Friday, May 22, 2020

IS LIABILITY PROTECTION FOR SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES TOO HIGH A PRICE TO PAY FOR FEDERAL MONEY?

Senator Lamar Alexander is the Chair of the US Senate's Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions. ICEUFT gets his press releases for some reason. Senator Alexander recently had a conversation with about 90 college presidents from his home state of Tennesee. Here is part of the press release Alexander issued on reopening schools and colleges:

Senator Alexander concluded: “The concerns that came back to me in our call were three things. One, every president asked about liability. They don't want to be sued if they reopen their school and a student gets sick. And I told them that Senator McConnell has said, and I believe every Republican Senator agrees, and I hope many Democrats do as well, that we won't pass another COVID-19 bill unless it has some liability protection for colleges and schools as well as businesses and others who are trying to reopen and help our country get back to normal. The second question we heard a lot about was testing. And third, I heard comments from presidents who would like to have more flexibility in any funding that we provide for colleges and in the funding that we've already provided.” 

We now know the Republican price for federal money to bail out states, including schools: no wrongful death lawsuits.

The NYC Department of Education protected from lawsuits? Are you serious? If there are no liability worries, I am confident NYC school buildings will be open at least partially in September.

It's too easy here to throw a cheap shot at Michael Mulgrew telling us to get our wills in order at yesterday's town hall. I don't think he meant to tell us we better be ready to die in the fall. Nevertheless, liability protection for the DOE may be a very steep price to pay for federal money to reopen school buildings and support the states. It's funny how Mulgrew didn't mention this when he told everyone to join the committee to fight for that federal money. He made it as if it isn't a red vs blue issue. It certainly is.

108 comments:

shelley said...

It's not a cheap shot to point out that, even if only coincidentally, some clever psychologist might argue subconsciously, the union boss is prepared to send workers into unsafe work environments where they will die.

He is prepared to have teachers work on weekends (see his Summer school schedule that includes high school teachers grading portfolios on August 15 and 16 (Saturday and Sunday), after agreeing to have them work on two of the most sacred days on the calendar for the vast majority of teachers (Passover and Good Friday).

Has this man no knowledge of labor history in this country? How hard labor struggled to prevent this kind of abuse?

The summer school pilot is a last surge before excessing and layoffs, as he has signed on the job killing automation G Suite that will cut and slash costs, de-professionalizes and de-skills the workers and reduces their bargaining powers.



Anonymous said...

First they (the politicians) came for the nursing home residents, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a nursing home resident.

Then they came for the essential workers, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a essential worker.

Then they came for the teachers, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not teacher.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Anonymous said...

The weekends are voluntary. Nobody has to teach summer school. Why not just have everyone refuse to apply? Let DOE figure it out.

Anonymous said...

Shelley,

When he says get your life insurance in order, he is saying that he expects teacher casualties
as a result of the risk of going back into the buildings. It is not a risk-free environment. Nothing in life is risk-free. But here is the point, this is real stupid russian roulette risk taking. Don't be fooled!

Anonymous said...

9:52, I think you got that second to last line wrong:

Then they came for the teachers and I did not speak out, BECAUSE I WAS A NYC TEACHER, AFRAID OF MY OWN SHADOW...

Anonymous said...

Shelley isn't fooled. She gets it.

Anonymous said...

Sweden has:

* high trust in government
* robust health-care infrastructure
* low level of obesity/diabetes
* low population density

Anonymous said...

We already had this. People got sick and died. Who sued?

Anonymous said...

Courts are closed. Hard to sue.

shelley said...

Why would a Union give organized workers, who don't work on weekends, the option to "volunteer" to work on a weekend? At a rate that for many is half pay! The answer is that it sets a precedent that undermines one of the pillars of organized workers. Our collectively bargained agreement, stuffed with clauses that allow this kind of work, is weak, even on basic things like what our work days are and how much we get paid. But this decision is by far one of the most insidious give backs of Unity's Rule. I put it up there with FSF and ATR.

In the US where we have gotten used to having everything all the time. The pandemic has exposed the fact that somebody has to work to satisfy our desire to have whatever we want 365 days a year 24 hours a day.

The fact that Pelosi and the Democrats are even considering undermining the liability protections of workers, and not just workers bu the people they care for, educate, serve and protect, the patients, students, consumer citizens is frightening enough.

