There is an arbitration agreement between the UFT and the City that was reached today. Arbitrators don't rule in a few hours.
Jeff Kaufman and I are calling BS on this being a ruling (see Michael Mulgrew email below). Since when does the city "pledge" and "guarantee " in a ruling from an arbitrator? Mulgrew must think we are beyond stupid. This is obviously an agreement.
The details:
- 50% of the Lump Sum payments we should have received by Contract on October 1 will be distributed at the end of October 2020
- 50% of the lump sum payments we should have received by Contract on October 1 will be distributed in July 2021
- The city has agreed to no layoffs in the 2020-2021 school year
- The 3% raise scheduled for next May is guaranteed.
This is a little too cute and way too fast to leave me more than a little bit suspicious.
I am told by informed sources that the only reason it took so long to announce the deal is that the UFT had to figure out how to spin that getting the city to agree to delay giving us what we already were contractually entitled to is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
As for no layoffs being a huge gain in this agreement, it is way too late in the school term to lay teachers off. Positions must be abolished within the first five days of a school term. Please read this part of Section 2588 of NYS Education law closely.
5. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no classroom teaching position may be abolished after the fifth school day of the fall school term or after the fifth school day of the spring school term and all transfers or personnel changes resulting from such abolitions which would cause the displacement of a classroom teacher shall be completed prior to the fifteenth school day of such terms, provided that the chancellor, after counsulting with any affected community school board, may waive the aforesaid limitations in a specific instance because of emergency conditions or for reasons of special hardship.
The burden of proof is on the Department of Education-City to prove there is an emergency or special hardship. I have a definition of an emergency from Circular 6R, a Board of Ed, now Department of Education, document from 1998.
It says on page 10, "An emergency is not only an unforseen condition but one which is beyond the reasonable powers of the Board to foresee and to prevent." Since school budgets are now annualized and were finalized last summer, I would like our chances in court if the City-DOE tried layoffs in the middle of the school year, particularly if Joe Biden wins the presidential election and the dollars start to come flowing back to the states and cities.
Teacher layoffs are what the Mayor said he would be compelled to do if we didn't postpone the lump sum payments. Listen to the mayor's appearance on today's Brian Lehrer show carefully if you want more evidence that this agreement is just a little more than a bit suspicious.
Dear James,
An independent arbitrator has overturned the city’s attempt to avoid paying the final lump-sum payments for wages you earned going back to 2009 and 2010.
The arbitrator has ordered the city to pay half of the money owed now and the other half next July. The arbitrator also awarded a no-layoff pledge for the rest of the school year and a guarantee that the city will not challenge our 3% contractual wage increase coming next May.
Here are the highlights:
●Eligible UFT-represented employees will receive 50% of their final lump-sum payment by Oct. 31, 2020.
●They will receive the remaining 50% by the end of July 2021.
●Anyone eligible on Oct. 1, 2020, for the final lump-sum payment will receive the July payment regardless of any change in employment status.
●The city guarantees that UFT-represented employees will receive the 3% contractual wage increase due to take effect on May 14, 2021.
●The city pledges that no UFT-represented employee will be laid off for the rest of this school year.
This is far from a perfect solution for our members who are still owed deferred wages going back as far as 10 years. The decision recognizes the city's dire financial straits because of the pandemic, but makes clear that the city must meet its financial obligations to our members.
Sincerely,
Michael Mulgrew
UFT President
We lost. Add anther year to 11 years with no interest. Wow. Mulgew is mad though, so don't worry. He said this was unfair. But this was allowed to happen. And we should be happy that we are getting 3% that was ours anyway?
ReplyDeleteI call bullshit!
ReplyDeleteLet's see what they pull come July after more wasted money.trust is broken.
ReplyDeleteno layoffs?
ReplyDeletethey hiring subs, warm bodies by the thousands-lol
How about giving us interest in July. This whole thing smells. The only benefit I can see is that we will be taxed less but Im still angry. It would not surprise if they both had this planned ahead of time to save face.Hey dumbo, was it fiscally responsible when your wife lost 900million. Was it fiscally responsible when you could have hired all atrs and save a 100million. Was it fiscally responsible that for the past two years you tell us there is a hiring freeze yet you have some principals hiring new teachers. Absolutely not. First i want to say Im glad people like James are on these blogs and provide us with information. We may not agree with you on some topics but thats ok. You stand by us. We need a union but a strong one. Second for all you new teachers. You provide alot of energy for our students and do a great job but you must realize something. The fight you do now is for the results you will see later in your career. All of us need to stop putting in endless hours for these principles. You follow your contract to the tee. It doesnt make you any less devoted then you are now.Us senior teachers need to continue to support you. We dont want layoffs. But we dont want this type of bullshit to happen. Today is no victory for us. We still got screwed. We get to keep our 3percent raise. What a joke that was given to us. And the full 25 percent retro was guranteed to us this month.Im not giving these people anymore than I have today what the contract says. If all of us dont unite now then our things we fought for will diminish over time.
