Sunday, August 09, 2020

SOLIDARITY CAUCUS PREPARING TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION TO STOP SCHOOLS FROM OPENING IN SEPTEMBER

 This was in my inbox from UFT Solidarity this evening and already covered by SILive. UFT Solidarity is a caucus not mired in indecision and delay. They are taking action.

Good evening,

My name is Lydia Howrilka and I am a NYC public school teacher, proud union member, and native New Yorker. I represent UFT Solidarity caucus of the United Federation of Teachers; in 2019, UFT Solidarity came in second place in the UFT elections. UFT Solidarity is committed to advocate for all members and improve our profession, to provide oversight and support to members struggling under hostile work conditions, to expose corruption and abuses that negatively affect member working conditions and therefore our communities, and to advance our union.

UFT Solidarity is asking you for your support to oppose the Mayor's reopening plan and to push for a fully remote start to the school year. We truly believe that there is too much at stake at reopening school buildings for in person learning. We have seen terrible instances of spikes of COVID in countries like France and Israel that reopened school buildings after they believed that COVID was being well monitored and managed.

UFT Solidarity has spoken to the media on our stance on the reopening of schools in the NY Post and on Bronx Net TV. Please see the links below:


https://bronxnet.org/your-bronx/articles/dialogo-abierto-programa-brg-contra-la-violencia-de-armasreapertura-de-las-escuelas-publicas/ 


https://bronxnet.org/your-bronx/articles/todays-verdict-rent-relief-revel-suspension-school-reopening-plan-liquor-license-suspension/ 


https://nypost.com/2020/08/03/another-teachers-union-group-rips-plan-to-reopen-nyc-schools/


https://nypost.com/2020/07/09/teachers-union-group-warns-of-nyc-school-reopening-chaos/ 

We additionally have no faith in the leadership of the NYC Schools Chancellor and are calling for his immediate resignation.

We have seen cases across our country of school buildings reopening and seeing both adults and children die. In Arizona, three teachers shared a classroom for summer school; all three of them caught COVID but one did not survive. In central Indiana, state officials opened schools and quickly schools experienced cases of coronavirus. Presently Indiana has 31 positive cases and educators and parents are pressuring officials there to shut down schools. After only one full week of classes, 250 students and teachers from one school have been quarantined in a district north of Atlanta. New York City is the largest school district in the United States. We had the most coronavirus cases in our nation until very recently. I do not want a repeat of what our City and State went through in March and April in the Fall. People will be coming back from vacations through bus terminals and airports; many of them might have had contact with people from coronavirus hotspots and they may spread the virus on public transit. Across NYC, there are areas of higher positive cases of COVID. In Brooklyn, where I work, a number of our students live in East NY and Canarsie which has significantly higher cases of COVID compared to where they go to school in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. We are deeply concerned that the NYC transit will be a vector for spreading the virus from areas of high cases to areas where there is a low positive rate. Our governor and mayor claim that we are ready for school buildings to reopen but if school districts smaller than NYC can have these sudden surges of coronavirus, it is terrifying to think what may happen in NYC if school buildings are allowed to reopen. As an educator, most of my teaching day will be used to remind my students to stay six feet apart from each other, keep their masks on, and to wash their hands. I cannot comfort them when they are having a bad day, they cannot comfort each other. There will be no high-fives, one-armed hugs, and no sharing of materials. I fear that even with all these precautions and my own layers of PPE that I may be an asymptomatic spreader of coronavirus and pass it on to one of my students. That student may live with someone who is elderly or is in poor health. I could not live with myself if one of my students lost a family member because of time they spent in a school building. According to health experts, we know that coronavirus is spread most efficiently through air and that open windows and fresh air is the best defense. In many schools, windows do not open all the way. In my classroom, I only have one window out of five that opens up from the top and the other two windows only open up 2 inches from the bottom. While I have an airconditioning unit in my room, I doubt it has the top-quality air filters that NYS malls are required to have in order to reopen. Many schools have interior classrooms with no ventilation of any kind. Our school budgets have been decimated; how can you expect principals to purchase air purifiers for every single classroom and pay for upgraded Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning [HVAC] systems in their buildings? Schools are also tasked with hiring and retaining custodians. Many schools have had to lay off custodians and the number of custodians we have working during the school day is not adequate to keep frequently touched surfaces clean, bathrooms stocked with soap and towels, and make sure that all faucets work. The president of Local 891 urged his members to “not make promises they cannot keep” and that the plan to reopen schools is full of “unrealistic expectations.” In our opinion, it is unrealistic for the City of NY to make parents these promises that children will be kept safe. According to CNN, "a report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday found that Black and Hispanic children are more likely to be hospitalized due to coronavirus than White children. The CDC examined hospitalization records from 14 states and found 576 Covid-19 cases among children who needed hospitalization from March through July 25." According to the NYC Council, 40.6% and 25.5% of the population of NYC public schools are Black and Latinx respectively. My Black and Latinx students should not be treated as guinea pigs by attending school during a pandemic, even if it's only a few days every week. My students’ lives matter to me! If we cannot eat indoors at a restaurant or go to a mall, what makes you think it is safe for us to spend 6-7 hours in a school building with poor HVAC systems, no soap, inadequate access to sinks, no fresh air, and no working windows?

