Despite an alleged news “embargo” the media has already let the cat out of the bag. Last night’s Executive Board meeting, originally put over a day to receive the fact-finding report, was chaired by Weingarten to hold a “discussion” about whether the report should be used as the basis of our contract negotiations or whether we should strike.
While it was clear which direction she preferred it was disappointing to read in the New York Times this morning that the “choice” was already made.
We all know what a strike will mean to our Union. It is not a secret that we have done nothing to prepare ourselves to raise a credible threat. When the original 8 page contract proposal was first offered two years ago many of us urged that we start preparing for a strike. We were personally attacked and labeled as “crazies” for even mentioning the “S” word in its full length.
Now we know. We will accept anything as long as our union leaders can keep feeding at the trough. In fact our dues were just increased over a dollar a month.
The fact-finding report is a document of complete givebacks. We do not “win” anything when the mayor allows us to teach. Tenure, job security and other supposed wins were clever negotiating tactics that our leadership swallowed hook, line and sinker.
The Times article was not fully accurate. The fact-finding report must be read in its entirety. Every Union member will get a copy shortly and the Chapter Leaders will get one this afternoon at the meeting. The following is some of the “lowlights” without the “spin.”
EXTRA TIME
1. 10 more minutes each day added to our “100 minutes”: 30 MINUTES MORE OF TEACHING TIME EACH DAY
2. TWO LESS DAYS OF SUMMER VACATION
3. ONE LESS HOLIDAY
4. TEN MORE “FREE COVERAGES” A YEAR
GRIEVANCE RIGHTS
NO RIGHT TO GRIEVE LETTERS TO THE FILE
SUPERVISORS WRITE A LETTER AND IT GOES INTO YOUR PERSONNEL FILE: NO QUESTIONS ASKED!
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
1. LUNCH DUTY
2. POTTY PATROL
3. HALL DUTY
4. INVOLUNTARY ASSIGNMENT TO POSITION AT PRINCIPAL’S DISCRETION
SENIORITY RIGHTS
1. NO MORE SENIORITY TRANSFERS
2. WEAKENED EXCESSING RIGHTS- PRINCIPALS MAY PICK AND CHOOSE
SALARY
First year -ZERO
Second year - 2%
First six months of third year - 3.5% (almost half of which is paid for with givebacks)
Second six months of third year - 5.5% (all of which is paid for with givebacks)
8 comments:
disgusting, disgusting, disgusting...so we will work longer days, lose a couple of days of vacation and have to do 10 free coverages per year (that is a givebacvk of about $350?)
we are losing so many rights??? I mean we won't be able to grieve letters that are written from the all-powerful,usually vengeful principals? We will have to do potty patrol???
I wouldn't vote for a contract like that....and I hope that it gets voted down.
Shame on over-paid, underqualified Randi Weingarten...she has f*cked the teachers of NYC....
Any why did the union dues go up again? What does my $915 pay for, anyway?
By the way, the teachers in Commack got a great deal--they got 20 percent over 5 years--the top salary at the end of their contract will be $129K. They had almost no givebacks!
While I was reading the details of the panel's recommendation, I kept getting distracted by a high-pitched sound. The more I read, the louder it got. Then, I realized what I was hearing: the sound of Al Shanker spinning in his grave. This contract would return us to the dark ages.
It's time to finally picket the UFT office with chants of "Randi must go"- she has done NADA in the whole time she has been in charge to improve the conditions of her workers and the increases in pay were in response to increased hours-
Every teacher who retired while the expired contract was still in effect and lets "Muleface" stick a zero per cent retro up our collective asses should wake up NOW and start calling the union every day insisting that this is NOT acceptable
Vitriol won't get you what you want or need. (You know the honey vs. vinegar thing.)
Face facts: Bloomberg will win the election. You have no leverage. You compromise with gritted teeth, or you fight it, and get even less.
Where did you get the idea that retirees get no retro? Learn to read, teacher!
"We recommend that WITH THE EXCEPTION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RETIRED SINCE THE EXPIRATION OF THE LAST CONTRACT, those eleigible for retroactive salary increases must be in acive service on Sept. 12, 2005 ..." (Report and Recommendations of the Fact Finding Panel," p. 37.
Post #5 (anonymous) said:
"Face facts: Bloomberg will win the election. You have no leverage. You compromise with gritted teeth, or you fight it, and get even less."
I have news for you buddy--I have another option...I am going to quit at the end of this school year as are a lot of the people I work with. We are tired of all the BS. I won't strike and I won't harm my students but I won't accept any of this tripe as a contract. (at this point I would guess that the fact finding is the best case scenario for us--and I bet any settlement with Bloomberg would be far bleaker for teachers and for kids...and you are right, Bloomberg will win--but in the end--who will lose? The children of NYC) I can work for the year and then leave....watch in June to see how many retirements and how many resignations there are...and who loses? The kids, of course. Thank you Mayor Bloomberg and thank you Chancellor Klein for caring about NYC kids so much and being so wise...oh, wait--isn't the expression "penny wise, pound foolish?"
All these anonymous posting are making for a very confusing dialogue. Can't we be a little creative and invent user names for ourselves?
As I read it, both (all?) the anonymouses are partly right. Anyone who retired in June '04 gets the shaft. Their pension is increased by 0%. Subsequent retirees get only minimal pension adjustments.
Anyone who's planning to leave ASAP will have to work one full year after the final raise kicks in to get the maximum (about $90,400) as their final year's salary.
And, of course, this is all contingent on our actually receiving the PERB-recommended contract. I wouldn't count on getting the entire amount, unless the mayor suddenly becomes benevolent.
Freddy Ferrer should court the union vote.
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