Thursday, March 08, 2007

ICE BEATS NEW ACTION HANDS DOWN

There's No Comparison; I've been with Both Groups!

By James Eterno Jamaica HS Chapter Leader and Ten Year UFT HS Executive Board Member

We have been reading literature attacking ICE-TJC as people who just complain. Yes, there is a great deal to complain about if you work in the NYC schools but that's not what we are about. We are not a "knee-jerk" opposition group. We support the UFT leadership when they are right and criticize them when they are wrong.

ICE-TJC representatives have a solid three year record of advocating for our members at the Executive Board. I personally have been there for a decade: seven years with New Action and the last three with ICE-TJC.

There is no comparison.

The ICE-TJC opposition to Unity over the last three years has been more active and effective as compared to the prior three when NAC was on the Executive Board, cementing their "bipartisan" relationship with Randi. We have a solid record of raising issues and actually getting some stuff accomplished at the UFT Executive Board.

Chapter leaders and people in the temporary reassignment centers are getting more support because of our advocacy. We also proposed doing our own investigations when people are reassigned by hiring our own investigaators to counter the Board of Ed Office of Special Investigations reports. Randi said no. However, because of ICE pressure, Randi has finally come out against closing schools and displacing staff. Back in 2003 and 2006, Unity refused to support resolutions opposing the closing of schools. I know; I brought them both up. We have come out for the rights of all caucuses to distribute material in mailboxes and being able to email campaign literature to members. Our position on mailing campaign literature is now union policy. When we originally raised the issue, Randi told us we didn’t know labor law. We were right; she was wrong.

We have called for the election of district representatives. NAC abandoned that cause after 2003. In 2004 when the resolution to have the president appoint DR’s was up for renewal, only NAC's Ed Beller and I voted no. New Action's other representatives had changed their view or didn't vote. In addition, you will not find stronger advocates for people who have received U ratings than ICE representatives. We have also spoken up strongly on behalf of members who have been charged under the new expedited time and attendance procedures or members who are being harassed by supervisors.

We also got an executive board resolution amended to include high school students for ESL testing exemptions. We have continued a formerly cherished New Action policy of demanding a VSF for UFT members to include all retirees. (Variable Supplement Funds are supplemental pension checks that can be much greater than a cost of living adjustment. Police and fire retirees are receiving over $11,000 in VSF money this year.) Randi pledged in 1999 that she would push for a VSF for us when corrections got one. I am fighting year after year for our VSF bill to include all retirees, not just those who retire after the bill is passed. We have done a great deal more but I don’t want to go on all night.

On the Contract, we pleaded with Randi not to go to fact finding in 2004 because we knew we would lose based on the 2002 and 1993 precedents. When it was released in 2005, we asked her to reject the horrible fact finding report with all the givebacks (longer day, longer year, loss of right to grieve letters in the file, return to hall patrol, etc...) as it was non binding. I raised the possibility of working with the transit union and other unions. (That summer when my wife and I were in California walking a picket line with Northwest airlines workers, we watched their eyes light up at the thought of a general strike.) We told Randi that the threat of working with other unions would give us more leverage. We hoped at the very least that they would reject the report and start over. Randi got angry and her people ridiculed us. I believe New Action’s members on the negotiating committee voted for every one of those disastrous policies having to do with fact finding that led to the awful 2005 contract. Also, even after every idea we had was rejected and we knew there was no UFT plan to wage a real fight against Bloomberg, ICE still supported every UFT action, no matter how small, that the union came up with to try to engage the members.


It's also a fallacy to say we don't work on UFT Committees. I was the co-chair of a UFT committee in 2004-05. Barbara Kaplan-Halper and Ellen Fox of ICE sat with me on that committee and yes we voted with the Unity leadership. We support and compliment them when they're right and criticize them when they're wrong.

Let us now examine the prior term: the last three years New Action was on the Executive Board from 2001-2004. NAC representatives, with the exception of Ed Beller and me, raised very few issues back in those days. When the Ed Evaluators chapter was eliminated, New Action’s representatives voted for the watered down version known as the IEP teacher. Ed Beller and I did our best to question the leadership but we didn’t get much backing.

In fact, one of New Action’s representatives during the 2001-2004 term was so dedicated to the UFT that she resigned to become an assistant principal in the middle of her three year term. That’s the NAC commitment to the cause of trade unionism for you. I’m not making this up. Doug Haynes is a holdover from that group who is running now. Doug is a really good guy who I will not say a negative word about, but Doug didn’t exactly speak up on a bunch of resolutions back then so NAC should not knock what ICE-TJC are doing now when New Action and Unity for that matter have very little in terms of the facts to support their case.

