The UFT is so weak it can't even keep those two very important religious days Thursday and Friday (first two days of Passover-Holy Thursday-Good Friday) as days off. Teachers and parents don't have to sit around and just take it.
There is an easy symbolic action that everyone should take by just taking Thursday and Friday off. NYC Department of Education employees have been given four extra Cumulative Absence Reserve days (sick bank days) that can be used as Personal Business Religious Observance days without loss of pay. As for parents, I doubt our kids will be penalized for taking the two days. My kids won't be logging on unless they sneak their way on.
Don't expect the UFT to sanction or even encourage this as a concerted action because the Union is primarily worried about their almighty dues being taken away because of the Taylor Law's prohibition against strikes by public employees in NYS. The Union will not risk their dues to make a statement. They showed in this crisis that they would put member health in danger to protect their money coming in.
However, rank and file UFTers have been given a valid excuse not to log on Thursday or Friday. These are holy days. Here is what my friend Luli Rodriguez, a high school teacher, said on Facebook:
I respect religious observances, but this epidemic has made it clear that it’s time for God.
I won’t be teaching 4/9 and 4/10. I just notified my administrator. I’d rather lead by example, show humanity and mindfulness.
Let’s pray for our families and our world. Put religious differences aside and collectively send healing to all that suffer— families, patients, ALL first responders (store/warehouse workers, delivery personnel, drivers, Military, EMTs, Fire, Police, therapists, Nurses, Doctors, etc).
Luli who is no stranger to a good fight used her own name. Did you see that anonymous commenters?
Don't log into a DOE site Thursday or Friday. Don't log in at all.
UFT members should not feel guilty about being completely pissed off for giving back Holy Thursday, Good Friday-first two days of Passover because most of us happen to be lucky enough to still be healthy and have a job.
Please do not let anyone compare teachers to first responders who we thank God are risking their lives in this emergency but they are also being compensated for their heroic efforts. Don't accept Mulgrew's empty proe of future negotiations for compensation.
Instead, compare teachers to our peer group which is the teachers in surrounding areas. In neighboring New Jersey, they are not subject to Cuomo's order to keep schools open for online learning. Some NJ districts are moving days off around but none that I could find are just flat out canceling their breaks. For example, Woodbridge is trading three days off now for an earlier end to the school year in June. Even that compromise seems to be the exception.
From NJ.com:
“I am certainly not seeing it across the board,” said Betsy Ginsburg, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, a group of about 100 districts. “I think many, many superintendents feel as if everyone needs a little bit of a break from being a parent/employee/school teacher."
No district in the Garden State is working seven additional days in April in exchange for four new Cumulative Absence Reserve (sick bank) days like NYC is doing.
Every teacher in NYS can make a statement that school staff isn't going to take any more nonsense from Albany and City Hall by calling up or emailing saying you will not be working on Thursday or Friday. The atheists and agnostics should come along too and use the time for reflection or meditation as you see fit. Don't tell me how you will post an assignment in the morning and then not do much else. Make a statement. Don't log in at all.
Don't log in and let's not send our own kids to a DOE computer on these two days. All of the working city educators can legitimately utilize two of those four extra sick bank days for religious observance with pay. (It's personal business; you don't have to pay for a substitute if you use personal business days for RO.)
40 comments:
The four days in my car represent approximately $2,500. Sorry James I'm not making a point, I'll take the money and run.
While I respect any teacher who wants to take the days, I am going to bank those 4 CAR days. I currently have 146 days in my CAR. That means that I will now have two more days to add to my terminal leave when I retire from this shithole that is the DOE.
725 is incorrect. 4 days gets cut in half when you leave. Then the 2 days left get taxed. So, basically, the 4 days turn into 1, money wise.
This should be called the me first and me second blog. Those first two comments show why we get shit on all the time. Even if you don't want to do anything, why would you admit it in public
Hey anno 7:44: You are damn right it is called the me first and the me second blog. I've put in 22 years in this system. It has gotten worse and worse. I want out asap. If two more banked days bring me closer to a happy retirement, so be it. I respect any teacher who wants to take the days but we as a whole should not feel "pressured" to take the days to make some kind of a point that the friggin' DOE could care less about. In fact, if you want to make a point, it would hurt the DOE more if people did not take the days as it will cost the DOE more that way when those folks cash the days out at retirement. You use those days, you loose those days. However, folks should do as they see fit. Freedom of choice.
Comments one and two are the real problem. If it ever came down to a real strike, would you guys risk the fines for a strike? I tend to doubt it.
Jr is right on the math. When one takes terminal leave, it is one day for every two in the CAR. Termination pay is the same.
7:59, See Jr on why you are wrong. You use the days at 1 for 1, full pay; you get termination pay at half pay. Okay, you are cashing in half at a higher salary than when you banked them but except for the first couple of years, it is not twice as much at the end. I gather none of you are new teachers who are commenting so you will be cashing them in at half pay and it will be taxed so Jr is correct.