If the City Council, UFT, NYSUT, and the AFT are unable to support us, UFT Solidarity is prepared to pursue legal action to protect the health and safety of our members and the children we care for. Mr. Mulgrew, Mr. Parrota, and Ms. Weingarten-- REPRESENT YOUR MEMBERS! You have the power to file an injunction to stop the reopening of school buildings. You have the power of the purse and the political clout to do this. But if you cannot or will not do this, UFT Solidarity is prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect our students and members. Sincerely yours, Lydia Howrilka Claudia Giordano Odalis Santana Dan Leopold Quinn Zannoni Jay Werner Mayra Victoria John Lawhead Ellen Broody-Kirmss


Link to UFT Solidarity Intake Form

58 comments:

Anonymous said...

If this is what it takes, and Mulgrew does nothing, why must I pay $62 per check for nothing?

James Eterno said...

Solidarity people all pay.

Anonymous said...

The people getting the money are doing nothing.

Anonymous said...

Solidarity tried to take over, had no choice.

James Eterno said...

Not one of these people opted out of the UFT.

Anonymous said...

More reason why we don't trust
@NYCSchools
to reopen school buildings safely.
@UFT
said they'll follow up with each and every school, but conditions like these that don't allow ventilation, esp. during a pandemic with a respiratory disease are a nonstarter.

Our central air hasn’t worked a day in the buildings 11-year history and the windows do not open to circulate air efficiently — they open on a slant but we were told that these problems do not warrant closure...

Anonymous said...

Lol. Mulgrew doing nothing as usual.

Pete Zucker said...

@9:35 and what have you done to try to change things?

Bronx ATR said...

They are all great folks and Solidarity is a great caucus. Every working stiff that isn’t on the UFT payroll should support it. The game the UFT is currently trying to play is truly unconscionable. I didn’t fully understand how hard the stress of this issue was hitting many working teachers, until I got a call tonight. An old friend with life long obesity and health problems had his will made out yesterday. He told me it was at Mulgrew’s suggestion and ‘Tony’ feels he will die if he goes back to the Bronx shithole he teaches in (which was a safe bet even before the Covid). He’s so stressed out he barely sleeps and has lost 70 pounds, at a most unfortunate time. The UFT is a union only because of those, like Solidarity, who still oppose it. The DOE is playing chess and Mulgrew and friends are playing checkers.

Pete Zucker said...

Better Solidarity than MORE. Still a waste of time. It’ll all be moot.

Anonymous said...

REVEALED: Nearly 100,000 children tested positive for covid in past two weeks, as they return to school and universities make students sign pledges to not attend parties and to stay on campus

Anonymous said...

He meant solidarity ran for office, they couldn't opt out.

Anonymous said...

Read what bronx atr wrote, then tell me the uft isn't a disgrace, then tell me to pay dues.

James Eterno said...

I'm sure glad the Solidarity people still pay dues and aren't just complaining anonymously here.

Anonymous said...

