Our national Union leader, AFT President Randi Weingarten, in early January will be co-hosting a fundraiser for Bill de Blasio's reelection. I kid you not. The fundraiser will be held while many of Weingarten's members here in New York City are being harassed, attacked unfairly, bullied, intimidated and unfairly rated by abusive administrators. Life in the schools in NYC is a daily miserable existence filled with fear for many, many UFT members.
From the article:
Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, will hold a fundraiser for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s re-election campaign in January, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by POLITICO New York.
The fundraiser will be held at AFT headquarters in Washington on January 5. Guest tickets are $1,000 a head, “supporter” tickets are $2,500, and “host” tickets are $4,950.
Weingarten's latest fundraiser is all the proof we need to show that the AFT has learned absolutely nothing from Hillary Clinton's recent defeat. It's top-down, don't bother to ask the rank and file because Randi knows what is best for you, unionism at its worst. At the very least, maybe Randi could do one of those polls she claimed the AFT did before endorsing Clinton to see how the members in NYC feel about de Blasio's reelection before raising big bucks for him.
As for the UFT, now we know why President Michael Mulgrew is in such a hurry to put together a committee to rubber stamp a de Blasio reelection endorsement.
We also now are fully aware why the UFT will not come out publicly against any of the multiple abusive administrators who are making life a living hell for many good teachers here in New York City including my wife Camille. Camille works for a principal and two assistant principals from hell at Humanities and the Arts High School. We have filed numerous union busting grievances, APPR complaints and for arbitration on the annual rating which was ineffective. To that extent, the UFT has been supportive. However, it has not been sufficient to stop the attacks against Camille and other members of the Humanities and the Arts Chapter by the administration.
To that end, we have repeatedly pleaded with the UFT leadership to take the next step by publicly condemning Acting Interim Principal Kayode Ayetiwa and Assistant Principals Moussa and Stergiopolous but to no avail. Why don't we plaster their names all over the NY Teacher? The answer on why we don't do this is the UFT wouldn't want to insult de Blasio/Farina's principals when the AFT President is raising major funds for the mayor's war chest.
The UFT is willing to sacrifice its members to de Blasio/Farina rather than really fighting for them.
What a travesty.
Let's see what happens after criminal charges are unveiled against de Blasio's cronies from CONY.
ReplyDeleteThat story in the Times last night came straight from Preet.
Leaks like that have ended up in criminal charges for a host of people - Shelly Silver, Dean and Adam Skelos, Joe Percoco, Alain Kaloyeros and a bunch of Cuomo donors and cronies.
Cuomo has managed to thrive despite the arrests made around him, but Cuomo also doesn't have the same scrutiny that de Blasio gets from the NYC press.
If CONY charges are announced, de Blasio's going to have a firestorm of coverage on his hands - and he doesn't do so well with that kind of thing.
Let's see if some serious opposition jumps in against de Blasio for the primary then - Stringer and Diaz Jr are the ones thought to be most interested.
I'm ready to support Stringer if he does jump in against de Blasio - no matter WHAT Randi and Mikey want.
We'll have to wait to see how this all shakes out.
But I think the UFT would be smart to wait for Preet to make a move before they endorse.
Tony Avella for Mayor!!
ReplyDeleteTony has unfortunately gone to the dark side. Randi has no influence. deBlasio hasn't kept any promises regarding education because Randi also backs Cuomo.
ReplyDeleteRandi knows a teachers union endorsement on a national level and even on most local levels is a kiss of death nowadays. She is hoping it still has some oomph for the uber-left her in NYC. And further hoping a de Blasio re-election with union endorsement might somehow demonstrate she still has influence. Very sad - almost pathetic - - small ball approach for a return to relevancy.
ReplyDeleteBo Dietel is officially running for mayor. Maybe he will be municipal union friendly since he spent the majority of his career with the NYPD. But then again he tends to hob nob with the 1%ers at post events around town. Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
ReplyDeleteThe failed contract last delivered to the members is a disgrace, but what is even worse is the continual assault by administrators that members are faced with every day. For such a large percentage of teachers, these clowns take the joy out of teaching and learning. And through it all members have no sense at all that their union has their backs. The perception is that the UFT is a self serving entity that is mainly interested in siphoning 1% of members paychecks each month. This is why many will flee when the opportunity
ReplyDeleteRandi is endorsing De Blasio?
ReplyDeleteSay no more: that's the Kiss of Death for him. You don't need anything else to know that he's done.
Acting Interim Principal Kayode Ayetiwa used to be AP at FDNY in jefferson, what a joke. 75% grad rate and 3% college ready rate. Academic fraud anyone? And the inmates REALLY run the asylum there...
ReplyDeleteHe is ruining what was a somewhat functioning school.
ReplyDeleteed notes onlineDecember 17, 2016 at 12:52 PM
ReplyDeleteThe fundraiser is for bail money.
She's just extending her winning streak of political endorsements! Now that she backs him he'll probably be indicted.
ReplyDeleteFBI should indict Randi and son under RICO laws.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of up to us the members to force the leadership's hand. We cannot sit back and do nothing and expect someone to save us. It hasn't happened yet and probably will not.
ReplyDeleteWhy is this a surprise. Rabdi cares less about the members and more about a leftist agenda.
ReplyDelete