I just arrived home and there is no written agreement for anyone between the City-DOE and UFT to view but as I said other day, the DA would pass anything with around 80-90% approval. We hit right in the range even though it was an agreement, not a job action.
NYC Educator took the minutes.
Here is the motion that passed.
LeRoy Barr--to authorize UFT President and leadership to safeguard schools and communities and make sure this agreement is followed by DOE and State. (paraphrase)
82% voted in favor sight unseen and 17% opposed. The other 1% voted properly when presented with something based on trust, they abstained.
104 comments:
What happens in pd when all the staff members are in small room together?
Typical uft. Keep paying them for this?
The uft says we are relieved. read below...
Ellen ?--Happy to be on call. In favor of agreement, Has relieved anxiety in students and staff. We have a powerful union, a powerful agreement and a strong union. My members are in favor of this agreement. I know schools will do better with UFT supervision.
Mulgrew: Dont worry, we are good.
Mulgrew--We have to now make this real. I give you my word, in terms of going to court, union is there, but CL and delegates must make sure this is implemented in school. You have to be safe, you have to follow this plan, and this is no longer up for debate.
I am having severe anxiety about going back to work next week... I am in my 20s, no children or husband, untenured. No health issues that I know of besides anxiety. Is there any way I can avoid going back to work in person? Can I take a leave of absence with no kids? Any suggestions? I seriously do not want to resign but this virus is serious and I do not feel safe going into the building next week. My school put all the staff together last March for the PDs and I was the only one wearing a mask. I know we will not be socially distanced with the PDs and will all be in the auditorium or cafeteria.
Folks,
We are hurting and we are livid at the UFT leadership's actions. In preparation for Friday's meeting we are asking interested people to engage in Phone Banking.
You only need to call or text five friends or colleagues (who aren't likely to snitch on you and care about the health/safety of colleagues/students). To help us track who is calling who, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/Zx1zAUgHS2GD6DMZ6
Why have the teachers not been polled on this half-ass plan to reopen? Why are we caving on initial demands? What’s happening? We’re going to have even less support of the city if we strike now after you caved with this “agreement”
Motion is read by LeRoy;
Rashid: "45 seconds for voting period; press one for yea; *interrupted by Mulgrew; he pauses* press three for nay; voting will remain open for the next 15 seconds (how did we jump from 45 to 15 so quickly?!?). One final reminder, press one to vote yes, press three to vote no"
*Long loud exhalation by Mulgrew* (did he just see the results?)
82% yea, 17% nay.
Mulgrew: The motion is passed...
Did we have a quorum?
How many votes, not percentages, were cast for, against, abstain?
As many had mentioned during the comment section - we needed this to be in writing, to discuss with our members before voting. Mulgrew's response to each of these concerns was "Thanks".
I voted against. There was no option to abstain - so press nothing and that means to abstain? I will never vote for anything that is not placed in writing.
Unity votes would pass what unity wants, no matter what. So why not follow proper procedures? Why not place this agreement in writing first; why don't they let the membership see the agreement (and the calendar) before holding a vote?!?
They don't care about the membership; they disrespect the membership.
This is why we must get rid of Unity *long loud exhalation* We need to inform our members about what is really taking place in this union and change it.
How does this make sense? You’re Telling us the building is not safe for us to start on the 10th, but you want teachers to report to school on the 8th?!?!
Restaurants, movie theaters , gyms are closed in the 5 boroughs ... yet teachers are to report in the building for PD/ planning?
Teacher lives matter. All lives matter !!!!!
Read 6:18 and pay dues. What a bunch of unity scumbags. To put our lives on the lie like nothing. Will Mulgrew, Hinds and Sterling be in the building all day with me, sharing the bathroom, the tiny lounge?
Remember, Mulgrew and carranza and de blasio said everyone wanted this...
NYC parents, teachers give new schools plan a failing grade
https://nypost.com/2020/09/01/nyc-parents-teachers-blast-doe-plan-to-delay-school-reopening/
You have a right to be safe. Follow all safety protocols. Wear a mask, distance, etc. and inform others to do the same. It will not be easy cause some are not taking this seriously. But again you have a right to be and feel safe so do not do anything you are not comfortable doing.
I voted no.
Every CL who voted nay- and I am convinced there were MANY more than 17%- needs to come forward.
You folks should realize you haven’t received most of the information made for a few extra days of prep. It reminds me of when Randi Weingarten traded two days before Labor Day for 1.25% interest on our TDA.
Folks,
We are hurting and we are livid at the UFT leadership's actions. Will you be interested in joining us for an emergency meeting on Friday at 2 pm?