Cuomo has done it in NY with the nursing homes and will do it to protect and embolden businesses so he can get his hands on the money.

For teachers his reasoning: we need to re-imagine education, that is, replace the organized teachers with machines and ff teachers are to be "essential workers" like nurses and cops, let them work 24 hours a day 365 days a year without liability recourse when they die.

Of course this is the business model of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and FAANGS, the WTO, and the Neo-Liberals. It's a global struggle that labor is losing.

But here in NYC, the struggle includes us shooting ourselves in the head on a daily basis.

Where is the party of labor?

Obama could not even muster the guts to critique the most dangerous president in recent American history. He could only say that they pretend not to be in charge. But they are very much in charge and he knows it. What he doesn't want us to know is that the damage they are doing to workers is something the Dems and Unions agree to.


Anonymous said...

Two things- 1. This Politico article mentions the school personnel deaths.
https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2020/05/21/cuomo-de-blasio-blame-ignorance-but-not-themselves-in-wake-of-damning-report-1285383

2. Last night on CNN, a Prof from NYU had a totally different take on the future of colleges. He seems like a provocateur, but it was interesting. (part 5 8:07)

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/app-news-section/full-coronavirus-town-hall-may-21-2020-app/index.html

Stay safe everyone!

Anonymous said...

They have had per session marking of Regents on weekends for years. That ship sailed years back. This just expands it to summer school.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, guys, since we have not been in school for a few months, I have found that I really don’t even have the ability to put the names with the faces when I see the names on the roster.

This job has just beaten me up mentally over the years, so I see how people just half ass the job.

It’s much more mentally healthy for us to turn the email notifications off at 230 each day and go about our lives.

Just thinking about going back to a school makes me ill a little bit. I don’t miss the traffic, the people and the nonsense.

I wish I could retire, but I’m only 45.

TJL said...

This may be much ado about nothing. The per session posting says the last day is Friday the 14th. It looks like a typo on the part of the Union. Elementary and junior high kids' last day is Tuesday the 11th (Mulgrew's email says Tuesday the 14th) so it makes sense those teachers will have 3 extra days to grade "portfolios".
In any event 10:54 already pointed out we do per session Regents grading on weekends already. Many of us like making $51 an hour. Worse comes to worse you make sure you have everything graded by Friday the 14th and you get paid two extra days to submit your grades which takes 10 minutes at the most.
I'm thankful we're getting summer school though I suspect there are not going to be as many jobs as if we were in the buildings. It's critical buildings open as soon as practically possible. We already lost 3-8 scoring, Regents scoring, PM School, Regents prep, and other per session. This can't be allowed to go on. The hospitals are quiet, stores are open and everyone is out and about, not to mention there are almost 40 million unemployed.

Anonymous said...

What's your plan if there is a second wave of COVID-19 TJL?

Anonymous said...

TJL, You look like you eat up lots of per session.

Might I suggest you teach College Now or try to find something else at CUNY.Pay is better, I think over 90 an hour, and you are treated with respect. It is pensionable too.

shelley said...

Weekend per session to grade Regents should never have been agreed to. But this is different. This is a part of the schedule for summer jobs. Why not have the teachers do the portfolio work on the following monday and tuesday?
If you want your perquisites, you want to teach a sixth class, do per session on weekends, or after working a full day (guess your job is easy enough), you want to pad your pension, and you want the union to fight for your job and your raises and keep the costs of health care down, keep that 7% TDA, at least, and you want money, more money and you don't really give a shit about anybody else, not the person one level below you on seniority (if only by a day) who gets excessed, not the untenured who are unemployed, not the future of the profession those poor saps in tier 6, and soon to be 7, so long as you get yours, not the vulnerable teachers who may die ... You sound just like a teacher. A typical teacher has long figured out that the system punishes good deeds and rewards goldbricking. Just trying to get to retirement ....stuff more money away. Good Luck. Hope you make it. Hope you don't drop dead a few months after retirement. Seems like a trend I've noticed, my friends retire and die. It used to be like that in many trade unions in NY, workers died on the job, right after retirement. Are we going back to that?

Bronx ATR said...

