If we do a bit of analysis, we can see that Michael Mulgrew revealed more about the UFT's thinking than what he said directly during last Thursday's Town Hall. Over at JD2718, Jonathan Halabi gave Mulgrew a D+/C- overall grade. I would give Mulgrew a B for transparency and of course an F for militancy.
As we stated on Saturday, the UFT is not going to organize any job action within the next few weeks. The closest the UFT will come to being militant is to sue to shut down individual school buildings. There isn't going to be a call to action from Mulgrew/Unity Caucus for a safety strike like they are voting to authorize in Detroit, which like NYC has an overall infection rate under 3%. The UFT won't be joining the call for a nationwide teacher sickout either, even if this blog has already shown how it would be perfectly legal in NYC. DOE plans are almost encouraging a work to rule sickout.
Mulgrew/Unity is incapable of organizing and mobilizing for a militant job action and would never risk their automatic dues checkoff. Folks, you are on your own if the UFT experts deem your school building safe. The best hope now besides the rank and file pulling together to defend ourselves is for DOE incompetence to kill the reopening plans. Don't count on Mulgrew to save you.
For an inartful historical analogy, do you really think Neville Chamberlain had any chance of being a great war leader after appeasing Hitler in 1938? Chamberlain led the British war effort from September 1939 through May 10, 1940. It did not go well. Neither would a Mulgrew led job action. I apologize for the kind of clumsy World War II analogy as Cuomo and de Blasio are no Hitlers but you get the point. Leopards don't change their spots, nor do concessionary union leaders.
Where does that leave us? The real Mulgrew came through loud and fairly clear on Thursday. There won't be a real fight (bluster does not count) but there will be an attempt at a grand bargain.
From our report of the Town Hall:
Facing really tough problems. The federal government has fallen apart on stimulus package. Without stimulus money, we don't believe city has money for protective equipment. Problem is layoffs are on the table. We don't want any of you to face layoff. Safety and taking care of your livelihood [are our main priorities]. It's not hopeless. Unions will have to work together in Albany to stop city from layoffs. We have time through the end of October. That is just as important as the safety issue...We have a path and plan.
Later in the question period:
Question: Mayor announced that by October 1, 22,000 possible layoffs.
Answer: We are impacted. No tourists on Broadway. Restaurants, bars and other establishments not paying taxes. $6 billion deficit in NYC and $16 billion in state. I don't want people losing their jobs.
And this one:
Question: Thanks Mulgrew. Can we have a buyout to mitigate layoffs?
Answer: We have absolutely requested a buyout through Municipal Labor Committee. We have legislation in Albany. Talks are progressing. We need other avenue of funding from Albany. City will ask for givebacks. Try to finalize a good buyout. Retiree trustees say numbers are fine for the pension system. It requires city, Assembly, State Senate and Governor to use buyout to fund more teachers.
My reading of this is that there is probably a grand bargain afoot to save the city from drastic cuts by allowing the city to borrow money to meet its operating expenses. The problem is the timing because if there is that Early Retirement Incentive that happens after the school year starts, it will lead to some real chaos in the system if too many DOE employees choose to take it.
For those interested in examining an early retirement bill in the State Legislature, start on Senator Joseph Griffo's State Senate page for a simple explanation of an ERI bill now in committee in Albany. The actual bill is here.
As part of the bill, individuals who are 50 years of age with 25 years of credible services or those who are 55 years of age with 10 years of credible service would be eligible for the retirement incentive. Local governments would have the option of offering the incentive at their discretion.
There are other ERI bills up in Albany so nobody can be certain what a final early retirement incentive will look like.
We also don't know what else will be on the table. We can be confident that Mulgrew's blustering about not putting the final lump sum payment due in October on the table means that it is probably safe. I'd be more concerned about the guaranteed 7% interest on the fixed TDA. Lowering the interest rate would save a whole lot more money than deferring our lump sum payment. That might not be on the table either. It might not come to it but would we consider using our pension fund to loan the city money by purchasing more city bonds as we did in 1975 to bail them out? Labor leader and consultant Jack Bigel said two decades after in 1996, as quoted in Joshua Freeman's book, Working Class New York, "We shot crap with the assets of 350,000 pension fund members."