Solidarity
Chancellor Carranza,
You have continuously promised that the health and safety of our school communities is your number-one-priority. By sending us back into an environment that is clearly not ready, you are in fact throwing us to the wolves. You have not kept your promise to the students and staff of District 75. Chancellor Carranza, we demand transparency and open communication from you and the Department of Education. We implore you all to either meet the simple demands of the UFT for Supplies, Procedures and Testing or delay reopening until you can safely have your students and staff return to buildings.
@6:23pm...Exactly!
It's the genius of Mulgrew and crew. The DOE is paying us so i guess they want us to earn the pay. Damn your health. We're the Test Dummies upgraded 2020 model.
@5:37 PM. Go to your doctor or an agreeable doctor and have them write a letter that you smoke. Or have asthma. You’ll get the accommodation.
Clinical anxiety disorder under ADA. Go to the doctor
I'd be interested in joining your meeting on Friday at 2 PM.
Last UFT election we received a notice about voting. On the printed notice was a separate handwritten note copied on all forms the teachers received explaining how to vote for unity. I did report this but I'm not sure if I reported it directly to those who want unity to win. This is the level they will go to to hold on to power.
This feels like the city keeping schools open on what clearly should be a snow day while the rest of the entire city is shut.
Chris Cuomo had a segment on about coronavirus long haulers. When you get the virus, you never get rid of it. Blood vessel issues, depression, muscle aches, fatigue, hair loss and other problems...forever. I'm really not sure if i can take the risk. No, i cant get an accommodation.
I opted out this evening.
One thing I will say for certain is that my relationship with the doe
& UFT is permanently damaged after all of this. I can only assume many other DOE teachers, paras, admin & other staff feel the same way.
UFT yesterday (literally): DO NOT GO INTO BUILDINGS THEY'RE NOT SAFE YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR VENTILATION INSPECTION REPORTS
UFT today: perfectly fine sending members back into schools next week w/o funding, staffing, logistics, resources, safety (still don't have those reports btw)
When I get covid, I'm going to find de Blasio and tell him what I think about him before I crawl off to the hospital to die. I'm sure Mulgrew will care. What a scumbag. Honestly, i think we have more reason to not show up now.
Can someone please explain how
@UFT members are protected in this “agreement” if we are still returning to unsafe buildings next Tuesday? Anyone else having deja vu from those 3 days we were forced back in March?
@teachers_nyc
Actual teachers want to start school on the 10th fully remote. We don’t want to delay the school year. The
@UFT
agreement made today is simply between Mulgrew and the powers that be — NOT US.
NYSUT lost 7% in union dues last year. What will it be come next June when you can opt out again if you're alive.?
Our school voted 90% in favor of a strike. Our rep voted in favor of a strike and told us the voting went by so fast he didn't even think everyone understood the directions clearly. Very disappointing to see this voting process being used to as a farce.
The strike idea was silly to begin with. To me, this is a decent compromise. Schools in NY should be trying to reopen. We have a low rate. In March, we took no precautions and it spread. Now, there are lots of precautions. There's no perfect safety. If the rate goes up, maybe we close classrooms, schools, neighborhoods, or the whole thing and all go remote. But to not try makes the Union look like we only care about ourselves, which is always at the root of public criticism, and fuel for the charters/privates. Going back may also help us look important when they want to do layoffs.
Keep paying dues. Just look at the service they provide. That was sarcasm.
Defund the uft
We have reached an agreement with City Hall and the Department of Education that meets our demand that the safety of our school communities must come first. Our schools will now reopen in a much better place because of all our work together.
8:44 - Apparently your rep didn't understand at all and for good reason. The DA vote was for the unseen, take-our-word-for-it agreement; and not for authorization of a strike. They opened the vote for supposedly 45 seconds with Mulgrew interrupting the instructions and the actual vote was even shorter. I barely had time to hear what button to press on the phone. "3 to vote nay" then a few seconds later the voting was closed. - Not joking.
Unity makes a mockery of the democratic process or "as a farce" as you say. Sadly, they don't even have to play games like this. Their members must vote their way and they have the majority of members - so if they did votes in a legitimate manner they'd still get their way, for now... But this is what the membership needs to change.
BTW: some of us received instructions last week to not survey our staff regarding the strike vote. Good CLs or Delegates did so anyway - we did so anyway and we were barely in favor of a strike.
Ask your CL and delegates if they are with Unity; ask if they have signed the "loyalty" pledge; ask how they voted. If they're with Unity or they refuse to answer then vote them out in their next election.
It is time for the members to take back control over our union and stop this bull and bullying.
Everyone in NYC should be paying attention to the dangerous austerity school reopening plan, whether you’re an educator or parent or not.