No wrongful death lawsuits! (Cuomo said the same thing recently, while deflecting blame onto Trump for the nursing home deaths. DeBlasio and Mulgrew would most assuredly like to see it passed because of their own incompetence. This isn’t just a Republican issue. Mulgrew chose dues over lives.) There’s something more insidious going on here. If there are no wrongful death lawsuits, there will be no massive closure if a second wave of coronavirus deaths occurs. (Trump last night said he would not shut down the country if there is a second wave.) The scientific models seem to point out a distinct possibility there will be another. I’m not 100% sure about that, but there is a distinct possibility that we will have another pandemic within our lifetimes. If that should happen the government is ensuring that the economy will never again be shut down, the way it was during this pandemic. If this mandate passes you’ll see a much more devastating loss of life in the future. It’s another prime example of the evils of capitalism in putting dollars before lives. This should be fought tooth and nail. With Mulgrew at the helm of the UFT it will be lightly discussed, relegated as another Republican outrage and ignored.

Anonymous said...

So after all this, after being flabbergasted, James announced we should still pay dues. Years of disgraceful representation added to March 17-19. What will it take? More death and destruction and 1% raises? Wow.

Jr said...

Bronx atr is correct, that's why I'm resigning at 40 years old. Just waiting for last retro...

TJL said...

11:30 that's absolutely a real possibility. I don't buy the happy talk about vaccines. If I got sick or a student in my room got sick I wouldn't be going in for 2 weeks. The Union should be working on this but if not I will use my CAR days if I have to. Otherwise I wear my mask and go on with my life. It's definitely not ideal but it is what it is. We all have to make a living.

Anonymous said...

Democrats get a lot of money from trial lawyers. There may be some resistance from some powerful ambulance chasers.

I agree with Shelley that per session fiends are a problem. People wh think me instead of us are not usually helpful.

Anonymous said...

Republicans put this out there Bronx ATR. It's the price for aid to states.

James Eterno said...

How about organizing your chapter and walking out if there is an infection in your building? Parents will be supportive for the most part.

Anonymous said...

James announces that mulgrew won't even take a legit call or question during town hall, but then says to keep paying him $62 per check, forever, as things continue to worsen. Also, after saying mulgrew chose dues or lives...

Anonymous said...

Now james says walk out, which our own union doesnt tell us to do, but we must keep financing them. huh?

James Eterno said...

I am working on a post on dues. This has been discussed at length with family and close friends since March. Right now I will say Mulgrew is not the union, the members are. I want to be careful on this posting. It will be posted as soon as I can.

Anonymous said...

Agree with this language too...?

Yup,
@JoeBiden
went there: "If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black" said to popular African American radio host

Anonymous said...

But you are paying mulgrew and unity to be in charge. That is the union. Dont tell us to walk out, then say support mulgrew, as he tells us to stay in buildings.

James Eterno said...

Chapter level is where union still is a functioning, democratic entity. If chapters walked out of unsafe buildings, it would be enormous news.Lone wolves dropping dues are meaningless.

Thank you 1:06; you are helping me compose my piece.

Anonymous said...

Who said lone wolves, should be en masse at this point. Should've been en masse a long time ago in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

What will be the last straw? 100 dead? 1,000 dead? 10,000 dead? Zero % raises forever? If the last 20 years plus March plus these town hall meetings where they won't even take a real question doesn't do it, nothing will.

waitingforsupport said...

@1:06pm: You want/need James to tell you how to react if someone in your school building is Covid positive? You want/need the UFTA to tell you how to react if someone tests positive? The union is its members. If you want your union leaders to respect the contract, make them do so. Walk out of the damn building if you think it's not safe. Show the leaders how you want to be treated. Mulgrew etal are allowed to behave in this fashion because they are empowered by the weak members. You will never have a strong union if the members are weak. In my opinion.

waitingforsupport said...

Support the union. Mulgrew is a temporary placeholder. He's one election away from being "the former UFT president".

James Eterno said...

How are you going to get those thousands to stand up and rebel? Where is the movement? How will you protect them if they are in trouble? There are over 100,000 UFT members working at DOE. We are lucky to reach a few thousand here unless there is a contract battle. Then, our readership expands greatly.

I understand the scope of what we are talking about. Do you?

James Eterno said...

Waiting for Support gets it. All of us are the Union. Cliche but true.

Anonymous said...

