A UNION ALTERNATIVE TO THE USUAL UFT/NYSUT HOLLOW VICTORY CLAIMS: STAND UP TO THE BULLY CUOMO

As predictable as the sun rising in the east, you can pretty much guarantee sunny reactions from United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew and New York State United Teachers President Karen Magee to anything coming out of an Albany legislative session. Hence, there was no surprise last week as Albany ended the legislative session with a massive bill termed the "Big Ugly" and it was followed by Mulgrew and NYSUT putting on the rose colored glasses on with their reactions.

The "Big Ugly" set public education back a little further by giving $250 million to private schools and expanding charter schools only two months after the disastrous April budget law that will make student test scores count for 50% of teacher evaluations was passed into law.  We are being slowly destroyed in Albany and the UFT-NYSUT leaders want to look at the positive.

However, not all teacher union leaders are trying to spin our latest Albany defeats into victory.  Last night I read a letter to NYSUT President Karen Magee from the leader of the Uniondale Teachers - Local 3070, Paul Marconi, calling for the unions to boycott the new Annual Professional Performance Review labor negotiations.  In April when the new evaluation law was passed, the ICE-UFT Blog asked for the unions to contemplate just saying no to this awful piece of legislation by refusing to negotiate on the local portions.  It is great to see a union president now pushing for real union action.

The entire letter from Paul Marconi to NYSUT President Karen Magee, that Beth Dimino posted on Facebook, is printed below.

Beth Dimino

10 hrs ·

Thank you Paul for writing this letter and asking to have it posted.

Dear Karen,

Let's call it as it is.  We've been jerked around long enough.

Governor Cuomo's goal is dismantle Public Schools, break the Labor Unions, and Privatize Education.

APPR is nothing more than a poorly disguised tool by the Governor to "Get Teachers" ----to fire Teachers.  The NYS Teacher of the Year received an "Ineffective" Rating.  The Sword of Damocles dangles over all of our heads.

The Legislature has let us down.

the Regents have let us down.

NYSUT CANNOT LET US DOWN.

It's time to act -------- BOYCOTT APPR.

Please call for all of NYSUT to do so NOW!  And, remind Mike Mulgrew and the UFT that "THEY ARE PART OF NYSUT".  Should they choose not to follow the NYSUT President's call to Opt Out of APPR, as they failed to suport the NYSUT President's call to Opt Out of Testing, then they should separate from NYSUT ---------NO EXCUSES.  We will all suffer pain by Opting Out of APPR ------but that is temporary; what is being done to us is permanent.

The Governor and the Legilsture are giving $250 million to Private Religious Schools, yet our Public Schools are not fully funded AND WE STILL HAVE A GAP ELIMINATION ADJUSTMENT (GEA). WHO IS HE KIDDING???

We haven't had a Budget Gap for more than two years; yet we still have a Gap Elimination Adjustment.  And, magically, the Governor finds $250 million for Private Religious Schools???

And the 2% Tax Cap will continue for 4 more years.  As inflation grows, what will happen when inflation hits 3%, 4%, 5% and more???? with a 2% Tax Cap in place???  It's impossible to do---- and the Governor knows that, and is counting on it to show that Public Schools have failed.  The noose is tightening, the box is shrinking around us, the air is being squeezed out of us.  

Look at the big picture--We are getting picked apart piece by piece.  Education will no longer be a Profession; Unions will be dissolved; the Labor Movement will be set back decades.

STOP THE INSANITY!!!

STAND AND DELIVER!!!

BOYCOTT APPR!!! REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE!!!

And when, and if, the Governor withholds "additional State Aid" --- watch the Parents scream, the Regents scream, the Legislators scream ----JUST IN TIME FOR THE NOVEMBER 2016 ELECTIONS!  Governor Cuomo is a BULLY. Punch the BULLY in the nose.  That's how you deal with Bullies.

Please support a full NYSUT BOYCOTT OF APPR. REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE.

Paul Marconi

President

Uniondale Teachers - Local 3070

cc: LIPC