Wednesday, May 12, 2021

LIVE BLOGGING FROM MAY DELEGATE ASSEMBLY

 Mulgrew Report

Looking at way to keep hybrid DA's for next school year. Resolutions are backing up with a half hour question period.

Federal

Recognizing nurses, teachers, and others. Nurses went through a lot last year. They got through it and they deserve the appreciation they should be getting.

Infrastructure package turning into a big deal. Trying to make it bipartisan. Infrastructure includes schools. Rich Mantell working with construction unions and others. Trying to get schools in any package. Voting rights playing out in each state. Vote is a precious thing. Craziness based on lies is a shame on the country at this point in time.

State

The big ugly at end of a legislative session may be coming. Legislators have to vote for everything. No assurances that our health care will work with the state healthcare bill. Nothing out there for homelessness.  Mayor counts things as he wishes but many people don't have homes. Homeless students growing. State budget best we've had for education but the complete abdication of responsibility on homeless situation. city should hang its head in shame. Albany blames city, city blames Albany. Enough of that. Big challenge but it would help if we could get tens of thousands in a permanent housing situation.

Summer School

Can we get enough members who want to work in summer school? Most of summer school will be done in person with a few exceptions for 683 students who have heavy-duty medical issues. Posting up for 683 but nothing else. It's better than it was at this time last year but worried that everything will have to go through City Hall. Medical accommodations sunset at the end of June. Regular process in effect for next year. Vaccination status is a personal choice; it is not part of a medical accommodation process. We will see how many students and teachers we get for summer school. If we have 100,000 more students, we may need to go to city to negotiate a package to incentivize summer school teaching.

PD Days at the end of the year: unless city can prove that there is a need to have people coming in the building, we can stay remote. On the clerical day, people working remotely not on a medical accommodation can be asked to come in. 

Next school year

If we continue on our current path, there is a real possibility our school system will be fully open in September. 3 foot distance might be gone. Country moving toward 70%. At 70%, herd immunity should have virus dissipate. CDC should change regulations for schools before school starts. Biden predicts this by July 4.  The calendar is out. We have exactly 180 aidable days. PD days count as part of the 180. No room to change it. SBO's to move Parent evenings and days can be done. Trying to get preapproved DOE-UFT menu for preapproved SBOs. If we are back to the regular collective bargaining agreement, there are no cameras. We won't approve SBOs to have people teaching on camera. The School system should be told to program as if all are coming to school in September. We need to stop silliness now. Want mayor to announce that decision is made that we are open. "Our children need....." campaign. We have our five-point plan. DOE talks about CBO's. Debbie Poulos comes on that SBOs are going to be on election Buddy should be up within next two weeks. No votes yet but the information will be coming shortly. 

Mulgrew again: It's our SBO's, not the principal.  Training with college and career counselors to make sure graduates get an hour. CUNY and SUNY have partnered with us. Curfuffle with DOE. Intervention teams have started. Likes new chancellor a lot but DOE is in the last year with the current mayor. We can make some changes in the middle of the school year but we don't want to lose this year. Pushing agenda forward. 

Healthcare report: Municipal Labor Council worked with NY Presbyterian so we can see bills and audit them to see what is inside them. 1.3 million covered by healthcare that MLC covers. RFP stalled on retiree healthcare. We won't agree to something that does not include every doctor that accepts Medicare. Retiree Chapter forming committee. Active people should do the same. 20% retiree healthcare covered by the city. It is important to have a standing healthcare committee to talk about the negative and positive aspects of it. Overall healthcare plan sunsets next year.

3% raise on May 14. Different titles get paid at different times. That is the last raise for this round of bargaining. We have to form a negotiating team for the next contract. This contract runs out in September 2022. We need a large negotiating committee with each chapter (bargaining unit) negotiating. We need that in place in October. If there is an opportunity to get a contract, we will move. Final retro check will be in the middle of July. Retiree trustees will get information out on upping TDA for this pay period. People want to know how to up percentage for that check and that check only but there are limitations on summer payroll so trustees are investigating what can be done. Member Assistance hotline is open. People are struggling. Will send out in Chapter Leader Update. We want people to use the hotline for others too. Spring Conference on Saturday. It will be mostly digital with a small group at the union on the second floor.

