As a union, we're under attack from every conceivable government institution - Congress, SCOTUS, POTUS, Cuomo, NY State legislature - and their oligarchic enablers. And then, on a grass roots, down and dirty, local issue that should unequivocally unite us with all our continuants, we drop the ball in favor of some back-door-channel hokum.
We have a perfect storm of union building opportunity in the CPE 1 battle for the survival of their school (and soul): An activist community of parents, students, and teachers, ready and willing to take on the DOE and take back control of their community school. A movement that is ready, willing and begging for UFT support. (How often does that happen?) And instead of rallying union strength around that righteous cause, Mulgrew/Unity prefers to send out a van filled with Union Proud t-shirts and engage in a pep-rally battle with teachers from Texas. The mind boggles.