Concessions are coming as unions attempt to help out the city and state. I really don't know what they might be. If Trump is reelected and no bailout is forthcoming from DC in 2021, those concessions could end up being really scary.
Mulgrew gets that B for transparency because we know givebacks will be upon us but we still don't know what they will be. He gets the F for militancy because he has certainly earned it. Nobody fears a militant UFT. However, I am a relatively easy grader (well, maybe I'm stingy in today's Easy Pass climate) so I would be happy to change that grade higher if I could.
And another...NJ
ReplyDeleteNEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- In an abrupt change, students in Newark public schools will attend classes remotely for the first marking period, which ends on November 17, the Newark Board of Education announced on Monday.
"The health and safety of students and staff have been our first priority, and will remain so," Superintendent Roger Leon wrote.
JP was correct. What an utter disaster.
ReplyDeleteJillian Jorgensen
@Jill_Jorgensen
·
6h
(This is without even touching on the fact that schools say outside of safety concerns, they have no clue how they're actually going to have the number of teachers they need to staff classrooms)
Jillian Jorgensen
@Jill_Jorgensen
·
6h
.
@NYCMayor
brushing off
@katie_honan
asking THE question -- who will teach kids, whether they're all remote or blended -- on the days they're remote. Mayor insisting schools are going to make it work... but they can't clone teachers! What is the actual answer to this question?!
Jillian Jorgensen
@Jill_Jorgensen
·
6h
(The answer is, per many principals/assistant principals/etc I have spoken to is: there is no answer yet.)
How can principals & teachers to create a blended learning curriculum & be trained in implementing it by Sept 10th if we don't know who is teaching the kids on remote days?
Eliza Shapiro
@elizashapiro
·
6h
Replying to
@Jill_Jorgensen
and
@NYCMayor
slick is generous
Jillian Jorgensen
@Jill_Jorgensen
·
6h
lol true it's like a tabloid impulse to use that word for any pre-produced video meant to convince people of something dubious
JP
@D75TeacherNYC
·
6h
Replying to
@Jill_Jorgensen
and
@NYCMayor
We are being told by our principals to be flexible because they don’t have any answers to our questions. We cannot be expected to be flexible when it comes to our health&safety. Oh, we are also being told to create a Donors Choose for PPE. Insane&unsafe. We are NOT ready to open
GTHO DonaldStatue of liberty☕Vertical traffic light Public address loudspeaker
@katywh20
·
2h
Donors choose for PPE?? Seriously? If they are so sure that school should open they should be providing these things
Show more replies
Awad Johnson
@AwadJohnson1
·
5h
Replying to
@Jill_Jorgensen
@AnnieTangent
and
@NYCMayor
NYC, what is the rush to reopen schools? For the safety of the kids & teachers, the big cities decided to start the school year off with remote learning. The Mayor said, "I want us to be about our hope not our fear.." The fear is real.
Kids & staff lost thousands of relatives.
Edgar Dodge
@dodge_edgar
·
6h
Replying to
@Jill_Jorgensen
and
@NYCMayor
The DOE and the Mayor think this is just a NY PR battle and they intend to win it only on those terms. That's why they create surveys designed to be spun and produce videos like this. Wait until 700,000 kids with cell phones start posting the reality of their "plans" in Sept.
How about the DOE’s spokesperson stated that over 586k families are in hybrid learning by default, because they never filled out the survey to opt into fully remote?
Flag of Trinidad & TobagoNikki ShaRainbow
@lesbionicamazon
·
2h
They finally released the number?!?
Show more replies
Katherine Perera
@PereraKatherine
·
3h
Replying to
@Jill_Jorgensen
and
@NYCMayor
Unfortunately another example of public policy being energized by economic gains predominantly fueled by the lives of women and children.