Politics

At this moment, three front candidates. Mr. Yang, Mr. Stringer and Mr. Adams. They poll who is first and second because of ranked-choice voting. We don't know when we will get the results. It took three weeks to get city council results on one race. Bloomberg had an anti-public school agenda. Schools set up to have the neediest students called failures. Schools closed and new ones took higher achieving students. Accountability system set up to fail certain schools. The whole thing was a shell game. Other issue was the expansion of charter schools and the lack of accountability. Bradley Tusk ran this for Bloomberg and is now running Yang campaign. Adams working with Jenny Sidelis from Students First. Yang's inability to answer questions and Adams' relationships and donors are a problem. Stringer has a sexual harassment complaint against him. We support anyone's right to make an allegation. There has to be due process after that. A Group of unions has funded an independent expenditure group on behalf of Stringer. Race is a big mess but now there are three people who right now look viable. Some lower-tier candidates moving up but our people are looking at it closely. Yang and Adams working with people who are proven enemies of public education who want to get back into City Hall.

We have a real shot at having a regular school year next year. We hope that optimism comes true. It would be nice to get past this pandemic. We should be proud of what we accomplished.

Staff Director's Report

Leroy Barr gave some dates of events. Teacher Appreciation week, nurse appreciation day, and provider appreciation day. Chapter leader elections are underway. For uncontested seats, send in CL certification forms. June 13 5k walk to raise money for UFT disaster relief fund. Spoke to reso maker on tax the rich who withdrew it. Recognizes Ed Al_Fitr

Question Period

Question: CL from D 24, staff conference and faculty conference, will we go back to extended day and are September and May parent conferences still happening?

Mulgrew Answer: We are working under the regular contract for next school year unless something changes. SBOs coming. Parent-teacher conferences in the calendar. We want to consolidate SBO votes.

Question: Google classroom plus digital portfolios and what about June 22 primary day?

Answer: Schools are open on primary day. We had to adjust the calendar as we started two weeks late. We pushed for DOE to move voting out of the schools. Many ballot locations moved out of schools. Leroy Barr will follow up. If a teacher wants to do Google classroom, that is okay. We can't agree to that being mandated. That has to be part of a collective bargaining process. Money attached to each school to set up asynchronous learning on election day because DOE can't mandate a digital classroom. This has to be ironed out in a collective bargaining process. Classic collective bargaining issue. We have to deal with snow days too. We need real negotiations.

Question:  Harbor School CL, early retirement incentive, do you have anything you can share?

Answer: Yesterday, was not in a good mood on the ERI. We had dialogue with the city today and we will be talking to them tomorrow and Friday as well. We will see where it goes. There was movement in the right direction from yesterday's town hall to today. This is going to be tough.

Question: Para rep in Queens, do we have two days less on our calendar because there are no snow days?

Answer: Yes because all of the holidays fall on the calendar so there are less days. The two days after labor day are holidays. For 2022-23, it looks like we are going to be down to 179 days. There are less reporting days.

Question: Brooklyn CL salutes her DR, will there still be COVID testing in September? They only tested 8 today.

Answer: How many they test is based on average attendance. Positivity rate below .3. It was .6 from December through a few weeks back and now it has dropped to .3. Can't say if there will be testing in September. Stopping real spread in school is about testing. We have more testing in our school system than any system in the country. We get a report every morning and now feel confident we are heading in the right direction. Reading test reports was a sickening feeling when during the second wave. We will wait and see what doctors say.

Question: D75 teacher is pretty confused about 683 for summer school. How will it work for staff? Students not vaccinated. How do we maintain social distancing? 

Answer: Building was tight to begin with. Mary Vaccarro will put it top of the agenda for consultation. Vaccination is a tough issue. We can't mandate seeing a vaccination status. New building coming for this school as these are some of the neediest students. 

Question: Bronx delegate, union battling with hospitals and now we are privatizing healthcare for retirees. Why aren't we supporting healthcare act in Albany?

Answer: MLC against this. Senior care plan we have is managed by a private provider that is not for profit. Bill in Albany does not work for us. We have 300,000-500,000 people uninsured in NYS. It's not a lot in terms of the state. We will try to work with anyone to get everyone insured. Something is wrong with our entire system. We are not going to give away tens of millions with a bill that doesn't work for our members. We are all in a private service that manages our healthcare. That bill will cost you a lot of money.

