Many of us have spent a great deal of time the last month working diligently to oppose the UFT contract. Ellen Fox and Norm Scott from the Movement of Rank and File Educators observed the ballots being opened yesterday by the American Arbitration Association and today they will be there for the vote count. We will know later this afternoon how the vote turned out. My understanding is the turnout was quite high.
There will not be just one count. There are many different bargaining units in the UFT. Teachers are the largest but there are Paraprofessionals, Occupational Therapists-Physical Therapists-Nurses, Guidance Counselors, Secretaries, Lab Specialists, Psychologists-Social Workers and more.
It is very difficult to predict the results as there is not scientific polling. We do know that the Unity Caucus (Michael Mulgrew's faction of the UFT) has control of many schools through their chapter leaders who sign the statement that they will support the decisions of the caucus in union and public forums. Many UFT members are very busy and look to their chapter leaders for guidance. This gives Unity a major head start. In addition, union staff did a thorough job in coming to the schools to sell the contract to the membership and Mulgrew was even given press space to advocate for it.
Against those odds, the opposition did its best online and we received some help from other unions. We also did get some press coverage. However, I don't think we had nearly as many hard copy leaflets out in the schools as compared to the 2005 or 1995 contract votes so we will see if the online campaign made up for the lack of literature in the schools.
My sources tell me that the people with the most to lose from the contract, the ATRs, voted overwhelmingly against the contract. At Jamaica I can tell you only one person wanted to vote secretly which I of course encouraged for all. Everyone else openly showed me they voted NO.
Virtually everyone thinks the contract will carry with the teachers. If it is defeated I would be very surprised. I would also be astonished if it gets 84% approval like the TWU contract did recently. Considering the resources we don't have and what we are up against, anything over 35% would be a success for the opposition forces as I see it. We'll know later today what happened.
Unfortunately, lost cause. System will never get better. Kids will never improve, brought up to be trash, wont change. Look at all the shootings, These are our students, criminals. Money is garbage, Retro is a joke. Health care costs sure to cost us soon.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like how principals keep pushing the day back, making it start later so students can get there? My school starts at 845 AM. Think anybody is there at 845? Bottom line, students will never make to to school on time unless raised properly, start time does not matter. I guess they will treat teachers better since this is the "contract for Education." What a joke.
ReplyDeleteThe system will never improve until we get rid of all the incompetent principals and assistant principals. We have tons of administrators with virtually no classroom experience. The fish stinks from the top.
ReplyDeleteLike that one on Jamaica ave, she looks 25 years old, clueless.
ReplyDeleteLike that one on Jamaica ave, she looks 25 years old, clueless.
ReplyDeletethis is shaping up to be a very sad day.
ReplyDeleteYou're always talking about Chapter Leaders who have signed "Unity Oaths". I've never signed any such thing and I'm curious, do you even know how many have signed it? I thought it was just something that those who become state or national delegates sign and they don't have to be school CLs or delegates to become that type of delegates. I wish you would stop disparaging all CLs with that comment.
ReplyDeleteWow bb. If you really feel like that then you should get out of teaching and do something that does not involve children. I've been teaching for over 20 years, in some of the more challenging schools in the City, yet I still believe that there's hope for all of our kids, even the ones who may be headed in the wrong direction. You should retire or resign and find some other line of work.
ReplyDeleteMary
And with all your hope, what has happened? They are in HS, can't read, right or spell. Call every teacher a faggot, invite you to their private parts, have criminal records a mile long. If you have hope, you will be let down. Just read the newspaper, see what your darling students do. Up all night drinking, before the age of 21 of course. Not an ounce of HW. Driving without a license, weed all the time, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis stinking deal is not the root of the problem. Face it, we have an inept and weak leader( I use that term lightly) mulgrew, who actually takes pride in crafting this tower of trash. We really should dump this guy at the next election, but unfortunately we have a huge chunk of our membership that is ignorant. In the end, we just get the leader and contract that we deserve.
ReplyDeleteHow about when the UFT website gives a list of Pension Clinics that for some reason have been changed, so you travel for nothing and all you get is, call first! There was supposed to be a meeting at Lincoln H. S. in Brooklyn, 4:30 p. m. today. Nope...changed to Adams St 4 p. m. today. No one knows why. I only know many of us missed it. Bad enough you can't get an appointment for a Pension Consult!
ReplyDeleteWe know all chapter leaders are not in Unity. Most are though 4:14.
ReplyDelete77 percent. Wow, teachers are so dumb. Wait 5 years, we will all regret it.
ReplyDeleteI'm a unity member/state and national delegate, and I didn't sign any oaths. That's just ridiculous. I had Janella in my school she did great and yet I still voted no to the contract and those members that cared enough also voted no, and I explained my reasoning behind it. It's sad that people on this blog can't seem to know that we don't just vote as told we're leaders and we makeup our own minds as far as making this life changing decisions. Only goods thing about this contract is getting a $20k raise in the next four years with some money on the side. The working conditions and aol the observations remain. Those gray ATRs who actually want to return to the classroom will finally have an actual shot to do that. This contract is what it is. So take it for what it brings.
ReplyDeleteIf you didn't sign the oath, then you are not in Unity.
ReplyDeleteThis Contract ON Teachers is more than a disappointment. It is a travesty. A national disaster. We are very horribly divided. Those who voted yeas voted to further marginalize their fellow experienced and credentialed colleagues who have now become in writing second class citizens in the ATR pool. This contract provision for the ATRs ratifies race,gender, age discrimination and segregation.The working conditions for all of us are demoralizing and our students who predominantly of color are suffering.
ReplyDeleteThose of you who voted yes, re-read critically and you feel you erred join MORE, DTOE, NYCORE, ICE .
We need to prepare for the next election and around the next contract at least those of us who still want to teach in this "profession". Your right to say that we didn't have the resources but we are getting stronger in numbers and moving in that direction.
We must create a hotline of advocacy and intervention because the abuses will increase and accelerate for us all. The Teacher evaluation complaints I heard are no different than the last one. If they like you EFFECTIVE! If not developing or ineffective. Remember very little has occurred to deal with abusive administrators. We cannot rely on some of the chapter leaders to help us and we can’t always get our union to intercede on our behalf when not only violations to the contract occur but our civil and human rights are violated too.
James,
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have forgotten about the contract.
There is a fiasco for ATR's who want to retire with the severace package. It appears as thought TRS is unaware of the severance package and does not have a "document" for the ATR to let the DOE know of their acceptance.
The MOA states that the ATR will sign a release, which is the document needed for ATR's to file their retirement application. Apparently, both the DOE are VERY concerned that a group of ATR's have retained legal counsel.
It is my understanding that UFT Special Rep. Amy Arundell is directly responsible for this mess. Furthermore, she has failed to provided members with ANY information on the ATR severance.