Union officials are prepared to fight back if they think the reopening of Big Apple schools is being done unsafely, union boss Michael Mulgrew said Tuesday.
“All I am going to say on this call is that I am preparing for what to do if they do that,” the UFT chief said during an afternoon town hall Tuesday by phone, according to a Department of Education source who heard the remarks.
They’re prepared to take court action, protest and other organizing actions but aren’t currently discussing a strike, union sources told The Post Wednesday.
Thank you for getting that clarification NY Post. The UFT as usual will dither and delay but in the end will do next to nothing if the city/DOE insists that school staff report to buildings. If Mulgrew and his followers are not ready to talk about refusing to go into unsafe buildings now, which would not be illegal in my opinion as it is not illegal to refuse to go into a building where you could threaten your own safety or the safety of the students, when are they going to have that discussion?
The UFT is planning only to delay on what to do about the fall. Mulgrew told us at the Tuesday Town Hall that he plans to wait until the end of August or the beginning of September to decide if buildings are safe or not. That is way too late. The UFT has done nothing to mobilize its members in a generation to do more than send a tweet, sign a petition or make a phone call. This union is not going to suddenly turn on a dime in September and actually be militant if and when school buildings are deemed unsafe by staffers.
UFTers you will more than likely be on your own in deciding whether to enter a school building if you can't get a medical accommodation and you don't believe your building is safe. After what happened in March with over 75 NYC school-based workers dying from Covid-19, the UFT not preparing members right now for the worst-case scenario described above, where the city says it's safe but the UFT disagrees, is unconscionable.
In Illinois, Chicago Public Schools have experienced the pandemic but nothing near what NYC schools went through in terms of death and infections from COVID-19. Nevertheless, the Chicago Teachers Union is being proactive in terms of the fall. Yesterday, they started the fight for full remote learning.
The Chicago Teachers Union held a car caravan Wednesday morning to protest the hybrid learning model proposed by Chicago Public Schools in the fall.
That plan would mean a mix of remote learning and in-person courses.
The caravan began circling around a charter school in the city's Lincoln Park neighborhood around 9 a.m. They then traveled to Chicago Public Headquarters in the loop, while the Board of Education held their weekly virtual meeting.
According to CTU leaders, the District's hybrid school plan "falls short on safety." Leaders said CPS has not put enough money into cleaning and janitorial improvements.
“Providing us 40,000 tubs of sanitizing wipes? So I get two tubs of wipes? That might get me through a few lunch periods," Erin Lynch, an art and special education teacher at CPS, said. "We ask that CPS finally put students' and staff's safety and health first."
CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates said that city officials appear to care more about protecting bar patrons and fitness enthusiasts. She added that Friday’s restrictive action on those businesses is more stringent than this September’s plan for pods of 15 kids.
“You see the heat maps of cases. Our positivity rate is going up in Illinois -- no playgrounds, no indoor dining. We have that and yet we are talking about opening schools in this moment? It just seems completely upside down," Gates said.
Stacy Davis-Gates is a union leader that we can only dream about having in NYC.
From Chicago Tribune
Trump cancels Florida portion of Convention. Schools and travel must be totally safe for the thousands...
ReplyDeleteUnderstand. As the uft goes to court, for weeks or more, we must go into the buildings and get sick. Travel and get sick.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to Mulgrew's pitiful cries for attention (getting noticeably annoyed if somebody didn't ask him how he was, or agree that this was the worst summer ever), I have no faith in him fighting for us. All he has to say is the UFT stands with other teacher unions around the country, and we too believe the schools are not yet safe and want remote instruction only. Is it really that difficult?
ReplyDeleteHe is either in on this shit or scared shitless of Cuomo or both.