Kait Rainbow flag
@Kaitruggiero
·
5h
Replying to
@Jill_Jorgensen
and
@NYCMayor
This is where we are at. Unacceptable. #BackToSchool #NYCSchools #RefuseToReturn #OnlyWhenItsSafe
Terrible---One week into the semester, UNC-Chapel Hill announces that it is transitioning all undergraduate classes to fully online instruction, effective Wednesday
ReplyDeleteSchools aren’t opening. Militancy is only needed when you’re facing a competent foe. De Blasio and Carranza are morons. Let them hang themselves.
ReplyDeletePeter, I totally agree with you that de Blasio and Carranza are idiots. That said, they are egotistical. They have put so much into this, reversing now is going to be an enormous political hit. This should be reversed on stupidity grounds but we need to be ready to be militant just in case. We are not ready.
DeleteYeah they’re egotistical but their ship be sinking. Post reporting tonight 40k students opting out. They’re doing it to themselves. Mulgrew is playing this perfectly. Why should he have to exert any extra energy while Frick and Frack keep doing it to themselves?
DeleteThe families and communities are being turned against DeBlasio and Carranza. There’s 3 1/2 weeks left before school opens. More time for De Blasio and Carranza to fuck up.
The ship sunk already. Mayor and Chancellor have to figure that out. Had the UFT threatened action, they could take credit for school buildings not opening. Teachers could use that boost for their collective spirit. Mulgrew's playing both sides approach pleases nobody and makes the Union look weak. See Chicago for how to do it right. Chicago Teachers Union threatened a strike and the city backed down in about a second. CTU looks even stronger now. UFT looks wishy-washy and completely out of step with national teacher union militancy movement.
DeleteAlso,teachers would have more time to plan remote properly if the UFT helped put the blended learning out of its misery. If we care about kids and families, preparing for better remote learning seems necessary.
But we’re not Chicago!!! Mulgrew is going to take credit for the schools not opening. You really think he wouldn’t? God this is a poker game and and Carranza and De Blasio getting creamed and don’t realize it.
DeleteAnd if teachers aren’t planning by now then they’re just as guilty and stupid and Carranza and De Blasio. But what’s there to plan for? We don’t know because Twiddle Dumb and Twiddle Dumber decided they can’t move their vowels and think at the same time.
You know the old saying, plan for the worst, hope for the best? Neither NYC moron didn’t it. Plan, plan, plan. Think steps ahead.
DeleteMy example and analogy: I had Total Shoulder Replacement in December. One thing I wanted to do was play golf again. But first, months of PT. Then clearance from surgeon. Then find where my wife hid clubs. Then I started hitting the range. Wasn’t horrible. Then I bought a few irons. Finally I made a tee time for Wednesday. Bought shoes today. See. That’s how one plans. Twiddle Fuck Head and Twiddle Fuck Face didn’t. You know it. They know it. The Mets know it. Mulgrew knows it. Be patient.
One more thing. Have you ever seen a cat go after a mouse? I’ve had cars for years. My cat Sparkles thought of running for UFT president in 2016.
DeleteA cat doesn’t kill the mouse right away. It messes with the cats mind. The ultimate mind fuck. It smacks the mouse around. Cripples it. And then finally it goes in for the kill and bites it’s neck.
And what does the cat do with the mouse? It puts the mouse in her neck and presents it to the himans or the rank and file.
Anyone can see the UFT is playing both sides. Journalist Ross Barkan figured out how weak Mulgrew is. If the UFT is ever going to reassert itself, there couldn't be a better time than right now.
DeleteMulgrew is no cat. A sheep in wolves clothing maybe or possibly an ostrich back in March when he let members go into buildings that he knew were infected.
DeleteBarkan brings up stuff 45 years ago. I haven’t been a fan of Mulgrew but I think he’s pulling the right strings. But it doesn’t matter because schools aren’t opening.
DeleteLet’s play poker one day.
Barkan compared Mulgrew to Shanker and Gotbaum. Mulgrew doesn't do too well in the comparison.