So if we dont need to listen to mulgrew, why pay?

Anonymous said...

A union is a democracy. I don't listen to de Blasio but I still pay taxes.

Anonymous said...

Agree with 244pm. Cant have it both ways. If the uft is useless, dont pay for its lack of usefulness. You say Mulgrew sucks, ignore him, he makes a bad leader and bad decisions, but keep paying. Doesnt make sense.

James Eterno said...

You don't address the questions I asked at 2:33. Do you have a movement with you?

Anonymous said...

Trump sucks. I am not paying any more taxes but I still demand government services.

Anonymous said...

I opted out, i dont demand their services. When i paid i didnt get their services. One is a tax, one is a fee. Federal taxes is not trump.

@256, protect how, you mean with a uft lawyer? how many need that service? Many, when they get that uft lawyer, say the lawyer is awful. Many hire their own lawyer. Portelos, faced with termination, and while paying dues, didnt use what he was paying for, paid privately.

You mean protect them from bad contracts, abusive admin, 1% raises and money being held back with no interest for 11 years? We get that while paying with 100% membership.

Mark said...

Now taxes are the same as optional dues? The uft openly says if you opt out you lose uft discounts, voting in elections, a uft lawyer, uft consult..Oh, wow. You lose that and then look at the list below...

The list below was accepted, right?

March 17-19
1.3% raises over 11 years, retro held back with no interest for 11 years
WE are the only group who had TDA reduced from 8.25% to 7%
no discipline code
fake grades
fake grad rates
fake suspension rates
higher medical co-pays
absentee chapter leaders
abusive admin
abusive students
cell phones in buildings
open market fraud
no travel hardship transfers
getting blamed for students not caring, not being present, being in poverty
screwed observation system
2014 contract extended twice with 0 raise

Anonymous said...

My statement is opt out. You are saying what the uft does is ok by continuing to pay.

Boris said...

Let me know when they finish negotiating comp for spring break.

Rorie said...

James, with all due respect, they blatantly said don't stay home because it will harm dues collection. That is about as flagrant of a human violation a union leader can make.

Bronx ATR said...

Teachers should not drop out right now. You need some type of protection. This is a very dangerous time for teachers - not just physically. Next fall has unimagined risks - many could lose their positions permanently to a computer program, budget cuts and/or a depression. Forget Mulgrew for now and concentrate on organizing your staff (if you’re lucky enough to a school and aren’t an ATR). Teaching, as a career, is at the precipice about to fall into a mere low paying job. After the quarantines lifts we all should protest in front of 52 Broadway and start coughing.

Anonymous said...

You are so full of shit when in one breath you say you don't want anything from the union and in the next breath you make your demands of Mulgrew and show where he is lacking.

This ain't like car insurance. There isn't Geico if you don't like State Farm.

It is a demo article organization. You don't like leadership, organize and vote them out.

Anonymous said...

Democratic organization I mean.

waitingforsupport said...

@1:25pm: Absolutely. Too many folks are complaining but that's all they are doing. Who waits for the okay to stay out of a known petri dish of Covid? Stay the hell out. Now if your colleagues decide to walk in blame them. They are the part of the union who are giving Mulgrew the a ok to keep doing what he does. Look to your left and look to your right. A reason why the union was stronger is because the older educators (many of them are ATRS) spoke up and out. For some reason, when some educators thought it was okay to turn their heads when the older educators were kicked to the curb they sealed their own fate. You want sh@/ to turn around, do something TOGETHER.

Anonymous said...

"You will never have a strong union if the members are weak. In my opinion."

Not an opinion Waiting. Fact, weak membership equals shitty weak UFT

Anonymous said...

Some people here couldn't organize a trip to McDonalds for lunch let alone a union.

They couldn't organize sheep even if they had a bunch of herders and ten sheepdogs.

Anonymous said...

I vote against them every time, and i am outnumbered 6 to 1 every election, sometimes worse. My school had an sbo, guess what the vote was 41-1. How can I win either of those votes?

Right, i made my demands for 20 years, nothing was done, i no longer pay. Should i keep demanding, getting no service, and keep paying?

Anonymous said...

Agree, most are probably outcasts in their own schools.

waitingforsupport said...

