As autoworkers at General Motors plants around the country vote this week on whether to accept a new contract, workers elsewhere see an opportunity to demand their own chance in the driver's seat.
The U.S. is enjoying a record-long economic boom, but workers' slice of the pie has barely increased. After decades of relative silence, newly emboldened workers are increasingly vocal in demanding higher pay and better working conditions.
"We have given enough. It's time to get something back," declared Stacy Davis-Gates, vice president of the 25,000-member Chicago Teachers Union, which has been on strike since last Thursday.
2-Tiered Wages Under Fire: Workers Challenge Unequal Pay For Equal Work
PROFILES OF AMERICA IN FULL EMPLOYMENT
2-Tiered Wages Under Fire: Workers Challenge Unequal Pay For Equal Work
Over the last two years, hundreds of thousands of teachers, nurses and factory workers have walked off the job. Last year, more workers went on strike than at any time since 1986.
"Working people have taken it on the chin for four decades," said Lawrence Mishel, a labor economist with the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute in Washington. "The workforce has been a tinderbox waiting to be lit. And if people see a way that they can solve their problems for themselves and their communities, they're going to take it."
Strikes are not always a panacea but every strike can move the labor center of gravity in the direction of the workers. This analysis of the UAW tentative deal that they are voting on shows the positives and negatives in that settlement.
Update Friday GM workers approved the deal 57% to 43%. For a ratification vote, that is fairly close. The 40 day strike is over.
We are also seeing Mayor Lori Lightfoot is now crying poverty with the Chicago teachers as the strike goes into a second week.
Maybe, Chilean workers and students have the right idea as there is a two day general strike occurring in that country. I've recommended this idea as a way to fight back since 2005. I love the slogan, "Chile has woken up."
I notice opting out of the union so as not to pay union dues is not on the agenda in these places.
In NY labor news, the Professional Staff Congress (CUNY teachers) has a new tentative contract.
The financial details:
The following increases shall apply on the dates listed below, except as modified in II.B. below.
10/01/2018 – 2%
10/31/2019 – 2% compounded
11/15/2020 – 2% compounded
11/15/2021 – 2% compounded
11/01/2022 – 2% compounded*
Anybody listen to the Mike Mulgoon podcast that was on the other day? It was about our evaluation system. He kept complaining about the "checklists" that we have in regard to our observation. I guess he means THE DANIELSON CHECKLISTS THAT HE AGREED TO in the first place. I was disgusted by the whole podcast. He had a UFT flunkie and a DOE stooge as guests. ICEUFT Blog should do a posting about that podcast.
ReplyDeleteIf I can stomach it, I will maybe try to listen.
ReplyDeleteSorry to go rogue. Story idea. I think Election Day is shaping up to be a complete disaster. The UFT is leaving every school and every member to fend for themselves about the new 3 hour to vote law. I don't really understand the law. Is it 3 hours or up to 3 hours? And, what does that mean anyway? Who gets to determine how much time any particular person needs to go vote? What if a Principal says no? What if they say yes but do it in the morning when you wanted afternoon or vice versa? What if they say sure you can have 30 mins but asked for an hour and a half? I just don't get how the DOE gets away with essentially having different policies in each school for such things. Seems like something the UFT should be being more proactive about.
ReplyDeleteI agree. My wife told me about this today. We will stay on it.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT said retirees will get our owed money, 25%, tomorrow - nothing is on the payroll portal. Anyone know what’s going on?
ReplyDeleteI will not listen to the podcast. I think it would make me more disheartened with the UFT. Mulgrew is not a very intelligent man, neither is he particularly charming, witty, magnanimous or sincere. Does Mulgrew know that he is in way over his head?
ReplyDeleteIs it only in the public sector that people with such limited intelligence and skills can have positions of such power and authority? e.g. UFT and the DOE.
Other than on this blog, I have not heard a word about election day and voting hours.
Straight from uft website.... Really can't make this up....
ReplyDeleteUnder New York State election law, an employee must be allowed on an election day, without loss of pay, for up to three hours and without charge to leave accruals to take off so much working time as will enable the employee to vote at an election.
If you require working time off to vote, you must notify your immediate supervisor or designee by completing and submitting a Voting Leave Request not less than two working days before the day of the election, setting forth the amount of work time you require to vote.
Download the Voting Leave Request form
Unless otherwise mutually agreed, employees shall be allowed time off only at the beginning or end of their working shift, as the supervisor may designate. An employee must charge any time off to vote that exceeds three hours to his or her annual leave, compensatory time balance or cumulative absence reserve/personal business days.
All offices and schools must conspicuously post where it can be seen by employees as they come or go to work a notice setting forth these provisions, beginning at least 10 working days before an election and until the close of the polls on Election Day.
Not every employee's circumstances will require a full three hours of time off to vote. Factors that will affect how much time off an employee needs to vote include, but are not limited to, the employee’s work schedule and the distance between the employee’s worksite or residence and polling place.
Supervisors can discuss an employee’s request with the employee in an effort to clarify the amount of time that will enable the employee to vote in light of the employee’s circumstances and Department operations. Requests for time off shall not be denied simply because an employee might have time before or after regular work hours, or because early voting was available.