DeleteIt does not take much skill for Mulgrew to sit at a table and say, okay Richard, then go back to his outraged members and say, okay guys, I see where you are angry and then go back to Carranza and say what I agreed to the other day, I didn't really mean. See the sample schedules UFT agreed to for an example of what I'm saying. Is this what you are defending as a great poker player?
Mulgrew agrees to six high school classes per day and five work periods in a row. He then goes back to members who say, "What the hell is this crap?" Then, he goes back to Carranza and says, "I never agreed to what I agreed to." Pure genius.
girl i went to school with is panicking on IG because her son came home from his first half day of school wearing a different mask than she sent him there in..... close the damn schools. it’s enough smh
ReplyDelete"Least bad” is exactly correct. NO ONE can teach or learn from a body bag. Rank and file educators want nothing more than to be back in a classroom with all of our students. But we’re listening to nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals who are telling us it IS UNSAFE!!!
ReplyDeleteTerrible---One week into the semester, UNC-Chapel Hill announces that it is transitioning all undergraduate classes to fully online instruction, effective Wednesday
ReplyDeleteThose two assholes will hang us before themselves. We are stupid, expendable pawns because we are not willing to fight.
ReplyDeleteAs of last Monday, about 264,000 NYC students had opted for all-remote learning.
ReplyDeleteAs of today, that's climbed to 304,880. It could continue to change, as students are allowed to go all-remote at any time.
That number could continue to go up as we get closer to September 10th. It can't go down, because once you pick remote, you're locked in until part-way through the school year. Alternatively, if you've chosen blended, you can opt for remote any time.
We're also seeing demographic data for the first time on who has chosen remote-only. The most-represented group among those picking remote is Hispanic students; they also make up the largest percentage of students in the system overall.
Individual school "plans" that were due on Friday contain even less info than I expected. For the question on a "school’s continuity of learning plan," some just copy-pasted district-wide language. Most I've pulled at random don't even indicate what schedule model they picked.
ReplyDeleteA concern I've heard from principals/assistant principals/etc is that they are going to be unable to provide students with an education that makes it worth coming to school in a pandemic.
ReplyDeleteQuote Tweet
Julia Marsh
@juliakmarsh
· 7h
This can't be reassuring to public school parents.
"Some of this will be determined in the actual doing of it," @NYCMayor when asked by @katie_honan how teachers will both teach remotely and in-person
Amid big questions about whether schools are ready to open Sept. 10th,
ReplyDelete@NYCMayor
showing a slick video promising that schools will have what they need to open. Meanwhile, principals say they have no clue how much PPE they'll get or when it will arrive.
asking THE question -- who will teach kids, whether they're all remote or blended -- on the days they're remote. Mayor insisting schools are going to make it work... but they can't clone teachers! What is the actual answer to this question?!
(The answer is, per many principals/assistant principals/etc I have spoken to is: there is no answer yet.)
How can principals & teachers to create a blended learning curriculum & be trained in implementing it by Sept 10th if we don't know who is teaching the kids on remote days?
BREAKING: 71 of Mississippi's 82 counties are now reporting #COVID19 outbreaks in schools.
ReplyDeleteConfirmed Cases:
Students: 199
Teachers: 245
Quarantined (for 2 weeks):
Students: 2,035
Teachers: 589
And consider this: Dozens of schools just had their first day of class TODAY.
The number of families opting out of classroom learning jumped by 40,000 in the past week — with Hispanic families accounting for the highest number of those choosing the format, according to new Department of Education data.
ReplyDeleteLatino kids, who comprise 41 percent of the overall DOE population, accounted for 37 percent of those who selected fully remote instruction.
Asians, who are 18 percent of the system, made up 28 percent of the total.
Black students, who comprise 22 percent of the nation’s largest school system, accounted for 20 percent of those who chose full-time distance learning, according to the DOE.
White city kids, who are 16 percent of the DOE population, were 12 percent of the remote-only total.
The DOE also reported that the percentage of distance learning requests hiked from 26 to 30 percent in the span of one week.
As of Friday, 304,880 kids will not be back in their school buildings — up from roughly 264,000 last week.
The updated number of students who will return is now 697,008 — down from 736,000 last week, according to the DOE.