Speak with your colleagues now. Gauge how they are feeling. Come up with a solution now. It doesn't have to be announced to your admin now but just agree to stick together if and when the time comes that ya'll have to walk out. Once the staff decides to walk out or not go back into your school building share it on this site. Just have documented proof of positive Covid: an email, a taped confession, whatever. Just remember There is safety in numbers. You're the union. You and your colleagues. A strong union is a powerful tool.

Anonymous said...

If I may chime in, i live in staten island. For almost 20 years I have begged and pleaded for assistance in terms of a hardship transfer or help with the open market, worked in brooklyn the whole time. No help for 2 decades. No bad ratings, no disciplinary charges, almost prefect attendance. Should i keep paying? Sill said I agree with you but cant help you.

Mark said...

Ok, I give up. Keep paying for lackluster service. The facts are listed.

Anonymous said...

You just made my point 3:50. I feel sorry for you that you can't even convince one colleague in your own school to support your position. You are the definition of an outcast. We will never have a strong union with folks like you.

Anonymous said...

355pm. How has 100% membership been a benefit?

Anonymous said...

If they keep voting for the Unity Caucus after this, then go get those free wills made out.

jeff said...

I'm confused. It is not the job of the uft to get us the best deal and have our interests at heart? A teacher in a school must do that? How can a teacher change a negotiated agreement between the uft and doe other than voting against it? If the uft keeps having us vote on terribly negotiated deals, why would you keep having the same group bring us negotiated deals? And then continue to pay them for negotiating against the interest of their members?

Anonymous said...

If you don't like the Democrats, you vote for the Republicans. You don't leave the country.

Anonymous said...

I agree with a lot of the comments. The teachers from years ago would never have put up with the crap we put up now. They would say no to something and not do it. Where is Norma Rae when you need her?

steve said...

Would Shanker have allowed this?

Anonymous said...

Each and every person here can be Norma Rae if they see a school is dangerous and get teachers to leave. Who gives a shit what Mulgrew thinks?

Anonymous said...

Or what your principal thinks? It is our lives.

Anonymous said...

Shanker and Feldman would not have allowed this, nor should we now.

Anonymous said...

Out of all the anti unity and anti mulgrew comments saying we have been let down...Which do you disagree with?

TJL said...

The problem is under the current crooked system the UFT is the sole collective bargaining agent. The Janus ruling is good in that it gives us leverage by allowing us to withhold our dues from an unresponsive Union just like withholding labor in the form of a strike (Taylor Law notwithstanding). However the catch is we can't take that dues money and give it to James for what I think he's good at and give it to Portelos for what I think he's good at.

Anonymous said...

But again, why are we simply saying that the uft can do nothing, and its ok?

James Eterno said...

TJL, I think you are onto something there. NYS is an exclusive bargaining state. I think Portelos, Jeff Kaufman, my wife Camille and others would do a much better job at upholding teacher rights but will not get that chance.

The last time the NYC teachers had an election for what union would be their exclusive representative was in 1962.

Anonymous said...

Ok, so now we have someone saying it is a crooked system.

James Eterno said...

As crooked as crooked can be but in a very sophisticated way. Only the membership can fix it by explaining things to colleagues and getting their support.

waitingforsupport said...

@4:43 pm: point made.

Anonymous said...

But James, that is what I dont understand. Why keep paying if you know all the faults, know it is crooked, and almost criminal?

Anonymous said...

Next town hall, ask mulgrew when we are getting the compensation for spring break.

James Eterno said...

Brilliant question 6:01. The answer is because the Koch backed alternative is worse. Eva's Sucess Academies or some technological nightmare are the future of education if we don't stick with a union now.

Anonymous said...

Well then we are doomed to keep the same...

James Eterno said...

Far from doomed. Teachers are waking up. I saw it in March when many refused to go in and some just walked out of unsafe schools. If a few thousand more come to life, particularly in organized chapters, you will change this city and education for the better.

I get down often but in the end remain hopeful.

Anonymous said...

I guess what my issue is...You are saying that we need to do this on our own, without help from the uft, unity, or the uft president. That brings me back to question what we are paying for.

Anonymous said...

How about how they spend dues money on things and people we don't agree with?

"Poor kids are just as bright and talented as white kids.”

That same Joe Biden....

“If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't Black."

It’s simple. Joe Biden thinks the Democratic Party controls black voters.