Schools now have to purchase, program & distribute tech devices. Our school must buy ~40 chrome books & ~40 ipads. it will cost us ~$32,000 (w/out wifi). We are using part of a teacher's salary to do this. #thisplanisntworking #thisisnotequitable
62% of NYers believe full reopening of schools runs too great a risk; 32% believe it can be done safely.
66% of NYers believe colleges should only deliver remote education and not bring students back to the campus, compared to 27% who believe it's safe to do so.
The autocratic, anti-democratic UFT does it again.
Educators Peter Lamphere, Bill Linville and Will Russell report from New York City on the ratification of a contract for teachers that contains unnecessary concessions.
https://socialistworker.org/2018/11/05/uft-leaders-rushed-ahead-with-a-backward-deal
Learn the facts about the agreement
UFT TOWNHALL MEETING
THIS AFTERNOON 3 30
Eventually, we gotta come out of our caves. Infection rates are very low. We can't just hunker down and wait for a vaccine that half the people polled say they are not going to take any way.
This blog is representative of a very small percentage of the UFT membership. It is a echo chamber. The chapter leaders and delegates are not primarily Unity shills. I would say about 30% are unity shills. An enormous number of independent chapter leaders and delegates voted for this agreement. So, to say it is totally undemocratic is simply not true.
Every single bit of criticism previously directed at
@NYCMayor
and
@DOEChancellor
on school reopening now also fully belongs to
@UFT
and Mulgrew/
@UFTUnity
. They are now 100% co-owners of this dangerous, crazy, garbage “plan.”
Everyone has to know deB, Carranza and Mulgrew,i.e., the three stooges of education, will f*** up a wet dream. Cuomo is waiting in the rafters ready to swoop down and save NYC from Herman Munster. When, not if, the schools are shuttered, it will be from a combination of Covid and a major lack of funding curtesy of Nursing Home Enemy #1 - Cuomo. I have a feeling he’s not very happy today, unless he has a side deal with Mulgrew - a strong possibility. Boca Harry started a Covid school closing Super Bowl like betting pool down in Florida with all the retiree altercockers ; the second half of October and first half of November is already taken.
They guy who keeps writing to listen to the town hall...
Are they gonna tell us we have the option to be remote? If not, it is a waste of time.
Last night, I heard a nurse in NYC warn local teachers, "They'll call you heroes, give you snacks, but they won't give you what you need to do your jobs."
Why aren't you advising members to get actual facts by participating in the
UFT TOWNHALL at 3 30 TODAY
Members should hear the facts, not the opinions of a few disaffected, non dues payers, who gave up the right to have any role in making decisions.
GET THE FACTS PARTICIPATE IN THE UFT TOWNHALL TODAY 3 30.
No restaurants, but flood the schools.
The “most rigorous testing program anywhere in the country” will encourage staff & students to wait so long the results will come far too late to prevent an outbreak. Nothing to be proud of
@NYCMayor and @UFT @NYGovCuomo put a stop to this disaster in the making.
Hold on, the schools' random testing will start in October. I bet, students & staff are going to wait to be tested in school for convenience. Yikes, asymptomatic people can unknowingly spread covid while they wait. Warning sign! The writing is on the wall. Mandate testing please.
Good teachers know that mutual respect and trust are necessary in order for students to feel comfortable and safe in a classroom.
I can't stop thinking about how long the Chancellor and Mayor have been completely disregarding this same need from their teachers.
10:07, LOL. What say did dues payers have yesterday?
@10:00 i defitenitly want in on nov 1st- ill double down on that date.
Um, the people who pay dues hate this and most other deals and had no say whatsoever.
How many die while waiting for this collapse?
Yeah, dues payers seem thrilled...
“We feel betrayed, and we feel it’s an inadequate plan.” -Aixa Rodriguez
“When educators in New York are saying it’s not safe to go back, that’s not just born out of paranoia; that’s born out of looking at what happens when you open schools." -Eric Blanc
de blasio just said people cant eat at weddings because it is high risk...But schools are good?
Aixa Rodriguez lost her grandmother to #COVID19, mother was hospitalized, and says if she were in school she could have spread it to students from five continents and in all NYC's five boroughs. "I could have been a superspreader."
Sounds safe.
Our Q: will there actually be staffing by September 21st? We STILL don't know who's teaching in-person and remote. Teachers are resigning/retiring early. We STILL don't have funding, and we STILL are facing budget shortfalls and a threat of 9k layoffs. Can that be safe? No.
We were screwed.
The “deal” struck by
@NYCMayor
and
@UFT
Overlord Mike Mulgrew was not meant to delay school reopening, it was meant to delay (thwart) a strike.
Dues payers have a say?