City Hall will launch a blended learning model next month with kids alternating between home and classroom learning for those who choose the format.
Depending on their school’s model, those kids will be in class one to three times each week.
Parents who want to opt out of that hybrid instruction model can do so at any time and their number is expected to rise in the coming weeks.
how do these eri's work?
ReplyDeletei have 27 years of credited service but i will not turn 50 until the first week ofsept 2021- would that make me ineligable???
And the country is still averaging a new death every 80 seconds.
ReplyDeleteDUH...
ReplyDelete@SusanBEdelman
@NYCMayor’s Initial projections of families whose kids will show up when schools reopen were overblown.
Sent to Cuomo
ReplyDeleteTwo issues...
1- I am a NYC teacher. I am quite offended as to how the return is being handled. It is completely unsafe and specifics have been completely from teachers and principals. I live in Staten Island. i work in Manhattan. How am I supposed to get safely to work, on a bus, ferry and train, then be in the schools safely for 7 hours, then go back on a train, ferry and bus? How many people am I interacting with during one day?
2-The crime in NYC has gotten out of control. It is the same thing everyday. Criminals are free to do whatever they want, there are no consequences. De Blasio clearly doesn't care, he is either unwilling or unable to enforce simple law. It is becoming too dangerous to walk the streets during the day or at night. Thousands of felons let out of jail? It is too dangerous to be in jail but safe to have hundreds of people in school buildings? People running around with guns? Shootings, a lot of them, daily? I am not part of the 1%, but again, I am a NYC teacher. If this continues, I will be resigning and leaving NYC. Not worth the safety risk, the crime risk, the high cost. When criminals get treated better than innocent taxpaying citizens or better than NYC employees, I am in the wrong place.
Schools...YES!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGym...NO!!!!
New York City residents who packed on some pandemic pounds during the coronavirus lockdown will have to wait a while before they start hitting the gym again.
Even though Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that fitness centers across the state can reopen under new, COVID-19-related restrictions next week, City Hall said people living in the Big Apple shouldn’t plan on pumping iron any time soon.
That’s because when it comes to safety inspections, exercise is taking a back seat to education and daycare.
“There’s no higher priority than making sure our schools and child care centers are safe for learning in the fall, and the City’s dedicated team of inspectors will continue prioritizing that work,” Mitch Schwartz, a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, said in an email.
Randi Weingarten Retweeted
ReplyDeleteAndy Pallotta
@AndyPallotta
It’s very clear that districts that cannot open safely on the first day of school should start remotely.
Well duh, Andy and Randi. What will the unions do to make that happen other than beg Cuomo or the new Acting State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa?
ReplyDeleteAnd how many have you emailed mayor or chancellor or mulgrew and stated you are not going into a building? Read JP's letter on the previous page.
ReplyDeleteAnd while a community may have the low #COVID19 spread to facilitate a safe hybrid reopening, it’s crucial that we have the resources in place for schools to get people PPE, proper ventilation, 6 feet of distance, soap, and other key safety measures.
ReplyDeleteQuote Tweet
AFT
@AFTunion
· 10h
.@rweingarten: The second pieces of reopening is making sure schools are ready. NYC doesn't have the PPE or ventilation systems in place to fully return. #ReopenSafely
WOW, SAFE.
ReplyDeleteRandi Weingarten
The risk of death from coronavirus-related heart damage seems to be far greater than previously thought and that’s for adults. What does that mean for our kids in the long term?
OUR ENEMY IS MULGREW.
ReplyDeleteWE MUST ACT ON OUR OWN TO PROTECT OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY.
NO GIVEBACKS. WE DON'T OWE THE CITY ANYTHING.
MULGREW WILL THROW US ALL UNDER THE BUS. HE WILL BE SUCKERED BY THE CITY'S EXTORTION SCHEMES.
MULGREW IS A COMPLETE TRAITOR.
WE MUST GET HIM OUT BEFORE SEPTEMBER.
It would be good to know the breakdown of grade levels for the families that opted for remote only.