ReplyDeleteIf this is fact, I can accept that. It's actually more than I expected. I expected layoffs to remain on the table and raises lowered, eliminated or deferred.
ReplyDeleteBack room deal or not, pre arranged or whatever you want to call it. In this dire financial times. If this is fact...accept it and do your job.
What do we get for waiting a 12th year?
ReplyDeleteSo funny that you say this- when I read the ruling, the first thought I had was "they didn't come up with this in a few hours".
ReplyDeletePayroll closed on the 6th for this pay period, so they knew- my question is, for how long?
Why dont we break our payments into 24 payments. Maybee we can get it all in the next 40 fucking years. Was this the big plan the union had all along. I worked in smaller unions before this job that were more powerful.
ReplyDeleteIt was so suspect all along
ReplyDeleteThi is from a sheep. And this is why we have problems.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for UFT Unity‘s smart, strong and fast arbitration. This ordeal really triggered my fear of financial insecurity. I’m a single mother solely responsible for two beautiful children.
Gallup: 56% say they're better off than they were four years ago, and Trump leads Biden 49/46 on the "I agree with him on issues" metric. But Trump tumbles eight net points on the question of "presidential qualities." That's the ballgame right now. *He* is why he's trailing.
ReplyDeleteEveryone who supports this bunch of crap...Consider this: UFT members' political action contributions went to elect deBlasio, support mayoral control, and elect Cuomo. NYC teachers: you've been taken to the cleaners.
ReplyDeleteI cannot help but feel this was all a game. The UFT and City did the big con job on us! The older teachers who are entitled to 11 year old money are the big losers, and the winner was the UFT, who secured 10,000 extra UFT payers for the next year.
ReplyDeleteWho the hell walks into an arbitration hearing about retroactive payments due and walks out with an agreement on no layoffs(mind you the city is still desperately hiring and offering signing bonuses) and a guarantee of a 3% raise we are entitled to, unless they want to declare a fiscal emergency and freeze the NYPD, FDNY, etc. pay as well.
The City wins again! Anyone who dies and I certainly believe some will die from COVID infected schools, leaves teaching or goes off payroll when the payments are paid out will NOT RECIEVE THE RETRO! What kind of union agrees to that? Not one I am willing to pay for.
This is a disgusting and vile deal! Teachers were entitled to the money, we earned it a decade ago! When the City was in the best of times with billions in surplus they made us wait while all the other unions got their money. The FDNY signed their 2014 contract a month after us and received their average $12,000 in retro a month later, again in 2014!
The UFT has way too many masters, too many morons and too many paid off members who will applaud this to ever have any wins.
We also forget the UFT staff received raised in 2010 and 2011 commiserate with the pattern (4% and 4%), they never had to wait for their raises! Teachers had to wait to get the same 8% until 2018! And now I have to wait until July to be fully whole?
We also forget that if you were on FMLA leave during a payout, you had to wait until the next year for that payout, and the payment from that year would be delayed until the next. Many teachers are not fully due their retro for years to come.
Anyone who died or left, even though they paid UFT dues lost their retro! That is certainly in the hundreds of millions of dollars! The members the UFT and DOE killed with COVID by keeping schools open because there were no protections place, they lost their retro! What kind of union sells out the dead?
It is absolutely deplorable!
8:06 easy for you to say about new teachers. You are probably tenured. New teachers have to eat the principals shit until they get tenure. Even then tenure guarantees not that much but more than a newbie that can basically get let go at will. For the record I am 20 years in. Tenure is a lot longer and harder to get then when we come in. And they got fuvked on the tier 6.
ReplyDeleteAnd now we get double screwed because we all will get destroyed by taxes on that October 31st check. And I agree 1000% that the fix was in. It's not like the arbitrator said, that the city owes us interest on the last 12.5%. And no attempt will be made straighten out the TDA mess.