Mulgrew and UFT literally just held a 15 min debate with all chapter leaders and refused a motion for full membership vote on the agreement. This is the antithesis is union solidarity. Chapter leaders couldn’t even poll their teachers. Ridiculous
Most UFT members don't have a clue what the UFT does. They don't do much. It's a lot of bread and circuses, dog an pony, emperor's new clothes and propaganda.
Most of our protections, rights, wages, working conditions and so on, just take a look at a table of contents from our so-called contract, is not something the UFT can do much of anything about.
So the guy who keeps asking for a transfer should know that this is not something we bargain for in NY. In some states it is explicitly bargained for, must be, by law. Not the case in NY.
So forget about it. Sorry.
We are a weak union that has, through agreements, policies and laws, been straitjacketed into a slow attrition of a good paying, secure, public job.
Most members are far too busy to get involved and discover how corrupt our union is.
There is a lot of apathy, as in most politics in the US. So most don't get involved.
There are also many who know we have a great deal. Yes, we do. If you like to take long trips and vacation, enjoy cheap decent health care, want a pension, can't even believe that we still get 7% on a TDA, that we can shelter up to $52,000 each year in 2 separate plans, a 403B and a 457, that we can take leaves, including a sabbatical leave, that we have collective bargaining, and that even though most of this results in concessions, a constant attrition of our standard of living, our benefits and protections, most members are not aware how bad this is, in part because they have the step salary that "disguises" the loss of income to inflation with every new contract, and because we have so much better than a typical working stiff we know who doesn't have all these things.
But these are not things we have because we have a union. These are things we have for a bunch of reasons, some are owed to unions of the past, but these are now things we are slowly losing because we have a union.
But we have little choice. We can opt out of dues.
But a union we can't do anything because we are a weak union in a state that wants us that way and will continue to weaken us.
And it won't matter if Solidarity and MORE get elected.
A crisis of enormous magnitude made a strike possible, a once in a career opportunity,would have made all the difference but we missed the chance.
There will be more concessions as the union sells the idea that they are protecting jobs from layoffs. There will be a Tier 7.
So it goes....
@10:31- yeah im waiting- i got tested in early august- and havent been maskless since.i know i dont have covid- so why would i get tested on my time vs theirs. if i had a health concern of course i would get tested-but i dont
You dont believe the non dues payers? Look what shelley said.
Still no plan for District 75. PPE, Lunch coverage, passing time between classes so able to wash hands or change gowns? How many pairs of gloves are we entitled to each day?
What are our safeguards for staff consistently exposed over an entire school day with our kids who are unable to tolerate masks nor have ability to understand social distance?
What safeguards are there in place for our students so that they are protected in the event of exposure from other unmasked children? Are parents aware this is a gamble they choose to take?
Bathroom/Handwashing schedules? How? Most classes do not have toilet /handwashing facilities in or near classrooms. Many kids are sensitive to excessive use of hand sanitizer and simply put, washing hands is most effective for our students, sanitizer are not used properly.
Where is our plan? How will our people be protected?
Mr. Mulgrew, How do you come to an agreement with the Mayor when they have not yet done their job and put into place procedures for health and safety of our most vulnerable?
The @UFT leadership is sending teachers back to school in completely unsafe conditions--many will get covid and die or pass it to their family members.
I hope this sparks a hefty rank-and-file rebellion against Michael Mulgrew & his fellow union bureaucrats
Shelley. Travel hardship transfers are in the contract. The provision is just ignored by DOE and UFT.
I'm the guy who talks about the staten island transfer. Have thousands of emails to sill, mulgrew and arundell. They say they agree but can't help. Yes, always been in the contract.
What is also being lost in this entire mess is the fact that DOE has not released a calendar for this school year.
Last spring we were made to work Spring break and Jewish Holidays. Still waiting for some form of compensation for that.
In this agreement, we are "given" 4 "school days" above our 2 PD days to prep. There is no doubt those 4 days will be taken back down the road in some fashion.
Also, Friday, 9/18 (one of remote transition days) is the beginning of Rosh Hashanah...
WE CAN STILL BE SICK AND NOT GO INTO SCHOOL BUILDINGS. MEMBERSHIP CAN TAKE CONTROL SINCE OUR PRESIDENT SOLD US OUT...AGAIN
James, I haven't heard anything from you about this sham agreement...
I think it's very telling how on September 2nd, the DOE has still not published and posted a school calendar. You know what this tells me? Tweed is expecting an uptick in cases, and the science people keep saying that there's going to be a second wave. I firmly believe at some point, we'll be 100% once again. DOE has no idea how this year is going to play out. However, we deserve to know our work schedule for planning purposes. I wonder how hard Mulgrew has pushed if any for a calendar release.
