We have absolutely no idea if the Court will write their decision to force members to opt back in a union or if staying in will be the default and people will have to opt out. The NY Post reported on preparations the UFT is making to downsize if and when we lose Janus.
From the Post story:
The United Federation of Teachers is drafting plans to dramatically slash its $182 million budget — anticipating a Supreme Court ruling that would bar mandatory deduction of union dues from government workers’ paychecks to support union activities, The Post has learned.
The ruling could deliver a severe blow to union budgets by reducing membership and revenues by millions of dollars.
The 187,000-member UFT collects $56 twice monthly from each teacher's paycheck via automatic payroll deductions.
Some unions aren't waiting for the Court to make their decision.
In Maine, as our friend Bennett Fischer reported, the unions are conceding on Janus. Bennett reported, "Two of Maine's public sector unions, representing about 950 government employees, voted to throw in the towel - in the face of Janus - and gave up agency fees in return for 6oo 1% raises over two years."
In NYS, we do have the Triborough Amendment which would keep our contract in effect when it expires, even if we were a much smaller UFT or if people use Janus to start a newer union to replace the UFT. The Taylor Law is not an issue in Janus.
We can see it as a potential knockout blow or as a call to organize.
Hey James...I wonder why. Did you report that the UFT is AGAIN raising dues in response to doing nothing. Did you report they they will rape us with double dues on 10/15 when we get the retro? Or they will raise dues several times this school year?
ReplyDeleteA Janus win means every new teacher will quit UFT as soon as possible. Young teachers have no desire whatsoever to stay teaching in NYC for an entire career and will jump at the chance to pocket and extra $1,300, That means that the UFT will not die right away but rather by attrition. I for one can't wait to see the Unity slugs who will soon be showing up at my school asking everyone to stay in the UFT. They better get ready for a barrage of questions as to why the sold us out on so many things and what they are going to do about it in the future if Janus wins. The timing for this is actually perfect. A Janus verdict could happen around June of this year. UFT is going start preliminary contract negotiations with the city shortly after that. If the UFT can actually get us back some of what we lost, there is a strong possibility that they can stay a viable union. Unity serves one purpose and that is to it's self. It needs the money of dues payers to keep afloat. A Janus win means they will not get dues automatically, but rather have to prove they are providing a valuable service that is worth teachers paying over a grand a year for.
ReplyDeleteWe will get the same garbage. Lucky to have a job, pension, medical. Will not recover 8.25% or the disgusting tiny raises or 11 years waiting for retro.
ReplyDeleteIt will be over $60 per check by June. $1450 a year to get told to drop dead by my own union, not a chance. I have asked for very simple things, already contractualy binding, and still no assistance.
ReplyDeleteDues are raised automatically based on something from the early eighties.
ReplyDeleteThis is the problem, these teachers are so fucking stupid. I dont know if its the 2017 makeup of who is employed or who or what or why or smarter people take other jobs. Had to have yet another long conversation today, 3 and a half years after the last contract was signed, explaining the retro and raises. When do we get retro? What is it like $1,000 bucks? Wait, dont we get a raise in October? How hard is it to remember and understand? Retro is always in October. raises are always in May. (And June 2018 because of after contract change) This is not a lawyer thing. Its just dates and amounts. And no idea on how its calculated. WE are so fucking dumb. No wonder we get stepped on and 77% agreed. And the UFT, and the city know it.
ReplyDeleteThat same 77% will opt out of paying dues. They have the UFT do their thinking for them unless there's a defacto raise by opting out of paying dues. The UFT will reap what it has sown and they know it. The contract is being broken all over the city; from oversized classes, unlicensed teachers to having veteran teachers targeted and turned into ATRs. There's a hell of a lot more than 800 ATRs by the way.
ReplyDeleteTeachers are not dumb as much as they are apathetic.
ReplyDeleteAs far as contractual stuff, they are real dumb. I like to think I know the contract, raises, retro well. These idiots know nothing. When we were about to get the May raise, I said everything is great, im getting a raise soon. The idiot teacher says how much, 1%? No clue. Every time i say i cant quit because i would lose retro, an idiot, who is 50 plus years old says, wait, if i retire i lose retro. I have to explain quit and retire are different.
ReplyDeleteYeah, haha, just see what they know about pension and tda too.
ReplyDelete25 years of S, i ask for a drop of help and i get the big fuck you. I dont ask for much, but the last contract and that total lack of help does it.
ReplyDeleteIve written here many times, if you break down the contract, there are many numbers of things, any one of them could have been improved. We got destroyed at every turn...The way the retro is paid, the amount of time, the no interest, the 0 in 2016...The raises are 0 + 0 the first 2 years, then barely over 1 percent the rest of the way. The back 8 percent put into our salary 2 percent at a time, makes the money owed to us even greater. They could have a least put the 8% in right away in 2014 which would have frozen the retro. Then never working to restore the 8.25% TDA, the 4-6+ observations, the zero discipline code, the forced placement, and I could keep going...
ReplyDeleteHow about eliminating the 50% cut we take to our sick bank at retirement? Get something.
ReplyDeleteGREAT NEWS! Taking a look at the 2016 officers report from the link in the margin, notice how many of these UFT bureacrats are making $100,000+ FOR WHAT??
ReplyDeleteHOW THE HELL ARE THOSE SALARIES JUSTIFIED??
This is where your union dues are going,people. To feed these union FAT CATS
DISGUSTING!!
8:59
ReplyDeleteTotally agree!!! What have the FAT CATS done exactly, other than collect FAT PAYCHECKS ???
Yeah, they know nothing, they just blurt out random numbers about raises and retro. I guess it takes too much for teachers to read simple info. Its a damn shame for the rest of us who follow it so closely.
ReplyDeleteBiggest crap for me is that the UFT agreed to end seniority transfers, reducing TDA, no more allowing grieving letters to files, and the 4-6 observations.
ReplyDelete