ReplyDeleteOur standard is "It's better than nothing." That is why we keep getting screwed and keep getting dues stolen..
ReplyDeleteHere’s my issue...
ReplyDeleteTrust has been SEVERELY broken yet more promises have been made. How can WE be expected to trust an entity that has already lied?
•We were told the money was set aside and there was nothing to worry about...
•We were persuaded to raise our TDA’s a week ago because our next pay period would include the retro pay...
•We worked through a holiday week WITHOUT pay and were told we’d get pay/CAR days...
•We were used as guinea pigs to test out how safe the school buildings were...
•Teachers with their OWN children have been placed on the back burner for accommodations...
•We were asked to teach an insane amount of children remotely...
•We were asked to report to the buildings to teach children who are SAFE at home...
•We were called “baby sitters” by the Mayor...
•We are CONSTANTLY told that it’s ESSENTIAL that schools reopen to jump start the economy yet we’re not labeled “essential workers”...
•We were told over and over again to push for the Heroes Act...
•We were told “guaranteed” to get our retro on the 15th because it was definitely coming in...
(Only to receive an email the night before arbitration that the city is going to withhold what’s OWED to us...
•WE ARE CONSTANTLY DEPENDED ON...
Sounds like the city did this to buy time. I still think they had the money all along. Funny they agreed to no layoffs when De blassio said they would definitely be on the table. I guess it's a wait and see game, but it's better than losing all the retro. I didn't want to be one of the teachers who had to donate their retro to save the jobs of other teachers.
ReplyDelete9:54 I agree "better than nothing" is not an ideal outcome but if you are that oblivious to the financial disaster the city and country are facing when millions are literally facing being evicted, unemployment, and loss of businesses not to mention death and health issues you count your blessings, shut your mouth and accept "better than nothing."
ReplyDeleteHas the thought occurred to anyone, besides Norm Scott, that the City legitimately this time could not make payroll with the retro included? Business taxes were due September 15 and property taxes on October 1.
ReplyDeleteIf the city defaults or declares bankruptcy is a "layoff guarantee " valid? How would 3% be guaranteed?
One of the few things I agree with MORE on is that the Union should at all times encourage members to save up a strike fund. I wonder if it is time to reduce 529 and 403b contributions and build up a larger rainy day cash fund in case the City starts bouncing checks.
The City is spending money like it's 1999 (or 2019) but we all know the City isn't known for doing smart things.
Ok it is bad enough that we have had to wait 11 years for our money while the DOE continues to waste money! However, how are you going to make me whole this pay period? I am the breadwinner for a family of 5. I maxed out my TDA for this paycheck, so my actual check now looks like I am working my butt off, teaching 180+ students, for minimum wage! This was really low for the UFT to let us believe all along that my retro was safe ( coming on time ) along with notices from TDA reminding me to consider changing my contribution! Now, I’ll be taxed to the hilt and not be able to add to my TDA without losing so much to taxes. Instead now I will need the money to pay the bills I can’t pay this week. All trust has been broken....
ReplyDelete1019, Oh really? What is the excuse since 2005?
ReplyDeleteIt isn't my fault the doe and uft waited 11 years to pay us.
ReplyDeleteLol. With a 6 billion dollar surplus we agreed to defer for 11 years with no interest and accepted 10% raises over 7.5 years. Gimme a break. If they would've paid our money immediately, which has always been done, it wouldn't have to be paid during a pandemic.
ReplyDeleteIt also isn't my fault the city has refused to hire 1000 atrs, costing 100M annually and refuses to go remote which means they are hiring 10,000 more teachers and paying nurses $200k annually.
ReplyDeleteThat money for us was put into the city's budget as the Independent Budget Office reported in May.
ReplyDelete"The April plan includes approximately $864 million in the current year and $1.9 billion in 2021 in the labor reserve, of which over 96 percent is expected to be used to pay for the cost of unsettled contracts in the current round of bargaining at the existing wage pattern plus lump sum payments owed under past contracts that remain to be paid out."
Not too many contracts have been settled recently so yes the city has the funds to pay up now.
But they didnt pay us.
ReplyDeleteIf you think about it, it's good to get the retro over years instead of all at once. If we got it all in one lump sum, probably for most of us, it would have been long gone now. You have to keep it in perspective.
ReplyDeleteUm, then why are we waiting until July?
ReplyDeleteAre we assuming the per session retro is the same october/july?