ReplyDeleteRe: retirement incentive. Pretty sure you meant creditable service not credible. Also, remember that in the past early retirement incentives did not
ReplyDeleteProtect you from penalties for retiring younger than 55 or with fewer than 30 credited years
I copied and pasted that sectionright from the Senator's web page press release Prehistoric. The current bill is written for 50-25 and 55-10.
ReplyDeleteThe Boston Globe: Your child’s a no-show at virtual school? You may get a call from the state’s foster care agency
ReplyDeletewww.bostonglobe.com/2020/08/15/metro/your-childs-no-show-virtual-school-you-may-get-call-states-foster-care-agency
James what is that bill number? I can't find it anywhere. I only found Bill 8151, 7449A, and 8586 which are all 25/55.
ReplyDeletePrehistoric- didn't the 25/55 offer in 2010 protect retirees from penalties?
Either way, I believe they are useless and something much better needs to be offered.
2 colleges in Boston reporting positive COVID-19 cases
ReplyDeleteLol. Fucking fraud. Concerns about additional staff for
ReplyDelete@NYCFirstLady
as rest of City payroll braces for layoffs by mayor
Like i asked before- i have 27 years in the doe. i bought into 25/55 so im good on that question if it matered. but i turn 50 sept 8 2021- before the school year starts.
ReplyDeleteWould i get screwed out of the eri by a few days in your opinion on how these things go
Wrote a long thread but deleted it (post-tenure thoughts). The short version is: I'm really upset about what happened at UNC for two reasons. (1) It was entirely predictable and preventable, and (2) there are schools that are still planning to essentially replicate it.
ReplyDeleteOne custodian I’ve spoken with who has received one electrostatic sprayer told me he still hasn’t received the solution needed for the sprayer and was honest enough to say he has “no idea how to use this thing.”
ReplyDeleteMark Treyger
@MarkTreyger718
·
22h
Two weeks away from Sept and schools I’ve spoken with that are w/out full-time nurses still haven’t heard when they’re getting one. No word on ventilation fixes either. Schools still waiting on guidance on how to cover classes in school for staff granted medical accommodations.
Mark Treyger
@MarkTreyger718
·
22h
School cleaners still do not have $ to deep clean/disinfect every night and have been told to brace themselves for cuts this fall. Still no delivery of adequate PPE for the school year ahead. No word yet on how principals can assign staff. Common response: guidance forthcoming.
If they even were to have a retirement incentive, I'd be willing to bet real money that you would have to take it before the final retro payment, and therefore not receive your final retro payment. Any takers?!
ReplyDeleteThere is no penalty for active members and retires. I have a lot of retired friends who are still getting retros.
DeleteAgain, NYS became such a horrible COVID hotspot because Cuomo and de Blasio completely fucked up as the virus exploded and thousands of New Yorkers got killed as a result. Period. Full stop. #DNC
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I watched Cuomo’s daily directive on Mt. Olympus in Albany. It was the first time I watched him since the last week of March. Everything he does is with the anticipation, progress and ultimate design towards the White House. He is re-opening the gyms on the 24th. He’s not saving teachers from going into schools, even if they happen to be in deBlasio territory. Everything he does and doesn’t do it with the overall goal of self-promotion. He’s also gradually building the tension and crescendo for his ultimate showdown with deBlasio. A wrestling match set to Ravel’s Bolero. He may stage that showdown right before Trump sends in the troops, for dramatic effect and to kill two birds with one stone. A political superhero - fighting the deadly duo of deB and Trump. Every lonely, liberal, middle aged woman will swoon with delight. Teachers you are on your own - same as always. Plan accordingly.
ReplyDeleteUnity Must Go, You are one of the best commenters here but I must disagree with you on the retro.
ReplyDeleteAs of now, you get the retro if you retire. I would still be in the system if I didn't get the money after I retired. If they structure a retirement incentive where we would lose the retro money, there would be fewer takers.
That retro is already in the NYC budget and with all of the resignations (no retro), terminations (no retro) and people who passed away (no retro for the estate), we are not talking about huge savings for the city if it was canceled. I truly believe they will look elsewhere for savings.
