Wednesday, November 08, 2017

LIVE BLOGGING FROM NOVEMBER DA

Today is the November Delegate Assembly. I apologize for any errors from my not so smartphone.

President's Report
President Mulgrew called political action director Paul Egan and his team up to celebrate 83% vote no on constitutional convention.  70% wanted it last year. Polls shifted as never seen before to 83% voting no yesterday.

We must keep momentum going to fight Janus Supreme Court case. Right wing wants to take our ability to fight back away from us. Voucher proposals defeated last night too.

We are sending water filters to Puerto Rico. Hard to believe in 2017 we have to do this. Sending directly to workers there who are sending directly to families.

Collection made for winter coat drive for Richard Mantell's campaign.

For Janus the door knocking campaign has started. Some members skeptical that it is really a UFT person. Getting results. Contact Leroy Barr if interested in knocking on doors. $1800 stipend for going door to door. Want on-site person to be the education coordinator on Janus in every school.

NYC
City Council did hearing on bullying. DOE made announcements on bullying and safety initiatives.  Info on surveys is there.  Supts do not look at this.

Schools that sheltered in did exactly what they are supposed to do during and after terrorist attack last week. UFT member assistance program helped safety agents who were first on scene.

Making progress on paid family leave. People who came before us made sacrifices to get benefits. Going to get this done in a smart way or it will get ugly with city. People fought for lower class size by foregoing raise. 1913 first teacher fired for getting pregnant. 2008 UFT sued to stop UFT member from getting fired for being pregnant. Progressive NYC not always progressive.

There are municipal unions whose contracts have expired in NYC. Must prepare. Must start a negotiating committee. Problem for unionized workers is uncertainty at federal level. Healthcare, education cuts and tax policy being discussed. If there are cuts, NYS takes a hit. Tax cuts will hurt us all. Expecting to hear givebacks being called for by the press. Putting together 250-350 member negotiating committee. Have a year remaining under current contract.

Since we are monitoring consultation, principals complaining to supts that they cannot run their buildings. We want to push back on their pushbacks.

Craziness on lesson plans. Some must have extra copies of lesson plans; others must have extra lesson plans on door. Teachers do not have to have a second copy of lesson plans. Lesson plan for teachers' use. Principals saying they need copy of lesson plans to do observations. Educationally unsound according to principals not to have a copy when doing an observation. We say it is not educationally sound to have oversize classes and children not getting services and lesson plans are for us.

Anyone who wants extra lesson plans in a folder on a door is a moron. Chancellor sent Mulgrew a letter on the policy. These idiots aren't fixing education. Sending out paperwork resolutions. Principals digging heals in.

Staff Director's Report

Leroy Barr gave a bunch of dates including next DA on Dec 6.

Question Period
Question: Admin wants rubric on every part of lesson. Is it excessive?
Mulgrew Answer: It is excessive. Get us info.

Q Tell Rachel Maddow about operation agua in Puerto Rico.
A We will have AFT do this.

Q Principal won't show us budget?
A It is a contractual right to see it anytime there are changes which is often. Strategize on how to handle it.

Q Janus more complicated than convention.  How do we get to people in a simple way on Janus?
A Tell people to pledge to stay in their union. Opponents will say to save dues and get a raise. They will take that away and more.

Q Principal assigning common planning to all preps. Sign in sheet. Principal says it is voluntary. How to motivate people to stand up to this?
A Sign in sheet makes it non voluntary. Get info to us.

Q Admin bullying by yelling at teachers in front of kids?
A Call anti bullying hotline. Not kidding. Always will have bad administrators. CSA accused DOE of not writing principals up before taking action. Keep campaign going.

Q City pumping money into anti bullying campaign. Our school near school where tragic stabbing occurred. Weapons found. Teachers, students scared. Is DOE going to do something?
A Superintendent can do this. We can put in request officially for people to come in about safety.

Raised $3079 for coats.

Motions
No motions.

Special Orders of Business
Resolution on 1960 strike anniversary. Mel Aaronson told Chicago Tribune every school was closed back then. 5000 did not come to work. Another 2000 called out sick. Strike for collective bargaining. It took another strike to get collective bargaining. Support thanking people who went on strike and pledge to keep fighting for rights in the future.