An employee’s assertion that they are registered to vote and reside in a district having an election shall be sufficient unless, in unusual circumstances, a supervisor has sufficient cause to believe that the employee is not a registered voter or does not reside in said district, in which case the supervisor may ask for confirmation from the employee.
#butarenotlimitedto
ReplyDeleteGood luck everyone
#butarenotlimitedto
ReplyDeleteGood luck everyone
First the Uft said retirees will get their 25% on Friday the 25th. Today they said we will get it after 2 PM today. It’s after 2 PM and nothing is there. I called them and now they said since it’s after 2 PM on Friday, you won’t get it till Monday. The UFT is a fucking joke. No more dues for Mike Mulgrew! You want dues Mulgrew? get us interest on our loan, based on the bullshit lie you told us about the city being broke. Who the fuck do u work for - deBlasio or the Rank $ File?
ReplyDeleteSomeone I know got the money at 2:00 pm. Money is not in my account.
ReplyDeleteNo money in my account or Boca Harry’s - his bookie is pissed.
ReplyDeleteDon't fucking tell us the money will be there on the 25th if you can't do it. Mulgrew should be yelling on our behalf.
ReplyDeleteHaha -- "yelling on our behalf?" Didn't you read the letter he sent out instructing us on how grateful we should be for being "made whole?" What a great job he and his flunkies did in doing that .....
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we get our lump sums first, since we put up with all the BS the longest?
Do the one thing left to us - stop paying dues. WTF are retirees getting for it anyway? Invites to hear Mike plead for more money while having the nerve to charge for tickets - you should go and see those bullshit meet and greet soirées he does in Boca, Florida! Totally stomach churning because the folks down there think he’s the second coming of Moses, come down from 52 Broadway. He’s got quite a harem of 90 year old groupies and 80 year old fitness nuts willing to die for King Mulgrew. Dues to the UFT for all their betrayals, lies, platitudes, and buffoons? No way, Jose! And don’t ever move to Florida!!!
ReplyDeleteSHIP Bronx ATR. We are paid off to stay in UFT. My UFT dues are about $20 a month. I pay another $ 20 a month for SHIP for spouse and me. I get back over $700 a year for drugs from SHIP. Do the math. UFT buys us retirees off. If I leave UFT, I save $40 a month in dues and SHIP which is paid back to me and then some. Why would I leave? It is the active people who are fucked much more than retirees.
DeleteOpted out as of July 1, 2019. Never regret it. Had 20 years of empty...
ReplyDelete@4:09, I hear you, but I’m not on any meds and am as healthy as a horse. I don’t know what the future holds, but I no longer am married to the UFT. The marriage ran its course and I’m happily divorced. Even as a retiree the UFT rules by fear -first it was what if your brought up on charges, now what if you get seriously ill?! I am tired of living like the Invisible man, first in order to eke out a living in a highly abusive system in which I’m paying a corrupt entity protection money and now I’m to pay that same entity in case I get seriously ill. (How long will it be before health cost savings decimate that program?) I’ll gladly pay dues if the UFT becomes an inclusive democratic entity that protects their most vulnerable members - new staff and veteran teachers. The first step would be to get rid of Fair Student Funding and go back to centralized funding. They’ll scream they have no control over that - but if that’s true why did Klien seek approval of it and get it from the UFT? Indifference and incompetence are the word that define the UFT.
ReplyDeleteSHIP pays drug reimbursement whether you use any drugs or not. No fear there Bronx ATR. UFT sucks but who in their right mind would give up that deal? $480 for dues and SHIP and I get back $750 whether I need it or not. It is the Unity insurance policy in case active teachers wake up and vote them out. SHIP checks come in spring, right around election time.
ReplyDeleteUFT objected to Fair Student Funding. They did not object too hard but did protest.
@11:46
ReplyDeleteCheck again, they agreed to FSF - no caveats , no protests. I guess some may say I’m not in my right mind - I’m done making deals with the devil for a little more money.
Where is your evidence Bronx ATR that the UFT agreed to FSF? I remember them objecting. They said union has no say in how schools are funded by DOE but they didn't approve of FSF. It did come up.
ReplyDeleteI admire your principled stand on the money. I know you are a pro union guy so I believe your action here is totally legitimate. I pay dues but I don't need to since my wife is still active.
James,
ReplyDeleteChapter 2 - Fair Student Funding:
In 2005 Chancellor Joel Klein proposed an entirely different way to fund the schools that were being used by other Districts in the nation called "fair student funding" (fsf). However, unlike the other Districts that use the fsf for the average teacher salary District wide, the city version is based only on the school. The result is that schools are encouraged to hire the "cheapest and not the best teachers" for their students. When fsf was first proposed, the DOE was expecting the union to oppose it and had little chance to put the fsf in place but shockingly the union did not object and the result was an explosion of the ATR crises.
https://chaz11.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-story-on-why-unity-caucus-is-blame.html?m=1
Also anecdotal evidence and what I was told by someone present.
Chaz does not provide documentation. I have none either except what Randi and Michael Mendel said at the time which was that there was nothing the UFT could do about FSF. We had no way to object legally to FSF but the UFT told DOE it was not going to work.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT could have been making a big deal about FSF with a campaign. Like those commercials we waste money on. Or going to state leg for changes. So it's not what they can do about it legally but certainly PR wise if they were really interested.
ReplyDelete