NYC FIREFIGHTERS AND CORRECTIONS OFFICERS VOTE TO THROW OUT UNION PRESIDENTS

From the NYPost:

There’s a five-alarm fire of discontent raging within the rank-and-file of the FDNY.

Firefighters have voted to oust their union president, officials announced this week — with the winner declaring that his supporters were unhappy about its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Uniformed Firefighters Association head Gerard Fitzgerald, seeking reelection, was defeated in a drubbing from challenger Andrew Ansbro in the June vote.

An FDNY marine engineer and former cop, Ansbro captured 4,735 or 69 percent of the vote — compared to 2,113 votes or 30 percent for Fitzgerald.

This part of the article was really fascinating in explaining the insurgent's victory:

Another source close to the UFA said Fitzgerald’s more low-key style did not play well during the biggest crisis facing the FDNY since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

And further down:

According to the FDNY, 11 members of the department died from the bug — including four EMS members, two members who were in Fleet Services, three fire prevention members and two civilian workers.

The UFA President was voted out of office for not stepping up for his members in the COVID-19 crisis.

Why isn't there a five-alarm fire of discontent raging within teachers and other UFTers? We had many more deaths of UFT members compared to FDNY from COVID-19; ergo, shouldn't UFT members hold President Michael Mulgrew accountable too?

From April, this is a post we wrote that cited a Mulgrew quote from the NYTimes:

Michael Mulgrew, the president of the city’s teachers’ union, suggested that thousands of city school workers may have been exposed to the virus or spread it over a critical two-week period through the second week in March, when schools remained open despite pressure to close them, and then for another week when teachers received in-school training for distance learning.

Asked whether he blamed those decisions for the number of dead school employees, Mr. Mulgrew hesitated. “I would like to see the science behind it, but logic would say that had something to do with it,” he said.

Okay so can someone please ask Mr. Mulgrew this question:

You knew school buildings were unsafe during a critical two week period in March so why didn't you strongly advise UFT members to leave and/or not enter those buildings until they were safe?

To this day, I have not seen anyone ask Mulgrew this question directly.

Speaking of city unions using the ballot box to elect new union leadership, back to the same Post article:

The city’s acting correction union boss, Elias Husamudeen, also was recently voted out in the first election since the group’s long-term ex-leader, Norman Seabrook, was convicted in a corruption scandal.

Challenger Benny Boscio was elected as the new president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association in a landslide.

Anyone see a trend starting here?

I know, I know, UFT elections are rigged because retirees spread out all over the country vote. There is no possible way an opposition candidate could get to them sufficiently enough so they could answer the three questions of voting from Politics 101 affirmatively:

1-Do they know you?

2-Do they like you?

3-Do they trust you?

That said, if 100-200 of our growing readership would step up to become chapter leaders in an organized way, you could start the process of changing the UFT next year. Chapter elections in schools are generally fair and democratic. I can hope, pray and dream.