ReplyDeleteEventually schools will have to open, virus or no virus. The economy and country will collapse otherwise. The government is critically aware of this and I believe McConnel’s Bill may pass for this reason. If it does pass, most will be back to work (and you’ll have to make a nig decision). Mulgrew is hedging his bets. (His primary focus is on keeping the dues flowing - there will be massive layoffs with remote learning.) Whatever deBlasio and Carranza want, they will get. Logically you can’t offer only teachers with pre-existing conditions the option of remote learning. That’s actually discriminating against the majority of teachers who may be forced to put their life and their loved ones lives in jeopardy. Without the blanket immunity from lawsuits that McConnell’s Bill proposes, there has to be remote learning for all - without it the lawsuits will bankrupt every school, business, city, state and vis a vie, country. Either it’s remote learning for all, or back to school for all. That is the position the UFT should take right now. Either the schools are 100% safe from Covid 19 for everyone and everyone goes back, or no one goes back. The other question is how does one ascertain that a school is 100% safe from COVID-19? Are you going to take anyone’s word for it? Especially those who have a vested interest in getting the schools opened quickly? Are you going to put your faith in Mulgrew, Carranza and deBlasio? Allowing Mulgrew to slide for his complicity on March 17, 18 and 19 may once again jeopardize your life and livelihood. No one should go back to teaching this fall, but fully understand the ramifications and the likelihood of massive layoffs. The UFT should demand 100% remote learning, even with the increased likelihood of layoffs and the dreaded requisite drop in their precious union dues. Let Mulgrew worry about saying the dreaded word ‘NO’ to his lord and master deBlasio. The choice is once again your money or your life. When the infamously cheap Jack Benny was asked that question, (in a skit) by a mugger, who was about to shoot him, he answered as Mulgrew did and will, ‘I’m thinking, I’m thinking’ - only thing is it’s your life, not his.
ReplyDeleteI’m with you Bronx ATR— 100% remote! I say we start protesting now!
DeleteBut he wants us all to know he is having a lousy summer.
ReplyDeleteStrike, strike, sick out or whatever you want to call it. Your money or your life is now for all of us to decide. No joke.
ReplyDeleteIt’s too dangerous for a convention. But not for kids to go to school according to Trump.
ReplyDeleteLOL. Principals union rips ‘alarming’ lack of DOE preparation for school reopening
ReplyDeletehttps://nypost.com/2020/07/23/principals-union-rips-lack-of-doe-prep-for-school-reopening/?fbclid=IwAR3rRGprte1SaAa6Xr4VrEMFpY_E8yF4mUf4ls7TcqsyD2Oby5cWKIdMbsY
Now Mulgrew is going to hide behind the CSA.
DeleteMulgrew is a Trump-"Everybody back to school!" Meanwhile Trump and all around him get tested everyday and Mulgrew sits (at home?, in an office?) zooming all day.
ReplyDeleteWhere's Weingarten? She's the national president. Isn't this a national problem?
NY Times
ReplyDeleteNearly four months after the pandemic’s peak, New York City is facing such serious delays in returning coronavirus testing results that public health experts are warning that the problems could hinder efforts to reopen the local economy and schools.
You are watching Mulgrew fold like a cheap suit. (or a cheap suitcase)
ReplyDeleteWhy not push harder for rapid result CoVid testing (paper strip test)? If we could have all in-school staff and students tested every morning, that would at least be some progress.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have read and hears, it is true that the paper strip tests are not as effective for testing for CoVid positivity as the RT-PCR tests (Nasal swab tests), but they are effective at testing for positivity when a person is in the transmittable stage and these tests are inexpensive.
NY Times article from July 3:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/opinion/coronavirus-tests.html
I warned you about staying in the wasted freefall of paying dues. I took about 2 days into July to see that they would rob you for another year.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, it's no longer on Mulgrew and his greedy followers. It's on us to grow a set.
ReplyDeleteYou all could've told him "NO MORE" by opting out. Saying we demand more, earn our money. I hope you are happy with your decision. All across the country schools are going remote, unions are standing up. UFT does nothing. March all over again. Paying the dues isn't life and death. Going in to the buildings could be. Some of you will never learn. It was such an obvious decision. So now that dues opt out is gone, figure out a way to tell him that you demand leadership.
ReplyDeleteAgree with 904. Some of you are so frustrating to deal with. How much more uft inaction did you need after all the bad contracts, the March debacle, the way we get stepped on everyday in every way...So you got your way. Union proud, right? The 0.01 opted out. They are so dumb. Now the rest, the 99.9%, supposedly, are gonna complain on here and on the teacher FB pages about how bad the situation is. I'm on the same sinking ship all of you are on, just not paying the $1600. But don't worry, as he stated about 100 times in the town hall, Mulgrew is having a bad summer at $300k a year plus expenses to never enter a school building.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is to come together collectively rather than ditch the UFT. Judging by the increase in traffic here, some of that message may be getting through a little bit more these days. I try to stay forever an optimist. My name is Eterno after all.
ReplyDeleteJames I agree with you. The problem is people keep voting that sad excuse for a human into leadership—Mulgrew supports his agenda not teachers. Remember that when it’s time to vote
DeleteJames, how long have you been saying that? You were so mad after 3/17-3/19, you encouraged people NOT to opt out, the deadline passed, and here we go again. How mad were people after the 2005 contract? How about the 2014 contract, 0 and 1% raises, 10% over 7 and a half years, raises delayed, retro delayed 11 years...Did you have more traffic then? How about in mid March? Always suckers. How many times will we all be fooled?