ReplyDelete10:19 - I agree to some degree. BUT this nonsense of waiting until the 11th hr. to tell us is what disgusts me. That was calculated. They knew Mulgrew would run to arbitration so they strung us along, and now it's too late to get the pay on the 15th. That is f*cked up no matter how you slice it and you don't treat people that way, and you damn sure don't treat them that way and not expect some sort of anger, or response.
ReplyDeleteGiven the economic condition of the city and the state it is absolutely ridiculous to say that there is a "guarantee" of no layoffs.
ReplyDeleteSo,if one of the main components of this "deal"is so absurdly unrealistic why should we believe any of it?
From the glass half full perspective...
ReplyDeleteSo many comments regarding the city not giving us our money. Let's not forget we have already received 75% of it. If we get half that would put us at 87.5%. I get the lack of interest and all of that and we are deserving of the 100% but for all those complaining we didn't get the lump sum in 2014? If we did how much of that money would you have right now? How much would you have said for a financial crisis from a global pandemic 6 years later? Last year's retro is already gone why would I think I still had it from 2014?
Let's hope this is true and something is coming.
Mr Mulgrew, nice try.
DeleteCorruption and lies from top to bottom, from the Mayor to the UFT. Yes, there is a certain amount of corruption and lies from every politician but these guys, DeBlasio and Mulgrew, flaunt it. They don't even pretend or come across as caring, honest guys.
ReplyDeleteTeachers, start in your own schools; vote out Mulgrew and Unity in the next election. Mulgrew is the UFT president because he received 38,591 votes. According to the UFT website, the UFT has approximately 200,000 members. So for everyone upset about NYC holding our money hostage and every other back-stabbing UFT decision, you can blame the 38,591 UFT members who voted for Mulgrew and the approximate 150,000 members who didn't bother to vote.
Next election for Mayor is 2021. Anyone who voted for DeBlasio, you have to look in the mirror. Has there ever been a bigger case of voters remorse?
Next election for NYS governor is 2022. Cuomo has to go, too. His decisions during this CoVid-19 pandemic have been disastrous and shown us his true colors; thousands of unnecessary deaths. If he sent thousands of older folks to their deaths, what makes you think he cares about you?
You cant believe a liar even when he's telling the truth. This stoner of a mayor says no layoffs today but 2 months from now he might be sober for a few days in a row and realize how the fuck is he going to plug this gaping hole in the cities budget? We have a crisis going on around us with a mental midget ideologue as our leader. Heaven help NYC
ReplyDeleteJust wait, they’re not done f*cking us yet.. Our contract expires this SPING.
ReplyDeleteI hear that the UFT is trying to work something out with TRS so that we can increase allocations for TDA for the 10/31 check. No idea if it will happen. I'm in the hole because of my increase for this check. Luckily, it's not as bad as I expected.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason they settled on paying the other 50% in July is because July begins the new fiscal year. When the city has to do next year's budget, they will have to take this money into account. I am sure layoffs will be on the table at that time, unless there's an ERI. Funny how the whole thing comes together at the same time. You can't tell me this shit wasn't agreed on by all of them a month ago.
ReplyDelete7:54 - Cuomo's decisions regarding the nursing homes were not good but he is NOT in the same category as DeBlasio. It wasn't that he didn't care about the elderly - the nursing homes didn't want to take them back and they were being discharged from the hospital. Bad move, yes, but hardly the heartless callousness that people are making it out to be. He made all sorts of move to protect people from losing their homes, utilities, insurance, etc. I'll bet you're a Trump supporter.
ReplyDeleteAny talk about the per session retro? It usually comes a few weeks after the other retro.
ReplyDeleteThe ongoing shame of this is how the City, DOE, and UFT continue to destroy the trust that teachers give to our shared work, and the willingness to work hard and help make this city function. For various reasons, teachers as a group are not taken seriously in the political calculations of this moment. It hits newer and veteran teachers both, maybe in different ways, but we are all affected.
ReplyDeleteIt is troubling that the legal frame seems to be "ongoing emergency." It looks like a strategy, since it seems as long as it is an emergency, contracts can be ignored or changed. This is a deceitful strategy and if the UFT is a willing participant that is even worse. One would think we moved out of "emergency" status when we re-opened, but it is too convenient to keep us under this cloud so that rules and promises can be broken.
