UFTERS DON'T HAVE TO BE THE GOOD SOLDIERS IN UNSAFE BUILDINGS; MULGREW CONTINUES TO DITHER

Your life is more important than the Department of Education. COVID-19 is a deadly virus. The mayor can downplay it all he wants but reality hasn't changed. Close to 200,000 Americans are dead from COVID-19 in around half a year. I am no scientist but it seems working in many NYC DOE buildings would be an almost ideal environment for a virus to spread. 

If you and/or your UFT Chapter do not think a building is safe, don't enter it or walk out. UFTers at schools like the High School for Economics and Finance are showing the way. They have refused to go into a building they believe is not safe. Worry later about being docked pay or losing a sick bank day if you are feeling ill. Staffers from at least 56 NYC schools have tested positive for Covid in just the first week. While Michael Mulgrew continues to put off taking action even though he says problems are systemwide (see below), the pandemic is not letting up. The custodial budgets are not going to be increased; Mulgrew says they were cut. Schools are not getting any cleaner or healthier anytime soon. How many of you honestly believe the situation will improve when the kids come in next week?

 

UFTers cannot continue being the good soldiers and just following orders if they feel it isn't safe.

Some of you are probably thinking that it is easy for me to advocate taking a hard line as a retiree. It's true I am out but when my friend Nunzio and I took on Deputy Chancellor John White in 2010 in the middle of Jamaica HS's school closing hearing (I was told I looked like Hall of Fame baseball manager Earl Weaver in one his famous tirades), we were not afraid of the DOE. A school being closed was an important injustice but it is nothing compared to your lives being put at risk. You shouldn't be in fear of the DOE just as we were not. When we were threatened, Nunzio told Deputy Chancellor White we should settle it in the parking lot. DOE administrators are people with File Numbers just like you. Many support our position. You have a right to a safe work environment. You just need to document how it is not safe. 

For the latest from Michael Mulgrew, this is from 1010 WINS:

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The president of the United Federation of Teachers on Tuesday told 1010 WINS that having a citywide postponement of school openings is not off the table.

"We haven't made that determination yet, but right now what we're seeing is systemwide problems," Michael Mulgrew said.

According to Mulgrew, the city wants to deal with a "rhetoric campaign versus a reality campaign."

Mulgrew says one of the issues they are facing is the amount of time it takes for results of COVID-19 tests.

The results take days to confirm he said.

He also noted that due to budget slashings, they are also dealing with a lack of ability to disinfect and clean every night due to custodial personnel being cut.

"You'll see teachers sitting outside of their schools because they know there's violations of safety protocols already in their building," Mulgrew added.

The UFT is following testing and tracing protocols where schools report where they are at with safety protocols, including cleaning and disinfecting, he said.

"It's really quite frustrating and angering at times," Mulgrew said.

A report will be put together this evening in order to make a determination of whether a systemwide postponement is needed.

If they feel that city does not follow the citywide safety plan submitted to the state, they will be "a fight," Mulgrew said, adding that a strike may be possible and they will be forced to "try legal remedies.