Like I said James, this era of teachers aren’t in it for anything but the $ - and that’s been cultivated by the equally repulsive DOE and UFT. Watch the blood bath when the layoffs happen and the one teacher still teaching is a former ancient ATR with remote classes of hundreds for a huge Fair Student Funding saving. We love our ATRs! Good luck former teachers with your barista positions! I’ll take a tall decaf latte with skim milk. Thanks so much!
James,
I saw a Post article on how there will be 100 million cut in the FSF.
How do you think that will play out? Could atrs finally be placed?
Logic should apply, but this is the doe.
822,
You shouldn’t be rooting or mocking any layoffs. Not right.
You are also allowed to bank 204 days, as opposed to 200. 2 days closer to retirement- if we survive.
This budget is all just on the table right now. The big thing is the summer job placement program. I think the kids should be told about how the doe wastes 100 million dollars a year on the ATR system. This should put an end to the ATR but again it's the doe and the kids always come last and logic has no place.
The stupidity on basic math here is mind-boggling. If you use two days Thursday and Friday, you will get two full days pay. If you save the days, when you retire you will either get paid for one day or you can get credit for one day. Either way, taking the days is a better deal.
Please don't tell me you are a math teacher 9:45.
Be careful what you wish for 8:22. What if Emperor Cuomo decides in the state of emergency to suspend the last in first out layoff policy. I can't wait to see twenty year teachers at Starbucks behind the counter.
10:00,
They can’t overturn ‘LIFO’. Bloomberg tried years ago.
I'm not religious, so there's little benefit to me taking Thursday and Friday off. We're home anyway, nothing fun is open. I plan on using those days in the future when I really don't want to go in, say, next year when we have the long stretch before Easter break with no days off. I'll get more value out of that then by taking it off now when all we need to do is post an easy and simple activity and not be too stressed. Let's be real, if a large percentage of teachers took off, the DOE would spin it as us taking it for religious reasons and would pretend not to understand the protest behind it. They wouldn't even mention it in public to be honest. If the union and its clueless members had a real organized stand to make, I'd gladly lose 2 days a piece, but we know that's not happening.
10:00, This not intended to offend you, but you’re the perfect example of what’s wrong with so many younger teachers. That was satire. Very few teachers in my generation or prior would ever wish lay-offs or pit younger teachers against older ones. That was something done by Bloomberg and continuously fertilized by the UFT. I was taking the position of the administration. If there are massive cuts and lay/offs, I’d retire to save a colleague’s position, especially one with a family - my kids are grown and the job is literally an obscene joke. There’s a marked difference in professionalism, fellowship, humility and not so simple kindness from what I experienced as a new teacher thirty years ago. Taking off two days, even though it’s a small sacrifice financially, to show solidarity with other teachers, who practice their faith or just want those traditional days (that we’ve always received) off is beyond consideration. So the City continues to shit on all of us, with the Union (purposely ignoring and intentionally trading our rights) while openly keeping busy on the plight of the wallaby as compared to the domestic skunk in Saskatchewan, with huge debates and coinciding voting. Take Thursday and Friday off - if not for worship, or yourself - then to show that teaching can still be called a career and that some of us , and hopefully you, still have self respect.
945,
The most you can bank is 200. You can’t go above that, so at retirement if you have 200, you get 100 days paid.
Learn the contract.
I'm as angry about losinng Spring Break as anyone else, but I'm not taking any days off. It's not because I want to save my CAR days or retire two days early, but in this case I really do believe they want us to keep the kids "busy." Normally, when they make that sentiment known with their reluctance to closes schools, either for pending snow storms or in this case, a pandemic, I get very angry. This mayor and previous mayors have used the excuse that schools must stay open because parents have to go to work. It tells everyone that they really consider us as first and foremost, a "daycare service." However, I really feel that at this time they are doing it for public safety. They don't want people leaving their homes and going outside. By providing work, many kids will remain inside at their computers. Too many people are losing too much. Especially anybody who is stiil working out in public. Many are getting sick. Quite a few are ending up in the hospital and dying. Quite a few hospital workers are getting sick helping the sick people. Posting an assignment in Google classroom each of the next 8 days is the least I can do to help.
Since when can you bank 204 days? i have over 200 in june for awhile and july 15 my car goes back to 200
@7:56, are you saying the CAR days over 200 just disappear? I was under the impression that they would only pay for 200 days upon retirement, not that they take the days over 200 before that.
If you are over 200 days, even if you do not use any days in a school year, you still start the next school year with 200, not 210. Above 200, it use them or lose them.
uh i dont think so 10:34. check faqs--i think they waived the 200 cap.
James, this is the point...All these teachers know nothing. No wonder we keep getting fucked. How sad for those of us who know the contract.
I thought what I posted about the sick bank was common knowledge, or at least should be. We know why contracts get 90% yes votes when nobody knows what they are voting for...
James, would a state of emergency supercede NYS Civil Service Law as a previous mentioned?
I don't know.
There are alot of things that as a union we could fight for. I am on the side of this blog about 98% of the time. But you guys are being babies about this. It's a national crisis, and we have been asked to do a few things to help out (whether it works or not to keep kids off the streets is a different story). Not everything has to be a what's in it for us thing. Keep in perspective that so many have lost their jobs and are wondering how they are going to keep their lights on and feed their kids not to mention losing loved ones. I personally could care less about a compensation package or the 4 CAR days. It just isnt the time for that. When this is over we can go back to fighting for everything we deserve. To buck up and put some lessons up for our kids over the next week doesnt make us a bunch of cowards who back down. I know this will be criticized as "this type of comment is the problem" but now is just not the time for all of this.
