COPE funds are voluntary political contributions that NYSUT members, including UFT members, make.
Beth Dimino is the President of the Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association on Long Island. She and the other Long Island Presidents (teacher union local leaders) led the fight against Senator John Flanagan's reelection in 2016. Flanagan is the Republican leader in the New York State Senate. NYSUT contributed the maximum amount to Flanagan's committee to elect Republicans. Flanagan won. To be fair it should be noted that NYSUT contributed the maximum to Democrats as well. However, NYSUT would not endorse Flanagan's opponent in the election.
Flanagan has rewarded our generosity by signing a letter in support of confirming Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. He is the only New York official who signed the letter.
Beth responds as only she can:
A note from PJSTA President Beth Dimino…
NYSUT Members…
Here’s a reminder that I believe is pertinent at this time. Last August there was a NYSUT President’s endorsement conference to decide who NYSUT would endorse in the November elections. Well, even though I knew it was a farce, I went to that meeting to represent my members. The Long Island Presidents were tasked with deciding whether or not Flanagan and Marcellino should get a NYSUT endorsement. Not only did we as a group demand that these men not get the endorsement, we had other candidates that NYSUT could have endorsed. Our recommendations went to the NYSUT Board of Directors. Andy Pallotta brought John Flanagan to that Board of Directors meeting to try and convince the Board of Directors to overturn what the LI Presidents decided.
NYSUT leadership has their own agenda completely devoid of the needs or wants of rank and file. As the Executive Vice President of NYSUT, Pallotta, has gotten us Tier 5/6, 50% of our APPR dependent upon our student’s scores on the NYS Assessments, and another term for Flanagan and Marcellino. Pallotta has unfettered access to ALL Vote Cope Funds. Donating any money at all to Vote Cope is counter productive and is in direct opposition to our own best interests. Call your business office tomorrow and reduce your Cope contribution to $0 until NYSUT Leadership changes.
Beth Dimino is the President of the Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association on Long Island. She and the other Long Island Presidents (teacher union local leaders) led the fight against Senator John Flanagan's reelection in 2016. Flanagan is the Republican leader in the New York State Senate. NYSUT contributed the maximum amount to Flanagan's committee to elect Republicans. Flanagan won. To be fair it should be noted that NYSUT contributed the maximum to Democrats as well. However, NYSUT would not endorse Flanagan's opponent in the election.
Flanagan has rewarded our generosity by signing a letter in support of confirming Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. He is the only New York official who signed the letter.
Beth responds as only she can:
A note from PJSTA President Beth Dimino…
NYSUT Members…
Here’s a reminder that I believe is pertinent at this time. Last August there was a NYSUT President’s endorsement conference to decide who NYSUT would endorse in the November elections. Well, even though I knew it was a farce, I went to that meeting to represent my members. The Long Island Presidents were tasked with deciding whether or not Flanagan and Marcellino should get a NYSUT endorsement. Not only did we as a group demand that these men not get the endorsement, we had other candidates that NYSUT could have endorsed. Our recommendations went to the NYSUT Board of Directors. Andy Pallotta brought John Flanagan to that Board of Directors meeting to try and convince the Board of Directors to overturn what the LI Presidents decided.
NYSUT leadership has their own agenda completely devoid of the needs or wants of rank and file. As the Executive Vice President of NYSUT, Pallotta, has gotten us Tier 5/6, 50% of our APPR dependent upon our student’s scores on the NYS Assessments, and another term for Flanagan and Marcellino. Pallotta has unfettered access to ALL Vote Cope Funds. Donating any money at all to Vote Cope is counter productive and is in direct opposition to our own best interests. Call your business office tomorrow and reduce your Cope contribution to $0 until NYSUT Leadership changes.
39 comments:
Could not have been more direct, open, and straightforward. NYSUT fierce resemblance to the Democrats vis a vis their constituents. Is Palotta thinkng that no one will find out or notice?
Thank you Beth and James for putting this front and center.
Reduce our Vote Cope amount 0$ would be sending UFT/NYSUT Leadership a message!
