Members of the opposition parties (caucuses) within the UFT are often asked how we would be different if we ran the union. One of the major differences between ICE-MORE as opposed to Michael Mulgrew's Unity Caucus concerns how we would negotiate a contract.
Having been on negotiating committees for two UFT contracts, I can say the committee does virtually no negotiating. Instead, UFT leadership tells the committee some of what is going on behind the scenes and then asks for the committee to rubber stamp leadership's positions. Since UFT committees usually contain a large majority from the ruling Unity Caucus who have pledged to support whatever comes from the top, the committees exist mainly for show.
If an opposition group or coalition was ever to win power, we would try to institute a totally different way of negotiating contracts. There is no general UFT election until 2016 (important Chapter Leader and Delegate Elections take place this spring) but let's just say we were in an alternate universe and the opposition could negotiate the extended time provision for next year.
Our work day is six hours and twenty minutes each day plus a total of 150 minutes of extended time each week (in addition there are faculty and grade conferences). Multi session schools just put the extended time into the school days but single session schools do it differently.
The extended time portion of the contract agreed to by Mulgrew and the DOE last spring is a one year citywide pilot that needs to be renegotiated by June 15 or single session schools will revert to last year's time schedule. Here is the actual contractual language from MOA Article 5--Workday:
Detailed below are the terms for a one (1) year pilot to occur during the 2014-2015 school year only. Should the parties wish to continue this model they must agree in writing to do so by June 15, 2015 to do so. If no such agreement is reached, the workday shall automatically revert to the provisions of Article 6 in the 2007-2009 teachers' collective bargaining agreement and corresponding articles in other agreements.
This language gives the UFT some actual leverage over the time schedule for the future. If we don't agree to continue this year's 80 minute professional development Mondays and 75 minute parent engagement and other professional work Tuesdays along with four open school evenings rather than two, then we automatically go back to 37.5 minutes of small group instruction four days per week and a six hour and twenty minute day on Friday along with only two open school evenings but faculty meetings and grade/department meetings would still take place for forty minutes after school twice a month.
(I am not taking a position here on which way is better. I currently work in a PROSE school that has 50 minute extended time sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and six hour-twenty minute Mondays as well as Fridays. Some of our extended time is spent with the kids while the rest is for PD and parent engagement.)
The UFT should be seeking feedback throughout this pilot year on the extended time provision from the membership, School Leadership Teams, Chapter Leaders and Parent Teachers Associations. At some point the union should be polling each school community to see how the current extended time schedule is working out in schools and asking what members want for next year. Smart money says there are probably as many opinions on extended time as there are schools.
We should attempt to build some kind of consensus on how we want to proceed. The leadership could then go into negotiations in a position to either obtain maximum flexibility on how to use the time or to advocate for a specific position if a huge majority of schools want it.
Instead, what will probably happen is after the state budget is decided by April 1 (expect the union to declare victory no matter what is given away in Albany), the UFT will then remember that they have to renegotiate the extended time provision.
President Mulgrew will mention it at a Delegate Assembly and then prompt his followers that maybe the extended time provision needs some minor tweaking (maybe a couple of more acceptable School Based Options). He will then go and negotiate with minimal input from anyone. An agreement will be reached and it will be rubber stamped at the June DA by the loyalty oath signing Unity faithful. Even though it is a contractual provision, there might not even be a vote by the membership.
Then in September, UFT members will return to school. Some will be happy but many others will start complaining about the extended time provision.
There is a better way to negotiate but pressure has to come from the rank and file. It is up to us to mobilize to try and fight Cuomo's plan to destroy us as our main priority. However, we also need to remember that we should have a say in the nuts and bolts, day-to-day aspects of our own working lives, including how to use the extended time provision. I suggest everyone start conversations about how we want the extended time to look next year and bring these discussions to their Chapter Leaders, School Leadership Teams and parents.
Ultimately, it is in our hands.
18 comments:
The extended time should just be rolled into the regular day and be used as an additional prep. Then we as professionals can use the time as we see fit.
STOP ALL THE MICROMANAGING.
The UFT, like the DOE are firefighters...they respond to crisis after crisis generally created by their own poor planning or public opinion or both. When they negotiate the last thing either want is our membership to get in the way so a package, either accepted by the membership or not, is implemented. Don't expect much discussion about extended time since the deal has already been made. However the more noise we make can tweak the deal in our favor. But we need more than a handful of malcontents to ring the bell.
100% right.
The extended time on Monday and Tuesday is the biggest waste of time during my week and is complete horseshoe. The last parents meeting I had 1 parent. Mulgrew needs to get the f out!
The extended time on Monday and Tuesday is the biggest waste of time during my week and is complete horseshoe. The last parents meeting I had 1 parent. Mulgrew needs to get the f out!
I don't get it. The UFT has to renegotiate the extended time for next year? I though it was a part of the contract until it expires? I would much rather have the extended time for meetings as opposed to the small group instruction. Please elaborate how this process will work out.
The extended days stink - everyone hates it - get rid of it
If we do this 80/70 thing again next year, I will impale myself on the nearest sharp object. Give the time back to the kids where it belongs.
The only downside I see is EVERY prep being taken up with nonsensical grade/teacher team/inquiry meetings because nowhere in the contract does it say the number of allowable meetings they can have during our preps.
I didn't realize the extra two PTCs were part of that renegotiable time. I knew the 150 minutes was renegotiable, but I'm surprised to hear that this is too. We always stayed for back to school night in September so I can live with that (not the 3 hours we stayed this part September)but I forsee May being a total waste of time.
Let's all tweet Mulgrew too stick the extra time on Monday and Tuesday up his ass.
Tweets to Mulgrew will be about as effective as Tweets to Cuomo but at least you are giving us all a good laugh.
Actually using a twitter campaign might just be the answer many of us have been desperate for all this time. Mulgrew has opened up this pandoras box, lets use it. If tweets are according to him an effect way to communicate our goals with Cuomo, then shouldn't tweets from the rank and file be something he must listen to? Let's think up some kind of hashtag and start a viral campaign to tweet our disappointments with the union's directions. What excuse can he come up with to disavow thousands of tweets about his own union when he argues Cuomo should be motivated by the same. This could be interesting.
President Eterno,
A Tweet campaign to the UFT for an ATR chapter would be a good start.
First of all, I caution all commenters to stop questioning Michael Mulgrew. It is his job to decide what is best, and your job to support whatever he decides. We will have a democratic vote and we will then decide to support whatever he supports. In these trying times it behooves us to stay unified and support whatever our President tells us to support. That, after all, is what democracy is all about. And if you don't believe that, you don't believe in democracy.
What? That logic went right over my head.
Raving Lunatic---- you have earned your moniker----and by the way----Mulgrew just asked us to jump off the Verrazano Bridge---have fun in the icy waters. Good grief! Just follow orders???? No thank you. Roseanne McCosh- Bronx teacher
I find raving lunatic hilarious. What's crazy is there are Unity stooges out there who actually say stuff like that.
Raving is Unity.
Forget about mobilizing against Cuomo, thats a waste of time and we just look foolish. Cuomo wouldnt be attacking us if we had storng unoin leadership.
MOBILIZE AGAINST THIS INEPT UNITY PRESIDENT MULGREW.
Btw- regarding all these nights we are required to do, can anyone name another job where they are required to work without being paid?
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