Valid points 3:30. On the other hand remember that Rahm Emanuel I think said to never let a crisis go to waste. Remember, Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine on disaster capitalism. The 1% is working to protect themselves through this. If we don't fight right away because people tragically are still getting sick, we are going to be in much worse shape when we come out of this.
I have repeatedly said it is not about spring break, it is about the last 20 years. We continue to get walked on. You can teach or simply throw up an assignment on google classroom. Who cares. It is the constant lack of help or care by the uft. The 3 deadly days in March on top of spring break on top of the retro, the small raises, etc...
Yeah 3:30 I see what you're saying but let's consider:
1. I have siblings who are nurses. They're of course in danger, I'm not comparing jobs. But they are making money hand over fist. Colleagues who have spouses on the job are saying the same thing in regard to OT. Even Sanitation and Transit are raking it in.
2. The disrespect of religion is especially offensive. It reminds me of what Obama said about people being bitter and clinging to guns and religion. Those wounds are still fresh. In today's email Mulgrew wishes everyone a happy Passover and Easter and doesn't even mention we're working on the holiest days for Jews and Christians (Good Friday). (I'm not working Good Friday.) And what observant Jew is doing anything electronic for Seder?
The union could have at least gotten an agreement that we wouldn't have to work Regents week once it was inevitably cancelled. The 4 CAR days, if you ignore the principle of disregarding holy days, is mathematically a fair trade for the 2 days worked (since they're paid 2 for 1 at retirement). That still leaves a week off for free with not even comp time in return.
I found the emergency declaration. Cuomo can suspend whatever law he likes if I read this correctly as long as it will help the emergency.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to temporarily suspend or modify any statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation, or parts thereof, of any agency during a State disaster emergency, if compliance with such statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster emergency or if necessary to assist or aid in coping with such disaster,
Dont forget, de blasio is already bringing racism into this deadly virus.
When all this is over, in the end and when it's done, and we tend to our families,
Compensation needs to be addressed. Hazard pay is double time salary.
We were sent into "known" contaminated buildings for training and for some their death.
There was little regard for social distancing rules for parents coming in for technology, you would think it was a social event.
We have been deemed "essential" to provide child care services. We rise to the order.
We are working for free this break, expected to give our family so much less than they deserve during this crisis.
We deserve no less than time and a half overtime compensation for at least 5 days work and double time for working High Holy days scheduled on the school year calendar.
Same guy from 3:30 here...
James I see what you are saying as well, but I guess I just dont buy that because we work this extra week during a national crisis that we will be worse for the wear in the aftermath. But you definitely have the experience edge on me with stuff like this, so you may be right.
To 4:58... very valid point on the other workers. I am not saying we shouldn't be compensated. I guess I am just willing to take the hit on this one and only this one becuase of the circumstances. As for the religious point, I definitely can see it to be a slap in the face for anyone who is religious. I just think that from the perspective of a governor or mayor making these decisions in this crisis, they cant really afford to be sensitive to religion. Their job is to save lives in this and thats it. But very good points.
We arent getting paid extra for those days in March. You really think they are going to pay every teacher, para, school aide, AP and principal for spring break? Highly doubtful.
everybody needs to quit their b****ing already.
You dont want to work call in and use those 4 car days.
People are losing their jobs, heck people are dying!!!!
and your biggest worry is working 4 or 5 xtra days.
@7:01 PM - Of course everyone will get compensated for all extra days worked.
Coronavirus rocks the NYC’s teacher’s union, source says
By Selim Algar
April 8, 2020 | 6:20pm
More than 30 members of the United Federation of Teachers — including retired staff — have been reported by family members to have died from coronavirus, a union source said.
Shellshocked kin have been contacting the organization to alert officials to the cases in increasing numbers, the source said.
While he did not specify that they died from COVID-19, UFT president Michael Mulgrew read out the names of 26 recently deceased members at a somber meeting of the union’s executive board Monday.
At least five additional coronavirus-linked deaths have been added to the UFT’s grim tally in just two days since that meeting, the union source said. The union’s membership includes both teachers and other staff.
Teachers have ripped the Department of Education for not providing a public inventory of their fallen colleagues.
The FDNY, NYPD and other major city agencies have given regular updates on members with both suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases.
The UFT is relying on self-reporting from relatives and the growing tally does not always reflect new deaths.
The organization’s ranks include teachers, guidance counselors and paraprofessionals.
A small number of UFT members who have died from coronavirus were retired but most were still on the job, the source said.
The UFT’s COVID-related death count does not include school administrators who have also fallen from the disease, including city principals and assistant principals.
The union will soon launch a memorial website named “UFT Honors” to “celebrate the lives of UFT members, in-service or retired, who have lost their lives to the coronavirus crisis.”
Compensated how? Give me specifics. Per session for 45 hours? Yeah, right.
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