On transfers, I did not say it was not in the contract. Read what I wrote: "So the guy who keeps asking for a transfer should know that this is not something we bargain for in NY. In some states it is explicitly bargained for, must be, by law. Not the case in NY."
I know why you misread me; it's a subtle but decisive difference.
In NY we have the right to collective bargaining. For what? Explicitly by law, only four things, wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment, and grievance procedures. Transfers are not included. We may bargain for them but we don't have the legal right to, so, like so much else in our so-called contract, it is part of an agreement but the union has no leverage to or incentive to push it. In other states it is a legal bargaining right and so it gives the union leverage because it will be, not implicitly, but will be explicitly, by law bargained for.
We are NY weak.
Sorry and good luck.
Local: Encourage staff and students not to make their own health risk decisions. Encourage everyone to see their doctor first.
UFT context:
Asking school chapters if they would like to strike one day before a deal with the mayor is not engagement. It is calculated hem-hawing to keep all power in the hands of two men. Teachers- the majority women who pay taxes and union dues- have still not been polled.
The question is not: Do we want to strike?, but How do we operate our schools safely?
If students’ families get to choose blended or remote, why are teachers- who are at increased risk by age definition- are not given the same opportunity? Are we not citizens? Do our at-risk family members not count as much as the students’ families? We are all New Yorkers. We are the same community.
The UFT did not stick to their “3 prongs.” The third prong of universal testing was not met but eliminated. We will be returning to schools next week with unknown cases already present.
A random testing system to be implemented well after the buildings are full is like joining a relay-race after the other teams have already completed one lap.
U.S. Context:
There is growing evidence that the President is going for “herd immunity” and letting the virus run over the country. This will affect NYC. This will affect Black and Brown people the most.
We are the densest city in the country. We should take a more cautious approach than other parts of the country, not less. NJ, LA, Chicago and Boston are all being more careful.
NYC Context:
Are these decisions based on what is best for student learning, or is it a calculated move by DeBlasio to get more low-income people back into jobs that they don’t feel comfortable going to?
We need to think big picture. The mayor is covering himself for upcoming evictions. Our public school system is part the mayor’s plan of continuing to neglect our skyrocketing amount of homeless families. He knows this problem will get worse and yet has made moves to begin to end the houseless in hotels program.
Opening schools is fiscally irresponsible. Does the city have the money to pay out for all the lawsuits of people who will get sick or die, or will we not be recompensed? Consider the endless struggles for first responders from 9/11.
It is more fiscally sensical to remain all remote for the beginning. We will save on PPE, building infrastructure, additional cleaning and additional staff.
Why don’t sites for essential workers remain open as in the spring staffed by volunteer teachers and staff earning hazard pay?
Switching back and forth between physical classes and online classes will be too confusing for students. It will also trigger the trauma of the spring.
Consider: We should have socio-emotional check in days, not lessons, at most school buildings. Once per marking period for each student, or what makes sense for the school, they should come. On these days they can receive a health check up, necessary school materials, and engage with a small group of students for some social and physical activity.
Separating the building activity with lessons will cut down on confusion and extra staffing needs. A small group of staff earning hazard pay will not be hard to find.
There will not be the expectation of normal for students or teachers which will further traumatize them.
NO medical testing of any kind should be mandated for anyone, teacher or student. The City can get away with it for employees (so much for ADA and Title VII) but why would the Union ask for this? Parents should be in front of City Hall with pitchforks. If no one speaks up now the mass mandated vaccinations will come next.
Why not participate and find out
UFT TOWNHALL 3 30
Their elected Chapter Leaders and Delegates made the decision.
Jesus Shelley, you want to get into intricacies of law. By your theory of law, we can't push any topics that are not mandatory subjects of bargaining. By your view of our NY weakness, we would never win a class size grievance because class size isn't a mandatory subject of bargaining. The UFT pushes these and often wins them. The UFT can push it if it is in our contract. And it stays in until both management and labor agree to remove it.
Where one works is a term and condition of employment. I have seen many transfer grievances won.
urrently wondering if guinea pigs have better unions than #nycteachers
NYCMayor
ends his briefing by recounting a question he was asked yesterday on CNN, about how the city has kept the infection rate down these last few months.
"How we went from worst to first,"
More than 23,000 NYC residents died in the process. Feels like a weird victory.
On Transfers.
Were it in the law, as it is other sates, such as California, where wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment, grievance procedures, AND transfers, layoffs, evaluations, fringe
benefits, leaves, class load, and class size MUST all be bargained for, the comparisons that I read here constantly, to unions in other states where the laws are very different might hold water. But they don't.
Problem is the members of our union think we are strong, that these things are set in law. They are not. Why not? That's a question worth looking in to.