Unity people under their Caucus obligations must support whatever Randi comes up with. New Action's last stint on the executive board proved that some of their people didn't oppose or question Randi too often either. Why run as an opposition group if you don't oppose much of anything the leadership does? Maybe you want to eliminate the real opposition: ICE-TJC. A truly independent opposition to Unity will strengthen the UFT. I urge everyone to vote for ICE-TJC.

66 comments:

  1. So what you want is a general strike. We would've have to wait until a general (national) strike to get a contract. OK. Let me see...the last general (national) strike we had in the US was in ..... NEVER. I have a solution for your dillusional issues. VOTE FOR RANDI, ELECT A REAL LEADER.

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  2. Eterno says that ICE/TJC don't just complain; they support the UFT when it takes the right stances.

    He then goes through about 1/2 mile of column text which does nothing but complain about the UFT.

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  3. Here's what New Action says about James Eterno and its other ex-comrades in ICE/TJC:

    "ICE-TJC's attacks on opponents are often scurrilous, undignified and personal. Truth is ignored."

    Boy did they ever hit that nail on the head with that one. I guess when you have a chance to see them up close, you get more than your fill of ICE/TJC.

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  4. It's the Unity-New Action people making scurrilous accusations here, and as far as I can tell, they haven't even bothered to read the post about which they comment.

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  5. ice/tjc

    ALL WHINE ALL THE TIME!!!

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  6. Well, you don't seem to have had your fill of ICE-TJC since you hang out here.

    New Action, there's a group worth believing. Like New Action members of the negotiating committee actually voted against the 2005 contract when Randi declared the vote of the negotiating committee was unanimous. Take your pick as to which one is the liar here. In this case I'll choose Randi as the one telling the truth. But New Action at least lies with dignity as befitting the "responsible" opposition.

    And they finally admitted they actually have jobs with the UFT after years. You know who revealed their leader had a job? Unity insiders who were incensed.

    Imagine, your own people who don't exactly subscribe to the New Action is wonderful theory.

    But don't you have more important things to do like steal another election?

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  7. Working with other unions does not mean a general strike. Having a credible strike threat does put a union in a much better position to make gains.

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  8. Hey 1:51: Please read the article before you comment. That would truly hellp.

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  9. Vote for Randi and get screwed for three more years.

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  10. There is nothing personal in this article and it does a whole lot more than complain. Let us review a piece:

    "Also, even after every idea we had was rejected and we knew there was no UFT plan to wage a real fight against Bloomberg, ICE still supported every UFT action, no matter how small, that the union came up with to try to engage the members.

    It's also a fallacy to say we don't work on UFT Committees. I was the co-chair of a UFT committee in 2004-05. Barbara Kaplan-Halper and Ellen Fox of ICE sat with me on that committee and yes we voted with the Unity leadership. We support and compliment them when they're right and criticize them when they're wrong."

    It is getting harder to swallow these comments that don't speak to what was said.

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  11. Unity strength is not reading. If they could read a little better, they would examine the fine print before signing off on our poor contracts.

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  12. It is absolutely not rue that you support union actions. There have been many campaigns and news that have come to many schools but my ICE chapter leader has not told us about let alone "support". I didn't find out about the class size campaign from my chapter leader and his ICE friends until weeks into it. I didn't hear about the March 16 Listen to a Teacher campaign from him either. In fact he ridiculed it talking to some teachers in passing just as he and other ICE people have at the DA and other meetings.

    How many of you ICE people were active in the class size campaign? Meeting legislators? Getting people to fax? How many of you are going to Albany on Lobby Day to lower calss size? How many of you are getting your members involved for March 16? Is Jeff? Is Sam? Is James? As hs teacher in a Queens HS I know what you haven't done. I have yet to see anything from my chapter leader to the staff about any member involvement. Obviously you are far from being supportive of collective actions and solidarity.

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  13. i still don't understand why norm has 2 other seperate blogs? I thought he was ICE?

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  14. " i still don't understand why norm has 2 other seperate blogs? I thought he was ICE?"

    I'm starting to get worried. You're way too interested in my activities. Are you a Unity stalker?

    Just to set your mind at ease - I have 10 blogs. It's up to you to spend all your time looking for them. We'll give you a prize for every one you find. Good luck.

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  15. James, you were at the rally?

    You must have been well-hidden.

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  16. I am 100% sure wearing a button will reduce class size. Maybe we should have silly hat day and then we could get seniority transfers back. Or t-shirt day, and then we wouldn't have administrative duty during C-6 assignment.

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  17. You must have left your binoculars home. There's a video of James at the rally. And of you too. Don't foget to put in for your per session from the union for your appearance there.