Question: Guidelines for graduations?

Answer: Last year they said no graduations and graduations still happened. It can be done safely in places like football fields. This is aggravating. We should get City Council to yell at them too.

Question: MOA for this year is up June 30, is there going to be another one?

Answer: Once we are out of our health emergency, it automatically sunsets June 30. We are going to work under our contract after that. If DOE wants something else, they have to bring it to the table. We will work with them on snow day issue because we could lose days where we were scheduled to be off.

Question: Vaccine and asking about it. If someone is vaccinated, do they have to quarantine?

Answer: Vaccination program worked quite well. We shut down principals who tried to keep vaccinated people in buildings when there was COVID in a classroom. Privacy issues. If a classroom is closed down and you want to come to work, you can come in. If you want to stay out, you can. Up to you.

New Motion Period:

Celebrate Provider Appreciation Day for this month's agenda. Maker of the motion reads the motion. The resolution had 94% yes and 6% no

The next motion was to celebrate Nurses Appreciation Day. Maker reads the motion. 94% yes and 6% No.

David Pecoraro has resolution to support David Weprin for next month's agenda. Talks about us opposing candidates. We have never supported a comptroller candidate who does not have a BA. Like Liz Cheney I stand on principle. Leaving DA because of backing David Weprin. He is the most qualified person to be Comptroller. He stands up for our members including his 91-year-old mom. We support a candidate who is not leading in the mayor's race but we should support the candidate for the comptroller who is not looking to eventually be mayor. We could be in a fiscal crisis. We need the most qualified person to be comptroller and that is Weprin. 

VP Karen Alford spoke against who rose to speak against Weprin. Weprin is not the most qualified candidate. Corey Johnson oversees an $88.2 billion budget. Corey Johnson has been our friend. Appointed former teachers to be there for what we need. Corey has supported us. He made sure that all of our members to keep our jobs. He has supported all of our UFT supported programs. 

25% Yes-75% No.

Leroy Barr suggests a motion to extend to do endorsements. It needs a 2/3 vote.

77% Yes-23% No

Karen Alford speaks again for Corey Johnson. UFT treasurer Tom Brown follows up. Then another in favor. Mulgrew asks for a speaker against. Someone from D24 opposes Johnson. Credible sexual assault allegations for mayor is one and one is opposing defunding the police and increasing social services. That was followed by a DR speaking in favor.

82% Yes-18% No

More endorsements followed for the ones that were rejected last month. 

They passed easily.

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

The answer to the question re: September and May PTC is odd. They are not on the calendar.

Dr_Dru said...

James, did I hear Mulgrew say that he would never do "medicaire for all" or single-payer because it takes away a bargaining chip!?!?

Why would that be a problem? Because we would then only discuss working conditions????

Anonymous said...

So a teacher asks about Monday PD and Tuesday parent engagement time for next year. Mulgrew's response? "We are working under the normal contract unless something changes". What in the hell does that mean? The only way the workday can change for next year is if the DOE asks the UFT to change Monday and Tuesday back to instructional time and Mulgrew agrees to it. WE NEED TO HAVE A SAY IN ANY CHANGE TO OUR WORKDAY NEXT YEAR! Sure, lots of teachers hate the Monday PD and parent engagement time, but most prefer it to a longer instructional day. Make Monday and Tuesday extended time an SBO choice for how it is used. Oh yeah, don't even get me started on why we have that extended time to begin with. For all the newbies out there, I'll fill you in. In 2005 Weingarten agreed to a longer Monday and Tuesday in exchange for a "raise". Well guess what? IT WAS NOT A RAISE. She agreed to a longer day in exchange for more pay. Rank and file teachers had no choice but to vote for this because we needed more money. The old timers like me remember this and share it with the newbies to let them know that the UFT honchoes can never be trusted.

Anonymous said...

So we go from “City not interested in negotiating an Early Retirement Incentive” yesterday to three days of negotiations. I’m grateful that conversations are taking place. I’ll be eternally grateful if an agreement is reached. Fingers crossed 🤞.

Anonymous said...