Anonymous said...

So right, they have no shame, my union rep said we should not make a fuss and be glad we have a job... so be scared to ask for your money.

James Eterno said...

6:35, Randi and Mulgrew are there to protect the institution of the union more than the rank and file. Helping the rank and file is in their interest to safeguard the union but is not their priority.

We need for the rank and file activists to run the union like they do in Chicago and LA. That will never happen until NYC teachers wake up. Then, it will be possible but teachers need to get involved in the UFT, not run away. I did 18 years as a Chapter Leader, five more as a Delegate and ten on the Executive Board without ever getting a Unity Caucus endorsement. I still write here almost every day hoping the great mass of teachers in NYC will one day see they are being treated less than professionally and don't have to take it any longer. It will be much easier if those masses are in the UFT. If they are out, it will never change except for the worse.

Anonymous said...

The Be glad you have a job line they use on ATRs all the time and is nothing but a cop out bunch of rhetoric.

James Eterno said...

I agree 8:41.

James Eterno said...

Of all the trusted people I was in contact with, not one said their colleagues would approve of opting out.

Anonymous said...

How is that good? There will be no change and they are accepting it. They are approving the service we've been given

Anonymous said...

So why did you say your mind was changed by March 17-19 if you are advising everyone to keep paying?

Shelley said...

"The deal" as it's being called here, is a complicated collectively bargained agreement. This is a wonderful thing to have. We have a negotiated deal. We should be happy about this. The devil is in the details.

Since very few members have ever read or studied the deal they can't raise serious objection to it with either those that have or those that put the deal together. I've met very few, a handful, who know what is in the deal. Lots think they know. They talk about the rules of the deal they've never seen and how this or that is legal or not legal and what recourse they have--grievances. Most have never been in a serious battle with an administration and few have any intention of getting in one. At most, teachers will complain to a chapter leader who, more often than not, serves, along with a handful of others, with comp-time jobs as the gang of quasi-admins that run the place.

The Union sends out summaries, cuts and pastes from previous agreements and highlights "the deal" with heavy spin on raises to sell it to sheepish members, as as good as it gets raises. The high school teachers who are savvy enough to know that the deal is no deal at all will break out the calculators and so inflation adjusted sums.

The deal is a wonderful thing. We are very fortunate to have a deal. The deal spells out the particulars of our jobs, the rights and protections we have. The devil is in the details.

But too often the deal, that is often better when employed with some flexibility, is bent and broken to serve a few at the expense of many or to serve one individual's personal need to exercise power to satisfy the personal need to exercise power or to take revenge. The abuses in flexibility (consider the history of the SBO) have been encouraged and supported by the legal teams that advise superintendents and principals. There's a book that admins get that counters every article, every negotiated detail so that if they come up against a chapter leader who reads the deal they can push back with legal language and tactics to undermine the contractual power of teachers and chapters. Most of this power is weak. Chapters get to be consulted but admins decide almost everything. The SLT, the Chapter, the consultations are mostly pro forma.

There are clauses in the deal that read like this: in the interest of the school the Admin can disregard anything in the agreement.

So the deal is wonderful in the abstract, weak in the devilish details.

We are only in the agitation stage, as far as I can tell. This is a long struggle that will take more than a handful of bold chapters walking out of dangerous schools.

In this stage we should encourage members to read the agreement and to find the weak spots and suggest what might be added to the next deal.

James Eterno said...

The UFT helped my school walk out of a school with no running water in 2006. Now they didn't. They put our health at risk. I am angry. However, lone wolves, and that's what you are, cannot and will not change a thing in this union.

I talked to several trusted people. They said teachers in their schools would not be on board with opting out. If strong chapters won't go for it, then it is a dead end. I will post an entire piece on this when I have time. I am okay with the tough questions. They need to be asked.

James Eterno said...

We need rank and file activists to take over the union. That won't happen if let's say 1,000 people opt out.

Anonymous said...

I hear you, just dont see another option. Mulgrew as president forever getting 95%-100% dues means same service. I'm just not ok with that. I have been let down too many times.

James Eterno said...

Shelley, A strong Chapter where the teachers and other UFTers are mostly willing to stand up for each other can have an important say in how a school is run. My wife did it, some good friends did also and so did we at Jamaica.

