LIVE BLOGGING FROM REMOTE JUNE DA

Today was the virtual June Delegate Assembly. When I started to listen, President Michael Mulgrew was giving his report. He said that the federal stimulus package would not be done until after the city has a budget on July 1. Governor hasn't made cuts yet. 3% cut could come. People could be furloughed and not get paid for weeks possibly while not working. 

School buildings will not open with the huge cuts. No federal stimulus, school will not open unless there is a miracle. Getting half a school in to do live instruction is not possible. We do not open without federal stimulus. City budget will pass. Window is between July 4 and summer break for Congress. That is the window where it will get done or not in DC. All agree that schools must open for economy to resume. This isn't rhetoric. Republicans and Democrats know that without federal package, we can't open up schools. If the stimulus passes, we still have to worry about the virus. States still having problems. We in NY will open in a social distancing way. We have to be prepared for this in September.

 Amazing stories of UFT members helping each other. Principals received communication from Chancellor to have people to do a walkthrough of the school. Generic square footage for buildings was sent out. It is inaccurate. We need to look at number of classrooms (800 x 1000 square feet for a regular classroom) and then find non-traditional classroom space (auditoriums). It is set for walkthroughs. Then we must find estimated enrollment for September. Then find the number of staff in the building and expected number of students. No school will probably do every other day. It will be an A-B-C scenario or possibly A-B-C-D scenario. Safety and protecting our livelihood.

CDC and our medical professionals need to know what the approved medical accommodations can be. I can't go into the school but need an accommodation to work from home. Trying to come up with a list of medical conditions that will be acceptable for accommodation.  You don't have to answer questions from principals on this. It should be a citywide standard and then people should have time to make decisions. We are assuming 15-25% will need an accommodation. Many parents won't send their children in. Schools that have already been programmed will not work. In terms of childcare, we would like to set up ways so our members have access to childcare. We are essential workers. Support centers have been opened since school buildings shut down. We learned a lot in those centers. We learned that PPE is king. Centers were being wiped down, there was hand sanitizer. Difficult to get 4-5-year-olds to adhere to social distancing guidelines but we never had a case in centers. Rigid procedures, protocols and cleaning have to be in place. We learned that from the support centers. We have to get Heroes Act (federal stimulus) passed.

Municipal Labor Committee put early retirement incentive on the table. Every year bill introduced in Albany on early retirement incentive.  NYC and MLC must agree to do an early retirement incentive. Financial note would have to go to the State Legislature. Assembly and State Senate would need to pass it and Governor would have to sign it. Last retirement incentive was in 1995. All the unions together put this on the table. We will keep people updated on this. 

Layoffs won't be on the table if we get the Heroes Act. If we don't get that, then everything is on the table.

APPR is frozen. You can still be granted tenure if you are up for it this year. DOE has agreed in principle saying that no harm should come to anyone because they did not get a rating this year. Certification, licensing issues: we have waivers. Something was extended for guidance counselors.

Union telling DOE to stop rolling out new things currrently. We have to get school set for September. Much information in the data system doesn't work. The guidance does not say everyone has to do it. No new initiatives. We need a plan to open schools safely. DOE seems to speak to the same parents all the time. Closing out school year: can go back to school and clean out things. Adhere to social distancing and PPEs. 

Reorganization schedules aren't real when we don't know what schools will look like and how they will be scheduled.

Thank you for protests. Everyone has to be treated fairly. Optimistic that this might actually be the time. I've been optimistic before. We are a large union with many different affiliations but the evidence is overwhelming. Many resolutions dealing with that today. 

School safety is a little tricky. NYPD doesn't want school safety and they would be happy to give it up. UFT agreed with and worked with Rudy Giulliani to bring safety from DOE to NYPD. There was a problem and schools were not safe. It was bad. Imagine DOE central is in charge of school safety. It got bad when Bloomberg did zero tolerance. What happened was principals heard that as a dog whistle which meant no incidents=good school. Teachers were getting arrested then for intervening in altercations. We got that fixed. School Safety Agents are peace officers. If they are being moved, we have to be ensured that there is safety. NYPD doesn't want school safety. Taking school safety out of NYPD and moving budget to DOE is not defunding NYPD. Need to be thoughtful. We don't want to deal with DOE trying to figure out safety in the fall. For someone to be arrested, police officer must ask for permission to come in a school unless it's a really serious act. Stop playing politics with safety of children.

Elections matter. Looking at three years of pain unless we get federal package or win the White House and US Senate. You have to vote and tell everyone else to vote.