I am too. We should pay mulgrew and Lydia, right?

Anonymous said...

So the school where students weren't wearing masks and the student posting the picture got suspended? That school is now going fully remote this week. ����‍♀️
@nycschools
know this is what's going to happen if we reopen buildings.

Anonymous said...

-While the state as a whole might be under 3%, many of our individual school zip codes are way above. This is a problem. You can’t compare the city’s numbers to the numbers way upstate NY

-The numbers are only “low” bc some people are still quarantining. Things are still closed! (Indoor dining, gyms, movies, SCHOOLS, etc) Not everyone is out and about doing their normal routines. Schools open, you will have the buses and trains packed again. How can the DOE reopen when the city isn’t fully reopened?! Makes NO sense.

-D75, how is the staff going to be protected. This population is so needy and they are in close proximity with the kids all day. Changing diapers, dealing with saliva, hand over hand writing and more. I am not D75 but my child is and I have many people I love who work in D75. We need to advocate for each other.

- All these “suggested” things the DOE rolled out is complete 💩. They never enforce things. Yes, all staff and students should be required to be tested at least to begin the school year. The custodians in my school are always low on manpower. I just don’t see how this cleaning will be happening. Too many promises from the DOE that we all know cannot be fulfilled.

I’d rather be in the classroom teaching. I know remote isn’t the most ideal situation, but I do feel for now, it’s the safest until all this is settled and figured out. We must continue putting pressure and fighting for each other.

Anonymous said...

The uft is fucking useless. The scabs were proven right in the most dire of situations. My 🐍 AP is telling parents in zoom meetings that we won't do temp checks because it's not mandatory and that covid testing is suggested for staff but not required. I thought the news said we have to get tested? The parents became outraged about his statements. They were also upset that it is at the parent or staff discretion to share if they are positive. I agree with them we had cases at the school and it was only shared to the staff and students after people where in the hospital for weeks. Im shocked that the parents dont want to test their kids eventhough children transmit the virus not just adults 🤯. Then there was an issue about how grades will be determined and using the lunch room as a class. The whole thing is a 💩 show. My 🐍AP was trying to convince parents it will be better than the spring but he had no answers. These plans are horrible. To make matters worse the AP is best friends with the superintendent.

Anonymous said...

NYCMayor

@DOEChancellor
your plan will disproportionately hurt Black & Latinx students & families— esp. from areas w/ infection rates >3%. We need to start planning for equitable, mostly remote school that includes outdoor learning, & prioritizes building use 4 high need groups

Anonymous said...

9:35 has one answer to everything which is to stop paying dues. These people in Solidarity aren't listening. They are not throwing up their hands and giving up. This morning the UFT leadership is probably grateful for this action. They don't have to do anything now. Mulgrew can go to his buddies Carranza and de Blasio and say it wasn't me, it was those crazies in Solidarity. You are actually doing him a favor.

Anonymous said...

You say pay dues, then follow it up with this...This morning the UFT leadership is probably grateful for this action. They don't have to do anything now. Mulgrew can go to his buddies Carranza and de Blasio and say it wasn't me, it was those crazies in Solidarity. You are actually doing him a favor.

Anonymous said...

Vote for Lydia. That was my point. 2022 isn't that far off. Better than expecting Mulgrew to change. If this succeeds, Mulgrew becomes irrelevant.

Anonymous said...

Scabs are being proven totally wrong. This is a union caucus taking collective action, not an anti-union group that just withholds their dues money and complains. Scabs are like Mulgrew. Useless and selfish.

Anonymous said...

Paying mulgrew to do nothing. Paying dues to get nothing. having teachers do all the work. That proves we can do it without paying dues. You all keep saying he is useless. You all keep complaining on here all day.

Anonymous said...

Does lydia have an emaiL?

Anonymous said...

Im not arguing this all day, if mulgrew, unity and the leadership need lydia to do all the work, they prove to be worthless. Have a nice day.

Anonymous said...