Anonymous said...

By the way, many chapter leaders are saying the only comp we are getting from spring break is the 4 days we already received. So that is uft hierarchy and building representation for you.

Anonymous said...

You said your wife was tormented by that principal Ayatiwa. Obviously admin abuse still continues with full membership.

James Eterno said...

Vote them out. Recall them. UFT still is functioning at the school level. Cultures can be changed
It takes time and effort.

James Eterno said...

True enough but it only stops if we stick together and fight back. See Ben Sherman and Rosemarie Jahoda for examples.

Anonymous said...

All about wanted you scared. Scared sheep easier to control.

Prehistoric pedagogue said...

In 1975, my second year of teaching, we went on strike for a week. Things were not nearly as bad or as serious as they are now. 45 years later that week on strike is still my proudest professional memory

Anonymous said...

I guess we should just live with "The worst it has ever been."

Anonymous said...

Back in 75 there were far fewer schools and bigger schools with stronger unions. Now with all of these small schools and schools combined with colleges, the union is a lot weeker.

Prehistoric pedagogue said...

I think the biggest difference in 1975 was the large number of military veterans, many of whom served in Korea, Vietnam and even a few from WW2. These guys wouldn’t stand for any bullshit and would call out any administrative abuse instantly and loudly I’m certain that a combat vet couldn’t
Care less about a letter in his file. Also, we had a union president who aggressively sought out confrontation and to whom we were proud to pay our dues

James Eterno said...

The membership forced the 75 strike on Shanker. That is pretty well documented.

Anon2323 said...

COVID NUMBERS ARE TOTALLY SPIKED AND FALSE, YOU CAN DIE FROM ANYTHING AND YOU DIED FROM COVID. AS MUCH AS I HAVE SYMPATHY AND EMPATHY FOR THOSE WHO DIED EVEN MY GREAT UNCLE WE CANNOT CLOSE THIS COUNTRY DOWN FOREVER. SCIENTISTS SURELY DO NOT KNOW MUCH CONSIDERING THEY HAE BEEN WRONG ON NEARLY EVERYTHING EARLY ON ( LIES FROM CHINA TO THE CORRUPT WHO).

FLORIDA AND TEXAS HAS THE SAME POPULATION AS NEW YORK BASICALLY AND NO DEVASTATION THERE.
IF WE CANCELLED ELECTION UNTIL 2024 WATCH HOW FAST THE DEMS REOPEN THE COUNTRY AND CUT THE BULLSHIT OUT.

James Eterno said...

My family was at a funeral home because of a death in family. How do you account for all of those extra deaths this spring?

From QNS May 6:

John Golden, owner and operator of Martin A. Gleason Funeral Homes, said their funeral homes in northeast Queens never had to turn families away — then came COVID-19.


“We don’t have the capacity to handle all the families that are calling us,” Golden told QNS. “We’ve served double the normal amount of families we serve in a month. At one point, we had to turn 100 families away.”



This shouldn't be a Democrat Republican issue. Both sides screwed it up.

Anonymous said...

Washington Post

More than 94,000 people have died from covid-19 in the United States, where the number of confirmed cases is approaching 1.6 million.

Anonymous said...

Robert Reich

Fox News is reporting that Donald Trump is now losing to Joe Biden by a whopping 11 points. On the question of who would do a better job handling the coronavirus, Trump is behind by 16 points.1

Trump knows he's in trouble. So he and his cronies have begun pushing dangerous conspiracy theories to explain his failures—and, as usual, the media is playing right into his hands.

Rush Limbaugh says the number of COVID-19 deaths is being inflated to hurt Trump politically.2 Eric Trump says the lockdowns are being implemented only to stop Trump from holding rallies.3 Trump himself is talking about a nonexistent scandal called "Obamagate."4

All of this is utter nonsense, but the corporate media is giving it wall-to-wall coverage, drawn to the latest shiny object from the Trump circus like moths to a flame. Trump is a master media manipulator. That's why, despite everything that's happened, he can still win.

Anonymous said...

The worst polio outbreak in US history was in 1952. There were 58,000 cases and 4,000 deaths. It spurred a unified public and government national response.

Today, with almost 1,600,000 cases and 100,000 deaths, there are people telling us COVID-19 is no big deal.