What powers do we really have when we sit to bargain? And how do these, and more often the lack of such powers, keep the poor guy who has applied for a transfer for decades from getting one.
1:53 not to mention the 20% unemployment, billions in debt, and escalating violence due to the draconian and endless restrictions.
Why is there hardly any discussion about how this is all going to work? How can any school plan when they don't know how many students will show up? There are thousands of teachers who still don't know what, where, and when we are teaching.
Teacher Layoffs are in NYstate law. Chicago is only legally allowed to strike over wages. Except for seniority differentials, wages were the only thing the two sides agreed on throughout most of the 2019 Chicago strike. The law is not as important as you think if the rank and file are out in the streets.
Long Island schools are open. I’m sure teachers that work in the city and live in Long Island will be sending their Long Island kids to school. How can Long Island open and the city remain remote/closed? Makes no sense. I do feel safe, and with proper precautions (masks, distancing, etc...) we will be safe! Let’s get positive, stay safe, and teach! I bet many of these kids going to school are super excited to be back. Let’s make it work for them. This will def be a year to remember. Good luck to all those resigning and best of luck to those that decided to retire. For those that don’t want to go in, FMLA or a leave of absence is probably the best thing.
Unfortunately, no one cares about Sped or Sped teacher... Especially other teachers. This was true when the so called union allowed SPED teachers to be evaluated by the Danielson rubric and test scores. Union didn't fight to protect SPED teacher. UFT/DOE will talk about how important services are.. It is all a lie. Buy everything yourself like, you
you always do. Lay awake at night and question your life choices.
Who exactly do you idiots think you will learn at the town hall?
There was never a strike threat. Mulgrew was never going to jail, never risking dues or his salary. You are fools if you believe that there was ever any chance. It was personal, but then we go back to the same situation?
Teachers' Union President Said Disagreements With City Were 'Personal' After Deaths
The United Federation of Teachers finally reached an agreement with city officials on Tuesday morning after months of clashing with Mayor de Blasio and the Department of Education over safety measures that would protect students, teachers, and staff from COVID-19 upon returning to school. UFT President Michael Mulgrew called the disagreements between the city and his union "personal", citing deaths within the organization in March.
“This wasn’t about our wages. This wasn’t about our benefits. We did not want what happened in our school systems to ever happen again,” Mulgrew said in an interview with Inside City Hall Anchor Errol Louis on Tuesday evening.
“Because so many of our members passed away, this was something that was deeply personal and we had all made a commitment to each other that we had to have certain things before we go back into school.”
Mulgrew, who represents over 130,000 school-based members, said 73 members passed away, most of whom were paraprofessionals.
The fight to protect city educators and students lasted until this morning. Mulgrew revealed negotiations were underway until about 9:45 am Tuesday morning, just before the mayor’s daily press briefing. During that briefing, Mayor de Blasio announced he would be delaying the reopening of schools. Under the revised plan, students will no longer be entering schools on September 10. They will now start remote learning on September 16 and begin in-person classes on the 21 of September.
Questions still linger around staffing issues. Mulgrew says the city's plan will not work with the existing workforce. The union president said personnel will be moved around to accommodate the city's blended model program. He also said the city will have to hire more personnel. The likeliness of new hires remains unclear as the city faces a $9 billion deficit.
Mulgrew took a shot at the federal government, saying their response to the pandemic and its impact on the education system was unsatisfactory.
“Every elected official has stood up and said, 'We need to get our schools open and we have to open up safely,' but in order to do this, you are going to need more personnel, you are going to need more funding because all of the safety measures that have to be put in place,” he said. “I mean, a complete failure on behalf of the federal government to do anything to support this.”
If the rank and file are out in the streets in NY, when they are supposed to be in classrooms, a militant strategy I strongly supported in our recent fiasco, a strategy our weak union only bluffed about, they would be breaking the law. The law, if followed or broken is the most important fact or in this. Our union elected to follow the law. We did not strike. We threatened to break the law, but we didn't do it. Most members were afraid to break the law, and of the consequences of breaking the law. The law is critical to any assessment of our failure here these past few weeks but this blog is fixated on the weakness of leadership or lack of leadership and anyone who tries to shift the focus to other weaknesses is made to look a fool. Please. The constant comparison of the Unity/UFT to other unions in other states is broken fucking record. Did a little deeper. Be open to other approaches.
The law is very significant here.
Moreover, we need organize to change the law.
One method is to break unfair, unjust laws.
We decided against that.
Now, perhaps if we educate ourselves about the law we can change it by other means.
My Cl just told us that if someone gets us sick in the building, the days come out of our CAR as part of the agreement.
WOW.
I know that with all the news and confusing information that was just given today you are at odds on what to do - so here are some information that are clear enough that can help ease some anxiety you may have.....