More importantly from Mulgrew's perspective and it really pains me to be so cynical to say this, the UFT takes double and triple dues from the retro. They will not give that dues money up for anything.
For the two guys who have dropped out of the union a thousand times here, the answer is to spread the word that Unity Must Go, not the UFT.
UFT gets no dues from the dead so their families get no retro. I never thought of it like that.
ReplyDelete@7:25. The Assembly bill is A10595. There is also a duplicate Senate bill #S8801.
ReplyDeleteThey are both sitting in committee waiting for the green to be moved forward. They both call for an immediate implementation on signing by the Governor and then only 30 days for people to sign up.In theory it could all happen in a very brief period of time.
The most important feature for many will be the extra 1 month service for every year of service to date. So for instance if you only have 18 or 19 years of actual service you would get bumped up to a full 20 yr pension by getting an extra 18 or 19 months,
Likewise, if you have only 23 years of service you will get a full 25 year pension with the extra 23 0r 24 months service...etc.
I was intrigued by incentive talk in the spring, but not anymore. My school will be deserted this year. It's a small high school with low attendance in normal times; now with the option to stay home nearly all will. Might as well stay on the payroll and collect the big salary. Another year of TDA and Deferred Comp max out. Next year if they want me to go they'll need to offer something much more generous than what they're talking about in Albany.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT has allowed the narrative to be changed to ‘the only thing that matters is money’. Why then is everyone dismayed, especially the UFT and die hard union supporters, when people refuse to pay dues for no service? Mulgrew signed off on allowing those that quit or are terminated not to receive their retro. To me that equates to the same thing as pulling your dues. The union is allowing the city to withhold money that was earned because of a perceived lack of service from those teachers. So it’s ok for the DOE/UFT to withhold that money for non-service, but not for a teacher to withhold dues for zero or negative representation? (The UFT facilitated the pulling of dues with its agreement concerning the nonpayment of earned retro money - not Janus.) Money and the means to our money is all that matters to the Uft, which was fully apparent last March, - and how does one distinguish between Unity and the UFT? Other than the microscopically small opposition groups, they have become indistinguishable. Everything that’s done by Unity is done by the UFT. There is no means to thwart or stop them, other than a coup. I hope something good comes out of all this pain. People threatening to pull dues and/or bitching about money is using Mulgrew’s narrative. Change the narrative to how can we elevate the profession, teach kids and do so in a safe environment. Covid is not the problem; it’s the ATR pool, fake grades, massively incompetent administration and the union’s narrative that all that matters is money. Covid only shone a light on the real problem.
ReplyDelete@BronxATR: I agree with you. $$$ has shown to be the great ruler for too many folks for far too long. Initially I was only dismayed with the "no help/turncoat" union leadership. However I also became dismayed at many of the rank and file who turn their head on colleagues, the children of NYC and even on themselves by accepting abuse. It is now clear that many people struggle with speaking up for themselves. Covid shone the light on that. Personally, I think folks should decide for themselves about their next move. If you must stand alone in your school community (im sure you won't be alone) then do so. They provided you with the rule book so play by that book. Headache? Cough? Family member sneezing. Call me lazy. Call me Covid free too (God willing). Stay safe. Be strong.
DeleteUft dues? When will you all learn? You all keep telling them its OK that they do what they do.
ReplyDeleteCompare the ubiquitous “flatten the curve” graph with the COVID death curves of various states. NY/NJ are models of failure. FL/TX/CA are comparative strong successes. Then think about the coverage
ReplyDelete@12:29 pm: Yes. We weren't behind the 8 ball we were on the damn floor in a corner. However, we are flat now. It's one thing to make mistakes and learn from the mistakes. It's another thing to not learn from your mistakes. That's just plain old ridiculous and possibly dangerous. We followed the science. Any science teachers on here? Let them tell us about the value of science.
DeleteRead this, and then on September 10, walk out.
