No vote tonight on strike. They are giving negotiations on safety another day.
From Arthur's blog:
Resolution--paraphrased
EB gives leadership authority to negotiate--if no agreement, we will have strike authorization vote 9/1 at DA.
Resolution passes unanimously.
Mulgrew--We won't agree without approval of doctors. We are prepared to do a lot of work either way to keep our union safe. We will also be looking at layoffs. Right now they want to lay off 9,000 members without any additional state cuts. Without help, that number could go higher, If we have an agreement we will have a quick EB meeting before DA.
Everyone will wear a mask in a school. If you have a meeting, it will be multiple times so as to enable distancing. If a principal doesn't understand, call us immediately.
Mulgrew returns to negotiations 6:46
Arthur cites Mulgrew reporting significant progress. No surprise in a unanimous vote for what the leadership wanted.
Wow, significant progress. Nothing to worry about, right. Mulgrew did it.
ReplyDeleteHe sold us out again..... 30 pieces of silver.....
ReplyDeleteStalling. Making deals in the shadows. Nice.
ReplyDeleteJames, please tell me what progress has been made. I'm dying to find out.
ReplyDeleteGuess some backroom deals are going on. No strike it is. Not surprised that Deblasio tweeted that blended learning will start in 2 weeks. So sept 14th????
ReplyDeleteThere will be some deal announced tomorrow, hailed by Mulgrew as scraping the skies it's so good, and the DA will hail it and carry Mikey out on their metaphoric shoulders for virtual beers.
ReplyDeleteThe cynic in me says there will be nothing in tomorrow's "safety plan" announcement that isn't already there today.
I usually say with these predictions: "As always, hope to be wrong."
This time, I REALLY want to be wrong.
I hope they at least get a delay to in-building until 10/1 or 10/15. That may give time to get the "safety measures" like testing and monitoring in place. It will also give time to see what happens to infection rates in the city (yesterday was 0.9% positive rate.)
Oneonta not a good sign, that's for sure.
Easy for them to put us in this position.
ReplyDeleteDon't be stupid.
Don't trust "our leadership."
They have repeatedly failed us.
To date seventy (70) school staff members have lost their life due to the spread of COVID
To date zero (0) union staffers and officers have lost their life due to the spread of COVID.
@8:13 PM - There will be no delay. I am in the ATR status and my assignment begins 9/8/20. Let's see how things unfold this week.
ReplyDeleteReady for this?
ReplyDeleteThe results of COVID testing at SUNY Oneonta students show a positive rate of about 9 percent.
So far, 177 students are positive w/ coronavirus.
SUNY and Gov. Cuomo had the option to impose mandatory baseline testing of students before classes resumed. UUP proposed the idea.
What role is Cuomo playing in the negotiations—because he is definitely the wild card here—especially with some of his recent comments about ‘uncertainty relating to safety plans ‘ of ‘you just never know.’
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am happy and relieved that there is significant progress being made. This is a good thing. I really think going remote 100% will change education for the worse.
ReplyDeleteSupposedly, Mulgrew wants Cannizaro to join him in their threat to strike. I'm a little pessimistic now about it. I wonder if Mulgrew will back down on his plan to get everyone tested.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a bunch of happy and content and well served dues payers.
ReplyDeleteOrganizations and individuals urging a delayed reopening include the unions representing school principals and other school employees, the NAACP, the New York Immigration Coalition, a variety of parent groups, and an extensive list of federal, state and city officials.
ReplyDeleteNew York is the only big-city school system in the U.S. that has planned to reopen for in-person teaching in September.
Nearly 230,000 New York City residents contracted the coronavirus, and more than 23,000 have died, including 130 active and retired UFT members.
The last UFT strike, a week-long job action, was in 1975 during a city fiscal crisis.
What happened to going full remote if they didnt get the HEROES Act funding?
ReplyDeleteI’m so confused as to why they aren’t threatening (and pushing us) the federal families first act first, then court if deblasiquack and doe don’t bend before calling it a “strike”. A lot of teachers are worried of the word, it’s tone and implications that they don’t understand.
ReplyDeleteWe clearly have a case to present/obtain injunction with every other system that has opened with increase in cases, everyone from the city council to mayor to Cuomo all predict and increase of cases, pediatricians are saying once cold and flu season hits it’s going to be impossible to not shut down with so many people presenting symptoms etc. Then, if all of that does not work, with backs to the wall we strike.
I know the “self-check” is effectively a way for a “sickout” but most teachers aren’t with it enough to get “it”.
Furthermore if the parents were explicitly told that their kids were on average, only going to be in school 5 times in 3 weeks it may change their tune as well. Realizing it’s only more confusing for them and near pointless.
Lastly, how in the world is it a “United” front if Mulgrew will allow one school to open but another with poorer planning to stay closed? If my principal does a “better” job then I am more at risk than a teacher in a building who had terrible preparations? That’s the opposite of a union’s purpose. Thanks! First time commenting!
Sat through an excruciating information session with my district UFT rep. She told us nothing, however, she put the fear of God into everyone about the ramifications of a strike. (Losing benefits, losing seniority, etc) She said "we hope to avoid these punishments but they are real". I sat there wondering why, when we need solidarity, she would be scaring so many people unnecessarily. Could it be we are about to get screwed again and then sold the BS that at least they saved us from the scary strike?
ReplyDeleteVery astute observation 8:35.
ReplyDelete8:35 Interesting, especially since last week (and before), they (my UFT DR, Amy, and other official contacts) were completely downplaying the consequences of the strike in meetings. They even said it would be doubtful that the city would press for the minimum 2-for-1 fine since this was about safety issues.
ReplyDelete"about to get screwed again"? What? We've never been back-stabbed by Unity before.. (I can't even keep a straight face typing this).
@8:35 - or maybe she's just one of the truthful ones. We have to be given truthful information, weigh the risks, and make our own decisions. We were told at our information session that the union would not strike before going to court.
ReplyDeleteSingle parent households may lose benefits for everyone in their families and if someone if relying on medication or treatment the perception of the risk of losing benefits far outweighs the risk of going into a school. I would prefer working remotely until it's widely agreed that we would be safe, but then again, I don't have small children that I have to worry about. If not, then I would prefer to decide whether I go in or not without being forced to engage in an illegal strike over a convoluted plan, if there even is one, for testing/tracing.
Bloggers and readers who are Delegates to the Delegates Assembly make sure you participate in today's Delegates Assembly.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you get the up to date, accurate information on the possible strike