1) I feel it is unethical to mandate teachers or staff to be in a room with children who are not wearing masks. What can we do to make sure lunch is outside? What do schools need to make this happen? Permits to use parks, tents, what else? How do we do this? 2) Bathrooms are another huge safety concern, but at least people will (hopefully!) wear masks in the bathroom. Toilet seat covers and air purifiers will reduce risk. How do we make sure every school has these in every bathroom? (In addition to the basic supplies many schools run out of like paper towels and soap!)

Anonymous said...

uft at work?

Untenured teachers are afraid to speak out because we don’t have the same rights and protections by
@UFT
but I refuse to remain silent! I will stick up for myself and fight for my colleagues, students, and their families! Thank you

Anonymous said...

The mayor:"74% students and 85% teachers prefer in-person school"

Anonymous said...

All teachers, every subject, who dont get the accommodation must go to building every day?

Anonymous said...

PE teachers?????

Anonymous said...

This is what the mayor says. Where oh where is the uft?

City of New York

The results are in, and here’s what we’ve heard about reopening
@NYCSchools
:
Pencil 400,000 parents answered our survey
School 74% of students plan to do in-person learning
Red apple 85% of teachers are preparing for blended learning (in-person and remote)

Anonymous said...

The most important thing NOT being addressed in Mayor's presser this morning is TESTING.
It remains recommended rather than required for staff and students.

Anonymous said...

Get the facts UFT members have all been invited to a UFT TOWNHALL
August 13
3 30
Get the facts directly

Anonymous said...

UFT?
It seems shaky to assume that the majority of NYC families -- those who did not submit any preference by Aug. 7 -- will all send their kids for in-person classes. No way to be sure until Sept. 10, if that's the first day of school. No calendar has yet been issued.

Anonymous said...

solidarity zoom meeting today, 3pm

Anonymous said...

Why worry, once the kids get it, i will and die.

At Least 97,000 U.S. Children Were Infected During Last Half Of July
Read coronavirus updates here: https://gothamist.com

James Eterno said...

We will listen.Hopefully, Mulgrew will answer some hard questions like :When is the voting on his new contract? What happened in March when he refused to pull members out of infected buildings? Are you more interested in your dues or our lives?

James Eterno said...

Call: 646-883-8487 or 646-8UFT4US

For General Information or Member Support: Solidaritycaucus@gmail.com (Note: Advice and support given by UFT Solidarity members is not to be considered legal advice.)

Anonymous said...

why would mulgrew answer, he knows the suckers will keep paying him for awful service.

Anonymous said...

UFT?

Again, to underscore: the Mayor started off today's presser on school reopening with a misleading statement - all we know right now is that as of Friday Aug 7, about 264,000 (26%) of New York City students have been opted into all-remote learning for start of the school year.

It is ridiculous to assume the other 800k students are showing up to school.

Anonymous said...

Ben Max
@TweetBenMax
·
1h
.
@NYCMayor
says over 700,000 New York City students - about 74% - are planning to participate in blended learning when (if) schools reopen in September. Meaning about 26% of students have opted for all-remote learning, &, as of now, 3/4 of students will do some in-person school.
Ben Max
@TweetBenMax
·
1h
Since parents can shift kids to full remote any time, these numbers could shift significantly by the first day of school (or after), but we shall see.
Ben Max
@TweetBenMax
·
55m
.
@DOEChancellor
announces 15% of NYC teachers have applied for medical exemption to do fully remote teaching. (That's a lower % than I expected but still significant & will be interesting to see what the DOE has done by start of school to add qualified adults to school buildings)
Ben Max
@TweetBenMax
·
52m
Starting Monday Aug 17, schools will start sending out student schedules, & those that don't will have them out the week of Aug 24, Mayor says.