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  18. From a concerned teacher at Bryant H.S. who has been told to visit this website...what button? Does it have to do with privatization?

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  19. This is "redhog." I cannot post any comment on NYC Educator's blog because he has banned me from it. I have never used foul language, lied, committed slander or libel, or otherwise done anything but express myself in a civil manner. This is the kind of fake, phone, and fraud that alleges that Unity does not brook dissent. What a vile and appalling hypocrite.

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  20. One reason to vote ICE/TJC: The 2005 contract! It is absolutely indefensible.

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  21. Now if that is JAmaica I wonder what is happening at Bryant, Stuyvesant, Goldstein, FDR,Hillcrest, Aviation, and PS 193. I would lay money that it is not happening there.

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  22. If that doesn't say it all about Braynt HS. What buttons.

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  23. You guys say you're against high stakes testing but your "high stakes testing blog" sucks. What have you done to organize against it. The blog has 2 enteries in 2 months.

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  24. They can't actually organize, they just hope that they can undermine randi, unity or the the UFT. Imagine if ICE was as good organizing as it is in insulting other activists in the union.

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  25. After the Unity postcard that was sent to member homes in which they red bait Kit Wainer, Unity people should just give it up. You will lie and say and slander as much as you like to keep your lousy patronage jobs. The ICE record is clear and it's solid. Unity hasno record to run on. Instead, they, they have to launch viscious attacks. I hope ICE wins.

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  26. But it is UNITY who started with the name-calling. You UNITY guys sound like a bunch of Republicans. You smear the opposition, then when they fight back you claim that they insulted you. It's time for UNITY to go.

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  27. Please let the whole union membership see the last comment and vote Randi out. Please.

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  28. Bye bye Wein-Bloom-Klein!

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  29. Randi's got to go

    it should almost go without saying:
    VOTE --- ICE/TJC

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  30. Maybe you should look through the archives of this blog to see who's been happy to call union activists names over the last two years. Myabe you should look through these ICE blogs to see people praising the NY Post for presenting the ICE argument (no joke). Maybe you should look through these blogs to see activists who are trying to protect teachers slandered day in and day out by ICE.

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  31. You stayed up until 1:23 in the morning to post that nonsense. Unity is a political machine that takes care of itself and couldn't care less about rank and file teachers. They have to go. closed.

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  32. ICE tells the truth and they are turned into villians by people who will do anything to stay out of the classroom. Vote Unity out. Vote ICETJC!

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  33. I want two pensions and two salaries. Will I get that if I vote for Kit? The UTP promised I would....

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  34. It isn't red baiting, to point out that Kit Wainer is a socialist when his interest in our union is to lead us into a socialist revolution. After I got the card about Wainer in the mail, I googled him. I googled "Kit Wainer Socialist." There is a wealth of information.
    He's got a pamphlet on line called Socialist Organization today. Here is one of the things he says:


    "We in Solidarity want to build a revolutionary socialist organization in the labor and social movements, educate it's members as revolutionaries and Marxists...."

    Sorry, guys, I don't really need to know any more than that. You're all washed up. And you say Randi Weingarten has some hidden agenda. My God!

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  35. After Unity spent all those years calling Shulman a commie. Now that he's running with you, just change the name on your old propaganda literature.

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  36. Googling Al Shanker, socialist:

    "A true leader, Al Shanker was always one bold step ahead of us all. ... member of the Young People's Socialist League and chair of the Socialist Study Club"

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  37. During the course of the campaign, Sweeney announced his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), an off-shoot of the old Norman Thomasled Socialist Party. DSA had originally been founded--under the name Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee--by Michael Harrington in 1972, after the Socialist Party offered only a weak and qualified endorsement of George McGovern in his presidential campaign against Richard Nixon. Harrington's group, in contrast, made clear its strong support for McGovern, its opposition to the Vietnam War, and its willingness to work with the new social movements that were of growing importance in the Democratic party. Meanwhile, Donahue and Kirkland, and many of their allies, chose to ally with another Socialist Party splinter, the Social Democrats USA (SDUSA). The latter group was imbued with a profound anti-communism (which had generated its doubts about McGovern) and was ideologically close to the neoconservatire movement that emerged in the 1970s, with some members even taking positions in the Reagan administration's foreign policy apparatus. Many AFL-CIO staff employees, especially in the Department of International Affairs, were members of SDUSA, as were several union presidents, including AFT head Al Shanker.(46) The DSA/SDUSA division therefore ran parallel to the Sweeney/Donahue feud, and lent the latter conflict an extra urgency, especially for the many SDUSA supporters who worked in the federation's Washington headquarters.