LOL. You aren't gonna get a say in any of that. Except when you vote for him again next year. Or until you opt out. good luck.

Anonymous said...

We exchanged the longer school day for money and homerooms for a professional period. Teachers are not very bright people!

Unknown said...

Think about this. The membership still has not been fully paid for a contract that expired
2011 (last payment to be made this July). Thats right 10 years ago and we still have yet to be paid. It is time for the city to make up for this inequity Pass the ERI

Not will to die yet said...

7:01 , I agree with you.
I am beginning to think that a lot of what Mulgrew says is for the drama factor.

He will never let us know the situation until it benefits him.

Anonymous said...

"f we continue on our current path, there is a real possibility our school system will be fully open in September. 3 foot distance might be gone. Country moving toward 70%. At 70%, herd immunity should have virus dissipate."

Mulgrew is a fool. He isn't a scientist. 70% is not H.I. nowhere is this a reasonable number mentioned by people who know what they are talking about. Does this guy drive a Hummer with the chrome balls hanging on the trailer hitch? Seriously, he needs to realize how limits. Someone likes to hear himself talk- shit that is.

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew doesn’t want Medicare for all because the democrat establishment doesn’t want it. He works for them, not us. How can anyone expect change in our union when the majority of dues payers can’t grasp that fact. He does what the democrats want, not what we want.

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew actually has the stupidty to send us an email reminding us how shitty our contract is 7.7 increase over 43 months. Almonst half of it we get now.

Wait to see what garbage we get in Sept 2022 or if he extends the contract 2 times like the last one.

I can imanage what he will give away for nothing-starting before Labor Day? Working past June 28th? or Longer school day and/or year? I can see the same crap from 2005-
Oh you guys are getting a 15% raise-in exchange for 2 hours more a week or exta weeks of school/work.-Unfortunately all teachers see is the money and not realize we are giving up our time off so it will not be an actual raise.

All I can hope is that teachers will be smarter this time. We know now we are babysitters in addition to teachers and that chancellor/mayor will want us babysitting until 4 or 5 pm daily. Just like summer school this year. PLEASE PEOPLE WAKE UP, BE SMART AND LEARN MATH.

Anonymous said...

605. yes and no. M4A is no longer talked about on a federal level, by either major party, but the New York Health Act that the questioner was referring to is sponsored by all Democrats. let's see if they actually pass it though.

And wouldn't it be great to not have to negotiate that anymore? It makes me think the real reason Mulgrew is opposing this is because Union leadership/Mulgrew has a personal financial stake in our healthcare negotiations, and the private sector that provides it. hmmmm someone out there must have the tea

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew is the champion of the BIG LIE.

For the many readers of this blog who prefer to regress into their childish world of fantasy
and hope, Mulgrew's BIG LIE is entirely acceptable.

However, for those who want to be respected and have a union that represents, protects and promotes their safety, this is clearly unacceptable.

The next step for the adults on this blog is to take action.

Stop whining and complaining.
Do something that will end the corruption and fake leadership of the UFT.

Anon2323 said...

Teachers' heads will explode in September with 30-34 in classrooms, kids sneezes it's going to be a code blue.

If this next contract for us is not top-notch James you are going to see bloody war between teachers and the uft. This is a major chance to unify us, cannot fuck it up.

"Like Liz Cheney I stand on principle" 😂😂😂😂😂😂. This bitch father was a war disgusting war criminal traitor! Do not forget she stood by the wars, as she says it's “libelous” to call waterboarding “torture.” She also provided moral support for Obama birther born in Kenya movement. She is so principled lol. The DOE is more principled than her.

Anonymous said...

The whining. Many people commenting here are making over 100 thousand a year and at maximum over 120. Even teachers at the ten year mark are making good salaries. And for ten months of work. Go find a job where you do better.

Anonymous said...