This information is the latest I found out from my Chapter Leader Meeting and Delegate Assembly Meeting Yesterday, READ CAREFULLY......
BLENDED IN-PERSON/ BLENDED REMOTE FACULTY (BE HAPPY YOU ARE IN THE BUILDING):
You are allowed now in the building since we are NOT STRIKING (see next email) .....Chapter Leader VOTE: 82% in Favor and 17% Against for the UFT Safety Protocol which the UFT has an AGREEMENT with the NYCDOE....UFT SAFETY PROTOCOL MUST be adhered to and if NOT UFT MEMBER MUST CONTACT THE CHAPTER LEADER who will CONTACT the UFT DIRECTLY to fix the issue, for example, there are NO MASKS in the building- Chapter Leaders will be checking on this constantly and if a Chapter leader is told the building has NONE, the Chapter Leader is to immediately CONTACT the UFT and inform them of the VIOLATION OF THE SAFETY PROTOCOL WHICH MAY LEAD TO THE CLOSURE OF HAVE THE SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY.......
MAKE SURE TO WEAR PROTECTIVE GEAR ANYTIME YOU WALK IN THE BUILDING
I will be getting the information from UFT Safety and DOE about the School Walkthrough on Thursday, September 3rd, 2020....
Blended In-Person Class Size in the Building will follow the Class Size Model (3K-15 Students, Pre-K 18 Students, Kindergarten 25 Students, and 1st grade to 5th grade- 32 Students, include ICT-60/40 and 12:1:1 )
Blended Remote Person Class Size in the Remote World has DOUBLE THE SIZE OF A REGULAR Class Size Model (3K-30 Students, Pre-K 36 Students, Kindergarten 50 Students, and 1st grade to 5th grade- 64 Students)
Remember if you are a Blending In-Person Teacher you are teaching the students in front of you that are in the building and another Teacher will be completing the Blended Remote Teacher part where ever another Teacher has availability in their Schedule......
ALL TEACHERS MUST HAVE A COMPLETE SCHEDULE, otherwise they will be doing REMOTE TEACHING even if they are in the Building.....
According to a Chapter Meeting we had YESTERDAY, Dr. Tobia indicated the following when it comes to how we are going to get ready for children before they enter our building by Monday, September 21, 2020: see below..
September 8th and 9th: Classroom Setup (including Google Classroom) and Lunch/Prep
September 10th, 11th, 14th, and 15th: Professional Development and Lunch/Prep
September 16th, 17th, 18th: REMOTE Orientation (this is an Introduction to Parents and Students to know who their teachers will be, Social Emotional Games and FUN will happen and you will show the Parents and Students how to Navigate in the Remote World) - YOU WILL BE ON LIVE FOR 1 HOUR ON THOSE DAYS ( this is not LIVE STREAMING BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT RECORDING YOURSELF)
September 21st: IS THE OFFICIAL START DATE FOR INSTRUCTION!!!!!!!
Advance Ratings this year will be an S/U System.....
REMOTE ONLY FACULTY:
You are allowed now in the building since we are NOT STRIKING - which means you have until the END of this week to pick up your personal belongings.....
You are NOT ALLOWED in the Building when the Faculty is officially to report which is Tuesday, September 8th, 2020
Remote ONLY Class Size Class Size in the Building will follow the Class Size Model (3K-15 Students, Pre-K 18 Students, Kindergarten 25 Students, and 1st grade to 5th grade- 32 Students, include ICT-60/40 and 12:1:1)
According to a Chapter Meeting we had TODAY, Dr. Tobia indicated the following when it comes to how we are going to get ready for children before they enter our building by Monday, September 21, 2020: see below..
September 8th and 9th: Setup Google Classroom MORE INFO TO COME (THEY ARE WORKING ON IT) and Lunch/Prep
September 10th, 11th, 14th, and 15th: Professional Development and Lunch/Prep
September 16th, 17th, 18th: REMOTE Orientation (this is an Introduction to Parents and Students to know who their teachers will be, Social Emotional Games and FUN will happen and you will show the Parents and Students how to Navigate in the Remote World) - YOU WILL BE ON LIVE FOR 1 HOUR ON THOSE DAYS ( this is not LIVE STREAMING BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT RECORDING YOURSELF)
September 21st: IS THE OFFICIAL START DATE FOR INSTRUCTION!!!!!!!
Advance Ratings this year will be an S/U System.....
All Windows MUST BE OPEN whether your AC Unit is ON or OFF they have to be OPEN......this helps the AIR FLOW in the Rooms......
DO NOT BLOCK THE WINDOWS or out anything on the RADIATORS or BLOCK A VENT.....
