I read a piece in Raw Story about Education Secretary Betsy De Vos taking down unions and public education in Michigan and now going national to do the same.
As the Janus vs AFSCME Supreme Court case approaches where union dues are extremely likely going to become optional for government workers nationwide, this part of the Raw Story piece hit me concerning Michigan teachers leaving the union after they became a right to work state:
The demise of retirement benefits means that new teachers have little incentive to join the unions; the shrinkiing terrain of collective bargaining gives veteran teachers little reason to remain in them.
This is scary stuff. Without any union, workers will be in even more trouble than we are already in today. When the right to opt out of paying union dues comes to us, it seems to me that so many of the people who come by here are ready to cut off their noses to spite UFT President Michael Mulgrew's face so they will quit the UFT.
While it is clear that workers are so much better off by having a union, can anyone really figure out what our union, the UFT, does to organize and mobilize its members? Defending this union is not easy but the idea of a union I can promote enthusiastically.
We need a real labor union now more than ever. Is anyone listening and willing to help?
35 comments:
Same old story. 77% voted for contract. Nobody even understands it. Nobody gives a fuck. Nobody will pay dues once its optional. The whole job is a joke.
James doesnt get it. This needed to be stopped long ago, it started in about 2005. Too little, too late. Bring on destruction. How sad this job is, getting cursed, threatened, abused to get a mediocre salary and worsening benefits.
So then read another blog and go away.
10:04pm, James is part of the solution. Yep, go read another blog.
And nothing has gotten better. Not much of a solution.
It seems to me that James is trying to educate and energize the rank and file. Telling readers of his blog, who have yet to be convinced to remain in the union, that they should stop reading his blog is counterproductive to James' goal. Anonymous 10:04 believes everything is "too little, too late." Consider convincing him (or her) he's wrong instead of telling him to stop reading. I read James' blog because of his intelligent commentary not because I always agree with him. I also like to hear what people have to say in the comments. Aside from some of the race baiting and otherwise insulting comments, I've also read comments worthy of consideration. No one has to agree with others' points of view in order to consider their various perspectives. I am remaining neutral in my school with respect to Janus. I have not yet made up my mind what I will do when given the option. I am open to hearing all of the arguments for and against remaining in the UFT---some arguemnts I may reject but only after giving them some thought. I've been up front about rejecting the notion that being in a bad union is better than no union. But that doesn't mean I can't be convinced to reamin in the UFT. I'll keep reading and thinking and eventually will make up my mind. Roseanne McCosh
The only, and I mean ONLY reason I am still teaching in the DOE is my future pension. From my understanding, pensions are protected by NYS law. The UFT really has nothing to do with my pension. A constitutional convention can change it but not the DOE. I plan on staying in the UFT post Janus. However, I am "old" and I appreciate that a crappy union is better than no union. However, I know for a fact that the young preppie teachers at my school will drop from the UFT in a heartbeat given the chance. They do not look toward the future and would love to use the dues money for craft beers and vacations.
Whats funny is when people write that the students are trash they are called racist. When somebody says teachers are awful based on student achievement, they say its because students are out of control, cursing, threatening, etc.
The union will remain after the Janus decision, whatever it may be. Only thing that changes is current members can opt out, therefore weakening the union's collections. The teachers union will remain , even if 50% drop out of it.
The young teachers understand either consciously or unconsciously that they will be replaced by a computer program or a robot. In the last three years, Google classroom suite has taken over the classrooms and not one person has questioned how the quality of classroom instruction has changed and whether these changes are beneficial or not to the students and teachers. All the stakeholders embraced Google suite and see no problems with using it on a daily basis. So do not blame the young teachers for not looking towards the future. The young teachers really do not have a future in the current system just as seasoned teachers have no place in this evolving system.
Gloom and doom times about 1000. At least put up a fight teachers.
The young teachers never stay too long. They teach for a few years and then get pregnant and married and quit or move on to teach in the suburbs. Pretty soon the teacher turnover in the DOE will match charter schools.
Long story short, I appreciate thos page, but its a waste if time. Its long over, and the scam continues, not gonna list everything again, gets worse and worse, i will not be paying dues...
ATR force placed in September here, it violates the travel hardship rule in contract, so thats 2 huge negatives, force placed and travel, perfect career record, nobody cares...no dues from me.