Breaking news - Randi Weingarten wants schools open completely, in person, in the fall. Why? Parents are turning against teachers’ unions, and vis-a-vie her and her boy wonder, Mike. Has there ever been a more ridiculous or transparent AFT president? Breaking news - AFT members want a president who puts their interests before her own. I’m hoping one day that NYC public school teachers may come to the same realization. All wants and desires come before teachers and students who want to learn- Weingarten’s, Mulgrew’s, Unity’s, deBlasio’s, CSA’s, parents’ (if they are easily manipulated and are accommodating), progressives’, Democrats’, liberals’, MBLA’s (Man-Boy Love Association), sociopathic students’ (if they are destructive and will cause serious damage to those around them), criminals’, Cuomo’s, Stringer’s, sexual harassers of all stripes (no discrimination allowed - all hail Epstein and Weinstein), abortionists (and those that seek their services), Biden, Fauci, the CDC and Satan, of course, who is the true leader of the AFT/UFT and the USA.

Anonymous said...

Did mulgrew negotiate this?

COLONIAL PIPELINE PAID HACKERS NEARLY $5 MILLION IN RANSOM

Anonymous said...

What does the hacking have anything to do with the live assembly?

Anonymous said...

10:26: You also didn't add the fact that our jobs don't end at 3:00. We have to also plan for the next day, sometimes 3 different lessons and don't forget all the grading. You never have enough time at school to do it with all the meetings and outreach you have to do. The only other job where people bring home this much work that I can think of is a lawyer and look how much they get paid.

Anonymous said...

Now discuss ny city and state taxes and what it costs to buy a home. Then tell me that Chicago teachers reach max at 14 years. Lol. It must be April Fools Day because you are a fool. If you start at 22 years old you reach max salary at 45 years old. Only a teacher could be happy with 17% in raises over 11 years.

Anonymous said...

12:37: There is faulty logic in your thinking. Are Chicago teachers making 124,000 at 14 years? If so, then it makes sense, but if we all maxed out at 14 years, max salary would be a lot less. You are also more motivated to stay in the system if you know you have longevity raises every few years.

Anonymous said...

Most teachers never had a real job in their lives besides teaching... They have no idea how the private sector works.. Their parents financed their lives and they could Not maintain the lifestyle mommy and daddy provided for them so they complain, live in expensive neighborhoods and drive cars they can't afford. Also these same people don't get that they don't have the skill set,the drive or the knowledge to command the salary they think they deserve. Also no clue that a 60000 dollar per year pension with benefits is unheard of in the private sector. And 180 days of work @6hrs 50 minutes per day... Our compensation is appropriate. PERIOD,END OF STORY. GET ANOTHER JOB, MOVE OUT OF STATE! You won't. Why not, cause you know it's true. Shut up. you sound like a whining moron.

Anonymous said...

106, you are using faulty logic. Chicago teachers may make a little less...now factor in cost of living, which James said was 42% less.

229 pm, who are you, jason goldberg or mike sill? There are tons of complaints, nonstopped complaints by dues payers and those who have opted out. Are you saying 150,000 people are all as you describe? If so, why are you a teacher? Aren't you embarrassed?

In my case, i am resigning after 1 more year, will have 20 years in the system, will be 42 years old. So I put my money where my mouth is. I wish you would have that much energy when we get substandard contracts and get treated like dirt by our union and our employer. Why do you not do anything or say anything where are your complaints? Are you content. You should shut up, you sounds like a fool. You know how much money you would have if you pout the $50k in retro in the S&P 500 starting in 2009? You don't care? That says a lot.

Anonymous said...

2:29 PM...Is that why the federal government is saying teachers are severely underpaid. You do a god job spouting unity talking points.

Anonymous said...

2:29: My parents didn't pay for my education. I had to go on loans which I paid off for 10 years after getting my Masters. I also only got my first house 2 years ago at 46 years old Don't make generalizations. Also, do all these private sector employees have to take work home with them and lesson plan for the next day and have hours of grading to do and are they hounded by their supervisors? No, when their day is over, it's over and I'm sure they don't get observed doing their jobs.

Anonymous said...

Are you talking about the Jason Goldberg the ex principal from ps151Queens who cared more about his fish tank than the students. If thats him then may you rot upstate in your little teaching job daddy got you. Couldnt cut it as a principal anywhere.

Anonymous said...

Actually no. Jason Goldberg, used to be a teacher at brooklyn college academy hs. Quit to take a $150k a year uft rep job after lying to his staff while a CL about the 2014 deal.

Anonymous said...