Staff Director's Report: Leroy Barr reported on early voting from June 13-June 21. June 23 is the primary election day. November 3 election day. June 19th commemorating the end of slavery will be a state holiday starting next year. This is pride month with LGBT community. Puerto Rican Day, won't have a parade. Happy Father's Day and have a safe summer. 

Mulgrew again stated we pulled it off having the system do what had never been done with remote learning. It is a phenomenal union. Hold your head up high. Nobody can believe what UFT members did in NYC.

Question:  Peter Lamphere from MORE said he was a little concerned about individual principals being asked to make decisions on how many kids can learn.

Mulgrew Answer: There are strict guidelines and if they are not adhered to it isn't going to be approved. Principals are being asked to estimate what they think they can handle. Asked about what is appropriate. When we say occupants it includes students, teachers and paras in a room. It is not the final decision of the principal.

Q: High School teacher in Manhattan, teacher told they can't do a walk-through until principal does walk-through. When will walk-through happen? What if principal says no?

A: Principal was sent a direct order from Chancellor to call CL and someone else on SLT to invite them to do a walk-through. Get in touch with us if there is no walk-through. 

Q: CL asked question about building that has four different schools. School is on first floor. Shared buildings, do we do it alone?

A: It depends on the relationship between the schools. Use space that belongs to your school and then get to shared areas and we will deal with them if they don't get along. A principal actually placed a school flag down in a field and said it was his. Scheduling is interesting on whether to scatter schedules or make them the same. This is complicated and never been done. Can students with IEPs get more in person time? That is being discussed. City Hall is holding things up. If you have a good relatioship between schools, go ahead and talk about shared space.

Q: Reorganization grievance form by today?

A: Looking at it and will have it out by tomorrow's town hall.

Q: Need plan by second week on how our health will be protected?

A: We will need a plan following CDC guidelines. Should have it by second or third week of August. Temperature, PPE, etc.

Q: What is being done to sanitize materials?

A: In terms of COVID-19, it should be good. DOE says buildings have been cleaned. It's not just cleaning at night; it's cleaning during the school day. Need wipes during the school day. AT UFT elevator button is very shiny. CL's must check certain things before we get to the school year. It is a burden but we will get someone in on their behalf.

Q: SBO's, is it okay to draft SBO's until the end of the school year?

A: Be as flexible as possible on SBO's. Might want to change SBO's in August when people know what they will be facing in September. 

Q: After school day, meals go to community. How will that be impacted if schools open in September?

A: If buildings are open, city will have to prove to us how that is not interupting with school operations.

For school community distribution, we can continue with it.

Q:  What if people in your household have preexisting conditions? Can you get accommodation?

A: CDC guidelines don't cover this. We can try on a citywide level. Expecting 15-25% of our members to need accommodation so this won't be easy.

Q: Shared building including a charter school in building.

A: Public, charter and private schools all must follow the same guidelines. CDC guidelines are forsocial distancing. Charter chains tend not to be friendly neighbors. If it is a safety issue, DOE has authority to change things.

Q: Teacher's Choice can't be used for cleaning supplies. Will that change?

A: Working with the City Council right now. Trying to figure out how to get that regulation changed. Clearly, teachers are going to be buying cleaning supplies and cleaning their own classrooms.

Q: If heroes act is or isn't passed, is exclusive remote teaching possible in September?

A: If we look like Texas or Arizona, we will be exclusively remote.

Q: When will UFT issue a statement on buyout? When will they know when this will be decided upon?

A: My guess is that this will happen in August. We will do what we have to do with pension fund which has revamped how it has done business and can handle much more. It comes down to city and state governments not knowing what funding they have.

Q: What about transfers?

A: Might need to extend open market.  Schools expecting 3% cut now. Open market will probably be extended until right before school starts. Goal is for new teachers and others to continue in profession and not lose livelihood. Excessing is our friend. If there isn't a financial problem, people should be able to move. 

New Motion Period:

Delegate moves that contingency political endorsements move up because of time limitations.

91% voted yes 

9% voted no

Motion for this month to express UFT solidarity with Black Lives Matter:

82% voted yes

18% voted no

Motion for LGBTQ rights to stop discrimination against transgender men and women for next month.

UFT to stand with transcommunity against Trump's policy and partnering with certain groups.

Nobody spoke against.

89% voted yes

11% voted no

Resolutions:

Resolution for the UFT to make contingency endorsements over the summer.

92% voted yes

8% voted no

Resolution for solidarity with US Postal Service employees.

98% voted yes

2% voted no

Meeting adjourned after Mulgrew thanked everyone in UFT and thanked leaders who are in DA and made another push for the Heroes Act to not allow our schools to be completely decimated in the middle of a pandemic.