Peter Lamphere spoke for resolution but said we made gains without concessions back then and we should do the same with paid parental leave.

Resolution passed. 1960 strikers recognized.

Arthur Pepper retired. New welfare fund director.

Resolution to support DNA info and Gothamist writers. Billionaire owner shut down publications when writers voted to unionize.
Resolution passed.

That's all folks.




16 comments:

Anonymous said...

If your principal frequently yells then use your phone to audio record it or, video record if possible. Send the evidence to the nY post.

JR said...

Already setting us up for givebacks...Making progress on paid family leave. People who came before us made sacrifices to get benefits. Going to get this done in a smart way or it will get ugly with city. People fought for lower class size by foregoing raise.

Anonymous said...

You got that right. Givebacks coming for paid leave.

Anonymous said...

the only reason there is no con con was because every other union was involved .... if it were only UFT then there would be one and Mulgrew would have said it was a victory and a chance for a seat at the table.

Anonymous said...

Pardon my French, but FUCK THIS. The UFT is saying that givebacks will happen on "paid" maternity leave. I swear to god, I hope Janus wins so I can pull my dues. I am never going to have kids but my own union is going to take away my future CAR days?

James Eterno said...

That won't be the giveback. It will be something else. UFT already rejected the loss of sickback days giveback already as far as we know. Expeect something else.

Anonymous said...

Every time someone goes on maternity leave , *I* get “asked” to teach an extra class. When I say no, I get threatened with bad reviews. I caved last year. and the stress ruined my scores. Why am i on the hook for someone else’s decision to have kids? I am sorry, but, I will vote no unless some provision is made so that the rest of us don’t get screwed. A mandatory provision must be made so the replacement cannot be made in house.

Anonymous said...

I heard Anti Bullying and safety initiatives are going to get lots of funding soon! Does that mean the schools will get more money to hire more teachers and other staff?

Anonymous said...

QUESTION ON MATERNITY LEAVE: If paid maternity leave happens will this be a change to our contract and as such do the rank and file get to vote on this? Or rather, will it be a secret deal that the UFT/DOE does behind closed doors as usual?

James Eterno said...

4:55, I doubt it. More bureaucrats coming instead of teachers and counselors.

11:51, What makes you think you will get a vote to ratify paid parental leave? I very much doubt it will come to membership. Probably only will be voted on by rubber stamp Unity dominated DA.

Anonymous said...

Sexual assault at Tilden HS. Par for the course.

Anonymous said...

You will never know the giveback, we will get smaller raises, you wont know by how much, just expect tiny raise.

Anonymous said...

Is any UFT member eligible to knock on doors for the 1800?

Anonymous said...

So this is what the teaching job has become. But these are good kids?

Police on Wednesday were investigating allegations that a 14-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by a group of bullies at an East Flatbush, Brooklyn high school, sources said.

The principal of the school has been reassigned following the alleged incident.

Sources told CBS2 that investigators from the 67th Precinct were investigating the incident at It Takes a Village Academy, a school program on the Tilden High School campus.

The alleged victim is a 14-year-old boy and the suspects are older fellow students – all of them male, sources said.

After gym class this past Friday, the boy was allegedly attacked in a locker room by an undisclosed number of bullies, sources said. They held him against the wall and tried to put their fingers in his anus, sources said.

The school was notified and the students were suspended, but the school allegedly never notified police, sources said.

On Monday, the victim’s mother notified police about the incident and they began investigating, sources said.

Department of Education sources said the principal of the school has also been reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation. Families have been notified, and the superintendent is working closely with the assistant principal and school community as the search commences for a new school leader, sources said.

“Safety always comes first and these deeply troubling allegations are being investigated,” the DOE said in a statement. “We are working in close partnership with the NYPD to ensure appropriate action is taken and are providing the school with ongoing support.”

There had been no arrests in the case as of Wednesday night.

James Eterno said...

Apply?

Anonymous said...

Where was this said?