O.K. EVERYBODY, IT’S TIME TO TAKE THE CONTRACT QUIZ

As you ponder your vote on the proposed Contract that is basically asking us to extend the worst Contract ever for nearly three more years (almost a year remaining on the old one and two on the extension), ICE asks that you to take our Contract quiz.

Part I-- Givebacks from 2005 that continue in the two year extension that will last through 2009

• Are you happy coming back to school in August?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you content knowing that NYC educators have the longest school year (190 days) in the entire NY metropolitan region?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you satisfied with the 37.5 minute small group instructional period that most schools have to endure four days a week?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you delighted with hall patrol and cafeteria patrol for teachers?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you thrilled that UFT members are now considered guilty until proven innocent and can be suspended without pay for 90 days for certain offenses?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you filled with joy knowing that administration can write anything they want and put it in your personnel file and you can't file a grievance to get it out?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you glad that administration can write unfair/inaccurate observation reports and you can't grieve them?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you rejoicing over the fact that transfers are now based on the whims of principals as opposed to hiring committees made up of a majority teachers or seniority as they were in the past?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you elated knowing that if you are excessed you have no right to a job and new people can be hired while you are demoted to a substitute (absent teacher reserve)?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you pleased knowing that if your school is closed or redesigned you no longer have preferred placement and can be stuck as a substitute (ATR) while new people are hired?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Are you satisfied with a shorter break if you are a school secretary or more work time every day if you are a lab specialist, social worker or guidance counselor?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

Part II—The new two year extension of the worst contract ever that will last through 2009.

• When the city has billions of dollars in surplus revenues as the Stock Market sets new records, should UFT members settle for salary increases (2% in 2007 along with a $750 bonus, 5% in 2008, 0% in 2009) that do not even keep up with the current NY area annual inflation rate of 5.2%?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Do we need Randi if a kindergarten student could go in with the city, present the DC 37 settlement and say, "Me too," and get it based on 30 years of precedent saying when one city union settles, the other unions are guaranteed to receive roughly the same percentage raises without givebacks? (The DC 37 pattern settlement was 6% over 20 months; UFT's extends it a few more months to make it 7.1 %.)
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Is now the right time to settle the Contract right before Governor Elect Spitzer says he will soon settle the 14 year old Campaign for Fiscal Equity suit so there should be an influx of funds headed to the city schools?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• The NY Times reported on November 7 that Mayor Bloomberg wants "separate talks aimed at achieving crucial savings and healthcare and pension costs." Should we give Randi Weingarten and Bloomberg a "blank check" to charge us for health insurance that is now free and not let us vote on any changes as we have in the last two Contracts?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Should we agree on a new Contract when the City still has not convinced the State to come through on a 25 years in the system and 55 year old retirement plan that was promised in the last contract?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• DC 37 members won the right to live outside of the city in the current round of collective bargaining. Are these provisions actually gains for us?
  

-A new provision saying we won't get a letter for our file if charges of corporal punishment are "unsubstantiated" If charges are not substantiated, you don't get a file letter reprimanding you now.

-A new committee to reduce paper work on top of the two committees we already have in Article 8I

-A second Peer Intervention Program in addition to the one we already have but the new program is not confidential and can be used against us in 3020A hearings?

□ Yes □ No

• Should we allow the city to offer a "voluntary" severance package that is irrevocable for people who are excessed through no fault of their own and can't find regular assignments because they are not politically connected?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• If we continue not asserting ourselves, do you think the next Mayor will be any better to us when the city's labor commissioner has been James Hanley since David Dinkins was Mayor?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

• Have you been so beaten down by the school system that you are not willing to stand up for your rights and win back what was robbed from us?
  

  □ Yes □ No
  

Answer key:

The correct answer for every question is NO.

IF YOU ANSWERED NO TO ANY OF THE QUESTIONS ABOVE, THEN VOTE NO!