ALL CLOSETS should be CLEANED OUT so they are NOT BLOCKING the VENTILATION SYSTEM....
Since we have not been in the building since March it is important to know that the BUGS and RODENTS may have been in papers, books, and anything else they can get to.....Cleaning is ESSENTIAL and if you will NEVER use items or supplies again then THROW IT AWAY.........
IF ANY VENT IS NOT CLEANED BY NOW.....PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send an email with a pic to Najeria and CC'd me on it since I have been told I will be getting SAFETY SURVEYS during the school year.....
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE 30 DAY SUPPLY OF MASKS, HAND SANITIZER, AND GLOVES PER ROOM.....
ALL IN-PERSON TEACHERS: COVID-19 Test and Anti body Test before you enter the building officially is NOT A MANDATE, it's a SUGGESTION......
ALL IN-PERSON TEACHERS: COVID-19 Test if you are picked randomly is a MANDATE - if you Choose NOT to take the COVID-19 TEST you automatically are assigned to an UNPAID LEAVE.......
COVID-19 Testing Schedule: September 21st to October 1st ( first batch of testing)
After October 1st COVID-19 Testing will be Random based on the number of people in the building and if your neighborhoods COVID-19 Cases start to increase....
Parents who refuse to have their child/children take the COVID-19 TEST will be told their child/children MUST GO REMOTE.......
THINK OF THIS YEAR LIKE WE ARE BECOMING A MINIMALISTS IN THE SCHOOL......
And one more thing, what do people on a UFT blog know about the streets and strike?
Nothing. They read about it. It happens across the nation, even in Red states, but it doesn't happen here. Not in the teacher's union it doesn't. To extrapolate from strikes of other unions in other states where there are critical differences, like the laws, is a pastime. Even if were extrapolate from our most recent transit workers strike we would find ourselves on thin ice.
Knowledge is power.
Educate the members and you will have a far more powerful union.
Learn about the laws that keep us weak and grow stronger.
Disobey your lord and master, Michael Mulgrew, and take to the streets to demand the schools go fully remote. If it saves only one life, and it will (and it may be your’s), it will be worth it. Mulgrew obviously made a deal to temporarily stave off layoffs. They’re still going to come, regardless if there’s a strike or there isn’t - but at least teachers won’t be on ventilators. Revolt!!! or Shut up and Obey....
Mmm Hmmm. I voted NO. Advised everyone I know to do same...
Guess what?
Now I'm locked out of the town hall.
Registered several days ago...have a confirmation number....e-mailed and texted my CL, e-maild my DR and Lord Barr himself...and I still haven't gotten the call to join.
Hmmmm wonder why....
Mmm Hmmm. I voted NO. Advised everyone I know to do same...
Guess what?
Now I'm locked out of the town hall.
Registered several days ago...have a confirmation number....e-mailed and texted my CL, e-maild my DR and Lord Barr himself...and I still haven't gotten the call to join.
Hmmmm wonder why....
@TeachNY
They’re not in Westchester, even Yonkers is 100% remote until 10/1 - parents, who can afford it are hiring private tutors for small groups at $120 per hour. TeachNY, you're rationalizing a very bad decision for NYC teachers. The thing to remember is that Long Island and Westchester schools actually mop floors and clean common areas on a regular basis. Most of the high schools in the Bronx don’t even have ventilation systems. The Grace Dodge campus building was dirtier than any subway I’ve ever been to been in. I saw rats in the cafeteria - not mice. Teachers there caught Covid, reported it to the UFT and DOE and were ignored.
9:12 Just CL
I agree with you
@10:07... since you're a Mulgrew hack why don't you just go ahead and tell us ahem THE FACTS.
@ 1:46 pm
What does Mulgrew have to say about abusive administrators? Or teachers being bullied
by Administrators into passing ALL students. What say he about these events?
@ 1:46 pm
What does Mulgrew have to say about abusive administrators? Or teachers being bullied
by Administrators into passing ALL students. What say he about these events?
@ Shelly
Im curious:
Would you say striking is the only method to break unfair/unjust law? If no, could you share ideas on additional methods?
What are other approaches?
@3:47 pm and you won't. It's a game against the free thinker. You don't know the secret hand shake so you can't get in. Only zombies are allowed.
@5:37 PM - Mr. Zucker did not explain to you that doctors will not risk loosing their license. If you do not have the medical conditions suggested, then no ethical doctor will write a letter for you.
If you have any type of medical condition with the heart or lung and you/your doctor have proof, then have your doctor write a note. Any condition that may possibly lower the function of your body's immune system should also be considered. Think outside the box and not just the CDC risk factors.
There is so much to learn about COVID-19 that the consideration of a variety of medical conditions would be advisable.
Good luck.
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