Start your own PAC. Vote/Cope does not have to be the only game in town. Pair up with neighboring locals if your union is to small. You can then make your own endorsements and donate to elected officials who actually represent your interests.
It is time for Long Island locals in particular to give serious consideration to disaffiliation. NYSUT as an organization no longer meets our needs!
Dear parents, train your animals.
They are not animals or assholes or black shitheads. But the behavior of many many many is deplorable. Mostly black and brown but many others also.
Please try to stay on topic. We have guests from outside the city reading this and commenting. Let's try to show NYC teachers at our best and save the venting about some of our students for another time.
Can I say deplorable behavior?
Can I say black and brown students?
Can I say many of our students and not some?
Because the parent couldnt remind them to bring a pen to a regents, along with the $220 sneakers and $800 phone, on a salary of welfare.
You guys are one trick ponies. You make the same comments, no matter what the topic of the article.
Tell us what you think of COPE.
I think cope is being used for things i dont want, and with the now $60 per check, every aspect has gotten worse. We are making less money vs inflation and higher med costs.
Dear fools, train your mouth and stay of opioids.
They can't help themselves James...it must be in the water.
😄at 11:37 : Mostly black and brown because the public school population is mostly black and brown. This society has a hand in this--read your history books people OR have someone read it to you.
Back to the topic...Im going to reduce my contribution also.
I don't know how we were duped by NYSUT. I thought they were on our team. I guess Donnie and his posse really doesn't care about public school educators. They are treating us as if we were black and browns. The nerve!!!
Free country 12:45pm, say what you want. It's good entertainment when the circus comes to town. Who needs Ringling brothers when we have you...
If you are struggling to stay on topic 12:52 and crew, go back to the drinking in your vehicle.
It's so frustrating how hard working folks have to struggle.
Yikes!
Glad you enjoyed the entertainment my friend. Always here for you.
UFT shills came by our school saying we need to put more into COPE to fight the NYS constitutional convention. However, what has COPE ever done for me lately? Too little to late. Word of mouth to fight the convention should be fine. (Not had a constitutional convention that went to a referendum since the late 1960's and today NYS hates Trump and his union busting ways) Not too afraid.
James- You really should ban "waitingforsupport" from this blog.
He/she is such a devisive figure that really needs to up his medication.
I love waiting for support. Your support has arrived my friend. We totally disagree but free speech is just that.
6:19: Have a wonderful evening 😊
Free speech...we all want it! Thank you Anonymous 6:24 pm
Thanks same to you. We can disagree more tomorrow. Not looking forward to it. Lol
Yes you are...it makes your day.
Take care and try not to stress about these things!!!
Good advice
Wait...you think I am devisive????
Im decisive?Me? Devisive?
Now i know for sure that you,too, tout alternative facts.
Will you please stop hijacking this blog, please? Just go away. It was a lot nicer around here before you ever showed up.
Ok bye����
Why do you feel as if you can't express your authentic self @8:50?
Tooooo bad. You know what to do, take it or leave it. Im staying to monitor you.
Wait just a sec, Brian Gibbons, Assistant to Mulgrew, rakes in about $175k/year. Yet the only work background shows stints at NY1, ABC TV and New York Council of School Supervisors & Administrators. What seems to be missing here? My head hurts.
Now you know why he tweets and facebooks all the time about how successful the uft is...
We pay for it with our dues.
Can we get back to discussing disaffiliation? Seriously. We need to determine what to do to build a treasury that will support any employees of our new organization, contact locals around the state - cautiously! - using personal contacts. We must be prepared to go forward before the officers/spies of Unity, NYSUT, UFT, or AFT learn our plans. There was a successful disaffiliation back in 1976, we can do it again!
They read these blogs. So you kind of gave away the plans. Not that it is a bad plan.
I am sure they do, but when will we act? They already know there is talk of disaffiliation. Or, if not disaffiliation, dissolution, because of NYSUT being near bankruptcy in the not too distant future. Listen closely to the financials at the RA!
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