Does the private sector get capped at $125k per year while waiting till 45 years old to get to that salary? LOL. Does the whole country have to pay 800k for a house or pay the highest or near highest taxes in the country? Oh.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, 45 years old IF you started at 22 years old. 45 is best case scenario. Anyway, keep defending unity. I'll stick with the opt out. We each have to make our own choice.

Anonymous said...

I will stick to the teachers and retirees opposing Unity who seemed to be uniting the other night in Daniel's forum.

Anonymous said...

Opt outing freeloaders are assholes, wordd that fit.

Anonymous said...

Ok, I'm an asshole opt outer. I hope your vote counts next year. I doubt it will mean much.

Anonymous said...

UNITY UP TO THEIR OLD TRICKS TO STIFLE DISCUSSION AT DA...That was James' quote. Sounds like a reputable union.

Anonymous said...

658 is right. Is that the hill you all want to die on? That's who you are fighting for? Funny.

Anonymous said...

Still no summer school application.
No open market.
No retro.
No spring break pay.
1% raises.
A uft president who is a disgrace. (James agrees, just read what he writes)
But the private sector is horrible...LOL.
I think we can agree that opt outers have the right and reason to do so.

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew is the champion of the BIG LIE.

For the many readers of this blog who prefer to regress into their childish world of fantasy and hope, Mulgrew's BIG LIE is entirely acceptable.

However, for those who want to be respected and have a union that represents, protects and promotes their safety, this is clearly unacceptable.

The next step for the adults on this blog is to take action.

Stop whining and complaining.
Do something that will bring an end to the corruption and fake leadership of the UFT.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 2:29,

I have encountered several do-nothing teachers like yourself who put in the minimum hours and days. In fact, I do not believe you are a teacher or if you are a teacher, you must have some kind of friendship with your school administrators. These special friendships are the ones that allow certain teachers to do nothing yet get per session for everything.

Most of the teachers I have worked with put in a few extra hours here and there an do a mediocre job.

Then there are also many of us like 11:04 and 3:30 who easily put in 12 hour days and more time on school work on weekends. Add to that, the time during vacation weeks spent on school work. These are not per-session hours. Also, the non-paid,PDs during the summer, summer institute weeks at school only to find out that you are no longer teaching the grade or courses for which you spent hours and weeks planning.

6hrs and 50 minutes? 180 days of work? You are funny.

Anonymous said...

Some of us defunded the corrupt UFT. What’s your plan?

TJL said...

Nobody NEEDS to work after hours. It's nice that you're dedicated, and your students and their parents appreciate it. However you can work more efficiently and do so without affecting your teaching. Some examples:
There's no need to collect and grade voluminous amounts of work. Stop with the "exit tickets" and worksheets. Let them take notes in their notebooks. Less materials to prepare and you don't have to grade them.
Lesson plan is an outline on one sheet of loose leaf that you keep in a binder and reuse each year. You know what you're doing anyway, I don't think I've relied on a lesson plan in about 15 years.
Homework, go up and down the rows and check off who did it in your grade book. Pick one problem to scrutinize and give feedback to keep kids on their toes.
For tests use mostly or all multiple choice questions and use a Scantron.

Anonymous said...

If you’re voluntarily going to doe pd, stop. You’re learning the opposite of what benefits students. The only teachers in my school who volunteer for pd are the do nuthins. They think it makes up for sucking at their job.

Hush up on exit tickets TJL. My AP thinks every lesson I teach is highly effective because of those meaningless er I mean insightful slips of paper. I even have bullshit lines about using them to “drive instruction” that always makes her squeal with glee. Exit slips, my friends, the best lie ever invented by bureaucrats that teachers can use to their advantage but unfortunately do not benefit students in any way. Oh well. At least I’m a highly effective teacher by my AP and Danielson’s standards. Sorry kids. The NYC DOE standards for best practices screw you again. Maybe one day you’ll be put first but not today.

Anonymous said...

I would only do exit slips when I was being observed. I would pass them out and a kid would say, "But Mr. we never... " "Do your work!" I'd say.

Anonymous said...

Hi James,

Is there any chance we get an ERI?

Anonymous said...

Curious to know how much progress was made on the ERI these last three days. Also wondering if DC37 and other unions were part of these discussions.

Anonymous said...

With only 5 business days left for a decision on the early retirement incentive, does anyone know where we stand?