Here is a question for all those who plan on not paying there dues, will You also stop complaining on this blog? I hope so, that way the rest of us can continue to fight and try to make this union better.
Whats the difference, nothing gets better when we all are paying dues
You guys and the uft are funny, you tell us if you dont pay, heres what will happen, while forgetting about the last 12 years of disaster. UFT has gotten millions per year, accomplished nothing, got us abused, made observations and ratings a million times worse, got our retro delayed till never, got us a bunch of 1% raises...
We need a bad union instead of no union , thats a copout and spoken from somebody feeding off my dues, sitting in an air conditioned office, never in the classroom, not getting rated by danielson, not getting called a white piece of shit by students, make $150K...
Grieve the forced placement two hour away.You have 30 school days to file.
I have tried that, the uft dumped it. And isnt it 90 minutes each way?
I have been opposed to the UFT leadership for over 20 years. ICE led the fight against the 2005 contract. I teach just like you. Those of us on the front lines need help. We cannot do it alone.
90 minutes each way by public transportation. There is an appeal process on grievances. Email us at ICEUFT@gmail.com and we will do what we can.
The union will change to a for service model. Mark my words. Each school will choose whether to join a Union. And, ultimately, the UFT won’t be the only union from which to choose. As some college profs have done, there will be some schools who choose SEIU (which would be my choice). One charter even went with the Teamsters (not my choice).
It is clear that the UFT leadership has seen this coming. Instead of preparing *us* for it, they have prepared themselves by packing their golden parachutes with added fees from our retro. They loaded the ship with buddies, and now they’re going to set sail for their retirement communities.
I think it’s time we, as working teachers, start reaching out to SEIU. I’d like for them to rep us. Let the UFT manage the retired chapter (which is what they’ve focused on anyway).
Why SEIU? I believe the unions have no raiding agreements?
SEIU seems to actually fight for it’s members. Hell, they actually fight. Additionally, they seem to have a grasp on racial justice issues. The way the UFT wrestles with identity politics is childish. They use it when it’s convenient to through a wedge in opposition, but, ignore matters otherwise. Whereas the SEIU seems to be integrated from the ground up.
Additionally, I see an advantage to belonging to the same union that likely represents many of the families whose children we teach.
To deal with no raiding, does that mean we’d have to decertify first? I’ve seen bargaining units change hands in other industries (I’m thinking about the Teamsters’ push in the late ‘70s, though I wouldn’t go with them). In my mind, it’s not raiding if we go to them. We are not hostages; a fact which will be more obvious after Janus.
Just to be clear, I am not looking forward to Janus. I just like to plan ahead. I also Iike to look on the bright side. Freidrichs was a warning. And, it’s obvious from that case that the UFT’s only strategy is to hope for another heart attack. Since I know nothing about Gorsuch’s cholesterol level, I think a different strategy is in order. Clearly, Mulgrew, Weingarten, and Casey have enough differed compensation that they don’t care what happens after Janus. But, I do care.
Thats the point, they dont give a fuck about our misery. So i will stop supporting when i have the chance.
But, the question is, who *will* you support? Because going without a union is suicide. And, free riding is disgusting. I won’t work with scabs. So, you’d better not try to get a job in my building.
If you want to hitch our wagon to more militant group, I’m game. If you’re a whiney, cheap-a$$ scab, then go get a job in a charter.
Not much you can do to stop anybody, would be a personal choice.
You have choice but to work with us unless you quit.
514, who are you charley turner? Who are you to decide? Maybe pulling dues will cause change. All our complaints have gone nowhere. We are tired of waiting for change.
All I’m saying is refusing to pay dues to *any* union makes you a scab. I hear what you’re saying about the UFT. But, your defeatist “throw up my hands and pout” attitude all but ensures that no one has to listen to you. And why would they? You clearly have an “I’m in it for me” vibe about you. So, take that to a charter, or a private employer. I think you’ll find that the money you’ll lose far exceeds the dues you pay to a union.
I am that way because ive learned thats what it is, do i have to make a list?
Make a list of the way the UFT has let you down? Go ahead. You’re preaching to the choir. But, claiming you won’t support *any* union?! That’s awful.
I agree 5:15 that we need a union for sure. People who don't want a union are cutting off their noses to spite their faces.
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