ReplyDeleteBlindly pay dues FOREVER. Good plan.
ReplyDeleteNY Times
ReplyDelete"People across the U.S. are still waiting days, or even weeks, to get test results. The delays have made the tests relatively useless in stopping the virus’s spread."
Too dangerous for church and school?
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/i/status/1286663507140845569
9:38, Let's talk about March. What got the DOE to close schools was teacher activism. deBlasio was on CNN Sunday, March 15 in the morning saying schools would be open Monday. I have it from a very reliable source that many UFTers were already calling out sick for Monday. The DOE was worried they couldn't staff schools. That is what moved them more than anything to shut down.
ReplyDeleteFor the 17th, 18th and 19th, we were very angry that Mulgrew didn't advise staff not to go into buildings while the pandemic was out of control. This blog functioned as an alternative union explaining IN WRITING to UFTers on how to not report for work in schools legally.
UFT leadership messed all of those things you talk about up but the concept of union worked very well when the rank and file took matters into their own hands. Chapters could use that solidarity if they want to resist any possible dangers in the fall.
The answer moving ahead, as has been said many times, is to come together and be the union we want. Dropping out accomplishes and changes nothing.
One more thing about dues, if we get the retro in october, dont forget they will take triple dues out of that check. Money well spent.
ReplyDeleteSo de blasio planned on opening schools...THE SCHOOLS WERE STILL OPEN, FOR US, IN THE MOST HARD HOT SPOT IN THE WORLD.
ReplyDeleteYou just wrote the below, if we have to depend on directions from this blog, then obviously the uft isnt doing their job. Why pay them to get poor info and then take direction from you?
I guess it doesnt matter at this point. Opt out is gone, nothing has changed, nothing will change. What you write keeps proving my point. We could've not shown up those 3 days and still opted out. UFT is worthless. Lets see us come together.
"For the 17th, 18th and 19th, we were very angry that Mulgrew didn't advise staff not to go into buildings while the pandemic was out of control. This blog functioned as an alternative union explaining IN WRITING to UFTers on how to not report for work in schools legally."
The answer is to STOP voting MULGREW and his cronies in. That’s what teacher need to do.
DeleteUFT leadership does much I disagree with. Union is not worthless.
ReplyDeleteUnion is essential.
ReplyDeleteBelow is the title of what you posted. Sound helpful? I guess dithering is a positive.
ReplyDelete"UFT DITHERS ON WHETHER IN SCHOOL LEARNING WILL BE SAFE WHILE CHICAGO TEACHERS PROTEST FOR REMOTE ONLY INSTRUCTION"
James, I finally understand now why my principal emailed on Sunday night, March 15th (about an hour before the announcement that we were closing) asking if we were going to be out on Monday. We should try this again in September, if necessary.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't yet figured out that I often disagree with President Mulgrew but not the concept of a union being a necessity, then I don't know how I can convince you.
ReplyDeleteIn WW II at the height of the debacle in France in 1940, the UK changed Prime Ministers. That is what the UFT needs now, not to surrender.
I write that first sentence in the last paragraph with all apologies to Bronx ATR who will know what I mean.
It may happen again 11:13. I just wish UFTers understood the tremendous power we have if we collectively used it. They get it in Chicago and LA. We still need to learn how potentially powerful we can be.
ReplyDeleteJames, we agree that a union helps. What this uft has done is beyond any level of disgusting I have ever encountered. I want a change. Paying is accepting in my mind. We know nothing will change because they have had decades, or at least a decade plus under mulgrew and it never changes or gets worse. As stated a million times, I was left with no other option, opt out was it, all i can do.
ReplyDeletePeople it’s time to PROTEST and STRIKE stop being victims. Like James said they stop schools in March because we called sick en mass. We are strong, we have voices, we have #s so let’s use it. We are teacher organizing is our shit so let’s do this!
ReplyDelete@pro uft: exactly
DeleteThe most logical and rationale would be all remote until february and if there is a vaccine and virus has not been spreading second semester live with regents cancelled.
ReplyDeleteORRRRR High school stays remote in fall and younger kids go full or hybrid.
Having PE, music, arts and language stay remote also makes sense let the kids focus more on the main course subjects without the pressure of state test.
If Biden wins watch this all dissapear
ReplyDelete@2nd: Really
Delete