ReplyDeleteChirlane McCray Nearly Doubled Her Official Staff Payroll With Undisclosed Hires - THE CITY
Utah teachers resign in droves over COVID-19 fears ahead of school reopenings
ReplyDeleteOn the retro from the previous contract it was the membership the ratified the contract in June of 2014. One question I have on the retro is if a retiree passed away before the final payment in October. Would the estate get the retro still?
ReplyDelete@10:39 can we use the months from the eri to add to our age as an option- as i said i will turn 49 in sept, with over 25 years of service credit- i would gladly give up 1 year of service credit.
ReplyDelete@10:49 theres no guarantee that there will be an incentive next year- esp if they get a stimulus package from the gov't next year, esp with a new potential president in office- or a vaccine hits the market
so take the eri and run!!!
USA Today: Masks in public restrooms? Urinals may shoot “plumes” of inhalable coronavirus particles into the air
ReplyDeletewww.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/08/18/covid-spread-through-air-why-wear-face-masks-public-bathrooms/3374838001
We've been shitted on for years but now they are making it official and we can get coronavirus too. Thanks 4:10.
ReplyDeleteHow pathetic. If this doesn't make you refuse to go in, what will?
ReplyDeleteChirlane McCray enjoys $2M staff of 14 amid NYC budget crisis
By Julia Marsh and Nolan HicksAugust 18, 2020 | 1:55pm | Updated
Health adviser to de Blasio warns schools will become 'hotbeds' for coronavirus, @aeis17 reports. h/t @BrianLehrer https://politi.co/314BtAG
ReplyDeleteMany schools communities are calling subs to come to the rescue. I got my call this morning. The district I work in part time has close to a zero infection rate, so I’m going back maybe to teach or maybe to sub. I really enjoy working with the juniors and seniors and look forward to a routine again. That said if it was with the DOE, I’d turn it down in heartbeat. The system is just too big, with marked indifference. I have zero faith in the DOE and UFT to get it done right. The shame of course is that it could be done right. Kids could be in class learning and should be if there wasn’t such incredible incompetence. When so many don’t trust their employer or those that represent them to their employers, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. This really is the beginning of the end for the teaching profession in NYC. If you want to slow it down, deBlasio and Mulgrew have to be removed - but it’s still a teaching apocalypse as well as a societal one. May all of you have a wonder rest of your summer and may G-d bless all of you and your families. Try to always be kind.
ReplyDeleteYa see, who needs in person? Students are occupied.
ReplyDeleteChicago looters were college students, convicted felons, unemployed parents...NY Post
Too many unanswered questions about school reopening,
ReplyDelete@NYCMayor
@DOEChancellor
@NYCSchools
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We won't die for your poorly laid-out plans. #wewontdieforDOE #OnlyWhenItsSafe #HealthJustice #DemandSafeSchools
Plus: it's not like the city has some GRAND PLAN for the Fall semester. There are HUNDREDS of crucial, and simple!, questions that have gone unanswered with regard to this reopening. #wewontdieforDOE #OnlyWhenItsSafe
The UFT is weak and the members who aren't in the Unity club know it. if Mulgrew is a cat, he's the cat that pees all over the house bought and paid for by the people who feed him. If he catches any mice it's an already half dead mouse that lost a leg in a trap set by someone else. Unity doesn't want a strong membership because a strong membership would mean the end of Unity.
ReplyDeleteSo if I'm reading these bills correctly, they're offering an incentive to retire early but the pensions will be reduced anyway if you don't work at least 30 years and are age 62. Why would I buy into that? Without buying in, I can retire with 30 years or age 62. I'll have 30 years before I'm 62. I hope I'm reading the bill incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteIf I read the bill I linked to correctly, you could retire without penalty if you are 50 years old with 25 years of service or if you are 55 with at least ten years of service.
ReplyDeleteIt's 55/25 without waiting until your 62, you can retire at any age once you have 30 years in, but you will have to wait until you turn 55 to collect. If you retire before hitting 30 years and you didn't buy into the 55/25 or you weren't eligible, you have to wait until 62 to get any money.
ReplyDelete