    This ideological feud was, it turned out, part of the explanation for the decision by the leaders of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees (UNITE) to cast their union's votes for Donahue, rather than Sweeney. Formed in 1995 out of the merger of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, where SDUSA supporters held sway, and the American Clothing and Textile Workers' Union, where DSA was more influential, UNITE was deeply divided over the Donahue/Sweeney competition. Although the merged union's leadership leaned towards Sweeney, they sought to placate their Donahue supporters by promising to cast the union's votes for Sweeney only if they were absolutely necessary to prevent him from losing. As it became clear that Sweeney would easily triumph, UNITE's leadership chose to ease their own internal tensions by supporting Donahue at the convention.(47)
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    As his affiliation with DSA illustrated, Sweeney was far more open to alliances with left-wing social movements outside of the federation, and with militant activists within it, than was Donahue. If his record in SEIU was any indication, it seemed likely that Sweeney would appoint many staffers with backgrounds in the protest movements of the 1960s, including former activists from Students for a Democratic Society and other factions of the New Left that had committed themselves to "a long march through the institutions." Thus, in fundamental if not always obvious ways, Sweeney's election promised to transform the federation's organizational and political culture, bringing it in to closer allegiance with the political left as it had developed over recent decades. Indeed, as if to confirm the suspicions of those who saw Sweeney as the Trojan Horse of the New Left, Sweeney's rhetoric grew increasingly militant as the campaign progressed. "This is a revolutionary moment," he declared. "You can hear the winds of change rattling the shuttered windows of the AFL-CIO ... To those still on the outside, I want to say, `You are on the wrong side of history.'"

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  38. "You guys say you're against high stakes testing but your "high stakes testing blog" sucks. What have you done to organize against it. The blog has 2 enteries in 2 months."

    Like you really care about high stakes testing. We have raised the issue of high stakes testing from day 1. And I can show you articles in Ed Notes from as far back as 1997 talking about HST and I spoke up at the DA all along on that issue years before you guys knew what it meant. John Lawhead wrote a long article for Ed Notes in 2002.
    We always pointed out that Sandy Feldman was on the committee that formaulated NCLB.
    Bringing up a temporary blog set up to deposit articles of interest on HST is JPS (Just Plain Stupid.)

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  39. Wow, I didn't know Kit was advocating for a socialist revolution. How could ICE reconcile itself with the fascist UTP? Quite interesting mix. If ICE-TJC-UTP win, will we see a bloodbath within this unusual alliance? You guys are too easy! Next! VOTE FOR RANDI. RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP.

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  40. So Norm with High Stakes Testing is speaking for ICE again. I thought ICE wasn't Norm party?

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  41. Norm does not make ICE policy. It's made by consensus of the group at ICE meetings. Vote ICETJC.

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  42. I got some literature in the mail from you guys that are outright lies! We work the longest hours in the stae? Bull! The "unity caucus" is "withholding the distribution of the latest contract booklet". More Bull! I know plenty of people on LI in several districts that worker longer than the 6 hours and 50 minutes in my school. The current "contract booklet" is on line. If you mean the pure raises contract that ICE rejected in Nov. 2006, that doesn't take effect until October 2007. There is nothing for us to get yet. your whole flyer has nothing to do with anything but people's salaries and nothing of subsatnce.

    You don't have my vote.

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  43. UNITYMUSTGO,

    You missed the point again. If ICE were to win, then the UNION would be led by people like Kit, Camille, Sam, and YOU. We would have a marxist at the top, and a coward (you) at the end. It would be a sad day. VOTE FOR RANDI.

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  44. Our school sported the UTP button, and seems to have voted for ICE/TJC overwhlemingly.

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  45. Good News on the previous school voting overwelmingly for ICE. What is the UTP button?

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  46. unity must go,

    So let me see. You are not willing to enforce your contractual rights, but you encourage others to do it. Hmmm. Maybe that's not a sign of a coward, but it sure is the sign of a hypocrite. Let us see, you comlain about the letters in the file, but you wouldn't have filed a grievance on one if you could've. Hmmmm. You were full of courage when you "stood up to your secretary for ICE-TJC's rights" but you are afraid of standing up to the administration in your school. UNITYMUSTGO, let's just be clear. You talk the talk but don't walk the walk. I don't think you would've walked out on a strike with me "brother." You are typical of those who always complain about the union but then they say "but I can't do this", "I am busy", "I have to feed my dog", "I have college loans", "it's too cold to go to the city", "I already went on strike once." So Kit is a marxist and you are a coward. Save the Union, send a message to BLOOMBERG-KLEIN. Vote for RANDI.