This info (& also the calendar moving toward first day) could significantly impact that # of families opting for all remote.
Ben Max
@TweetBenMax
·
45m
To be clear, Mayor is again inflating/spinning #s on a DOE survey toward push for reopening/in-person learning, but we'll see what happens as parents continue to have option to move kids to all remote learning. No doubt most parents want kids *safely* at school but lots TBD.
Ben Max
@TweetBenMax
·
28m
De Blasio says city wants to maximize use of outdoor space for schooling, but again indicates the city/DOE is not taking an active role in making this happen, he says schools can explore it as they see fit.
Ben Max
@TweetBenMax
·
26m
and the Chancellor says similarly, adding description of challenges related to outdoor learning and weather. Asks rhetorically what happens if you get all set up outside and then there's bad weather. yeesh.
Ben Max
@TweetBenMax
·
20m
"Once upon a time there were no public schools..." -Bill de Blasio begins wrapping up today's press conference
Ben Max
@TweetBenMax
Again, to underscore: the Mayor started off today's presser on school reopening with a misleading statement - all we know right now is that as of Friday Aug 7, about 264,000 (26%) of New York City students have been opted into all-remote learning for start of the school year.

Anonymous said...

The opt-out ship has sailed, move on. The same arguments ad nauseaum. Pay or don’t pay - that’s your choice, but right now everyone needs a viable union, including the folks that dropped out. I’ll let you know a little secret – the UFT is doing better financially than it ever has.
Continually arguing and being distracted from what’s going on is hurting all of us and it isn’t fair. James, perhaps you can consider canning the pro and con opt out of due posts until there’s a quiet in the storm? And if there isn’t a lull, perhaps save all the posts and publish them yearly on Betsy DeVos’ birthday?

Anonymous said...

A reminder as to why we cannot return to school buildings in September:

https://www.thenation.com/article/society/schools-teachers-covid

John C said...

Ok, so no more opt out stuff. Now tell me how the uft leadership has done a good job. You can't Now tell me the next step, mulgrew has no plan. Tell me what if you or your mother or wife had died in March. Tell me why lydia is the one organizing. Tell me what paying dues has gotten you. Tell how the uft will change if everyone keeps paying. Tell me how you are going to oust mulgrew next election, james says it is impossible.

waitingforsupport said...

Lol...get the facts. We know one fact: Mulgrew and crew are not in touch with rank and file. Here's another fact: There are many rank and file who'd prefer Mulcrew to step aside.

Anonymous said...

1133, is this a viable union?

Anonymous said...

It's your blog, James but I am never in favor of censorship. On the one hand regular readers grow tired of the same dues argument but on the other hand a new reader might not be aware of opt out. I don't consider optouters scabs. Not with today's uft. They were not getting the service they were paying for so they cancelled. I won't call them scabs. I still pay but I'm retired so I get the perks.

#Pro UFT ICE blog! said...

To newbies and the disenfranchised members:
Our voices aren’t heard bc ppl keep voting for Mulgrew&Unity caucus. Most Chapter Leaders and district representatives are Mulgrew/Unity supporters they aren’t looking out for us. They are corrupt. If we want our voices heard it starts with Voting for Lydia & Solidarity!

Anonymous said...

It is my understanding that some teachers will work in person and some will be remote no teacher will be required to do both...who will decide which teachers are remote the excused list is not enough

Anonymous said...

thats funny my admin has told us all we are doing both, in person and remote. they got that directive from tweed.

i feel this is a total mess.

Anonymous said...

“Mr. Parrota” is probably NYSUT President Andrew Pallotta. www.nysut.org/about/officers/andrew-pallotta Send complaints to him at Andrew.Pallotta@nysut.org

Anonymous said...

The correct URL to the SILive story is:

www.silive.com/coronavirus/2020/08/nyc-teachers-push-for-schools-to-stay-closed-come-fall.html

Anonymous said...

where will teachers be doing remote teaching at home or in school How can they do remote and in school if coming in 5 days a week with alternating students ie AA BB A

Anonymous said...

The TOWNHALL August 13 3 30 is exactly what you are asking for Mulgrew talking directly to members.
Call in and hear exactly what many thousands of members hear.

James Eterno said...

I will listen and live blog but is Mulgrew going to answer the tough questions? He hasn't so far.

TeachNY said...

If you’re going in to teach your ARE NOT doing remote. Thank God.

Anonymous said...

On any given day 25% (opted out) of the students will be learning remotely plus 36% of the students who are doing in person but are home on their off days that equals about 60% So approximately 60% of students will be home doing remote learning. If teachers are in person every day for a full day who's doing the remote instruction?