    Have a nice weekend.

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  47. If Unity Must Go knew that there was a real union, not the Unity joke of a union, then Unity Must Go and others would be ready to grieve.

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  48. The only message that Bloomberg and Klein will get if Randi sweeps is that their policy of abusing UFT members can continue for the final three years of the Bloomberg/Klein administration. Randi/Unity/New Action will continue to throw their hands up and say, "It's the best we can do. Bloomberg and Klein are really tough." Send them a real message: vote ICE-TJC! They are real fighters.

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  49. By the way, what is the UTP button? I want one.

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  50. For the button: see the UTP Blog. The button is under "About Me."
    Contact us if you would like some of these. Of course these are REAL UTP buttons! REAL buttons that anti-Unity members wear.
    We also have hats.
    No suits or sport jackets, though.
    All proceeds go to the Destroy Unity Foundation.


    (Actually they're free.)

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  51. If there were any justice in the world, we should declare UTP button day and post pictures all over the web.

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  52. The UTP has had buttons for over a year. The message on the UTP button is actually a wish list for both our union and our profession. It simply reads, "Strength, Pride and Respect."
    The wish is for a strong democratic union that will not give up valuable member's rights under any circumstances.
    A union generates a sense of pride within its members and does not subject them to menial tasks or administrative harassment.
    And finally, the "respect" that is derived from a union leadership that is not afraid to fight for its dues paying members.
    If you would like a button we will be happy to send you one.

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  53. Nice response from Shulman. http://jd2718.wordpress.com

    James Eterno has a distorted view of New Action’s role on the UFT Executive Board and an inflated view of the abysmal record of ICE-TJC on the current Board. While he is dismissive of our record he fails to mention that in almost three years ICE/PAC-TJC have introduced less than a handful of resolutions. Yes, they have raised many questions, like questioning whether retirees should be members of the UFT, but have produced very little else.

    Eterno is dismissive of New Action reps, yet fails to mention that their six members are almost never in attendance. How do you represent members when you don’t attend. Check the record on this.

    In terms of the high schools, where is the track record–an amendment here or there. What about the harassment of our members by administrators. What about the closing of large high schools (Oh yes, they discovered the issue in Jan. 2007). What about disruptive students? Micromanagement, the move towards privatization.

    It is easy to beliitle New Action efforts on the UFT Organizing Committee. Another point that is glaring regarding the six ICE/PAC -TJC members is that they rarely vote together on issues raised at the Executive Board. Or, is this a New Action fabrication. Again, check the record. So, they cannot agree among themselves, they have not raised solutions to high school concerns, and cannot present a united opposition against to attack Weingarten and New Action.

    By the way, the slurs on New Action are typical of their attacks on colleagues they cannot agree with. Lie and turn the truth on its head (example: Eterno states, “NAC abandoned that cause [the election of DR’s] after 2003). This is untrue. New Action still calls for the election of DR’s. Anyone wanting the truth about New Action or about our positions can contact us at NewActionUft.com

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  54. When it was time to vote in 2004 at the Executive Board on the resolution for Randi selecting DR's, it was only Ed Beller and I who voted for elections. The other NAC Reps didn't vote or voted with Unity for Randi to make selections. That's a matter of record.

    On the issue of the motions at the executive board, just check the archives of this blog and you can see how false Ike Shulman's argument is. We've worked very hard to get stuff done at the Executive Board. Michael should check out the reports.

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  55. I just don't understand this post at all. I expected more from James and putting down New Action does not seem to me to be putting forth their agenda instead.

    Another missed opportunity from this blog.

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  56. The ICE plan is all over this blog.

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  57. The plan is lost among the banal comments and unfortunately the lasts few posts which were unprofessional in nature.

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  58. Only Unity is allowed to attack then. Dig a little deeper and you will easily find our plan to mobilize and organize.

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  59. At least JAmes is finally admitting that he is one of the anonymous writers.

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  60. Tlak about avoiding the substance of the argument. Notice how no one is denying that Kit is a socialist.

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  61. Ok. Kit is a socialist.
    Next?

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  62. Attacking is unprofessional, and let Unity do so because it goes to show that they no longer represent our interests.

    However that does not mean that you should take the same road.

    btw I am a Capitalist and voted the ICE slate even though I am truly disappointed in their lack-luster campaign and the worst photos ever in the one and only publication that reached the masses--NYTeacher.

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  63. The ICE part of the ad had no photos. Definitely agree the campaign leaves a lot to be desired. They should start the next one the day after the results are in. Unless they do as badly as last time (11%) where they might as well pack it in.

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  64. Start your own caucus if you don't like ICE.

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