The "arbitration" looks like fakery - too fast - and too convenient an outcome. What was this really about for the Mayor? He makes it seem he "saved" money on labor costs for this fiscal year, by doing nothing real except pickpocketing teachers and promising to give back half the money later. He avoids real cuts, or real tax increases, or real work on his part. Just as he played with some money related to the Police, without really cutting anything.
Layoffs were never going to affect the vast majority of teachers - it is a scare tactic. Especially now, when they just hired so many people, those new hires would be the first to go.
Another concern - from a financial planning angle - teachers, please do everything we can to not live paycheck to paycheck! I feel terrible about the suffering this month, had many conversations yesterday with co-workers, but it is lessened if we have a financial cushion. I got screwed this time too, because I maxed out my TDA with this retro, but overall it will be ok for me, and I would like it to be ok for everyone, having some savings set aside for emergency is important, and helps us sleep better at night.
Finally, if this is all about saving money and plugging budget holes, these folks [City, State, DOE, unions] need to create a solid Early Retirement Incentive package. A month for each year of service - seamless process from active service to retirement and pension [and don't start playing games with the pension funds either, greedy S.O.B.s] I think several thousand teachers would happily take it, then you can hire the cheapest teachers your greedy hearts desire, and maybe even have some money left over to hire a few more Deputy Chancellors or consultants - a win-win in pandemic speak.
Continues to make mention of the phrase: "UFT-represented employees". Does this mean that those that have opted out of the union are on their own? There needs to be clarification because it's been used a lot lately. I am union proud although I do not agree with Unity all the time.
ReplyDeleteContract expires September 2022.
ReplyDeleteWatching the video Mulgrew stated all UFT titles and members will get paid. Come on people, support your union and use the power of voting. Those that have opted out of the union do not do the strength of unions any favors. Be proud of having a union.
ReplyDeleteNon dues payers are still union represented employees
ReplyDelete1006...What are you saying? Is this another uft victory? Now waiting 12 years with no interest? When they take triple dues on 10/31 after screwing us again? Yeah, no thanks. I enjoy saving $1600 and not paying triple dues on retro day.
ReplyDeleteLet's be honest. The political climate during Bloomberg was not favorable. Afterwards, Mulgrew should have negotiated a better deal, but since that did not come through at least the arbitration piece was put in because if it would not have been there we would all have gotten screwed in a bigger way. Come July it has all ready been decided that we will get the remainder of the payment. Looking forward is that is concerning with the city's financial situation.
ReplyDeleteMarc is right. The sheep are grateful for everything and nothing. Keep accepting "Better than nothing." Keep getting abused.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you all think bending over so much for so long would get you? We were suckered again. But pay dues.
ReplyDeleteNow that we've been screwed again, can we get back to grade fraud and unsafe buildings?
ReplyDeleteHah... Erica I'm not sure if too many folks want to address that issue. $$$$ over social responsibility.
DeleteSo now, if you want to up your TDA for the July payment, you're raising it for the entire summer, because those checks will be cut in mid-May. I'm ok with it, but many people are not. July was chosen for reason and there is no way anything this calculated was whipped up in a manner of hours.
ReplyDeleteEvery day the uft gives you another reason to opt-out. Anybody who has found this representation satisfactory needs help.
ReplyDeleteGood point about having to tighten the belt this entire summer because of the pre-cut checks.
ReplyDelete10:36 AM - Be unhappy with results, but be pro-union. Don't like what is going on, vote reps out. VOTE and stay in the union. When people leave their union it's not a positive action in a large scale perspective.
ReplyDelete1019 responding to Tom. I am incomplete agreement with you regarding our treatment during this. Many get screwed with this delay splitting of payment. My comment was strictly to those arguing about money itself which is the degree I think we both agree. Your other points are correct.
ReplyDelete2014- the cupboard is bare and vote for this or we go to the back of the line. You guys are so stupid.
ReplyDelete729, if you can't manage your money, you are a fool. I can't get money owed to me because you are a fool? I'm 40 and worth 2 million dollars. Don't lump me in with you.
ReplyDelete@8:36AM chicken little stuff there ... look at the facts from the UFT site:
ReplyDeleteThe 2018 contract recognizes UFT members' hard work and dedication and empowers us to improve the teaching and learning conditions in our schools so we can provide the best possible education to our students. The contract runs from Feb. 14, 2019, to Sept. 13, 2022.
The union gave up a year and three months of 0% raises from May, 2021 (plus the months before February when the contract truly expired) for paternity leave, which the City made a killing off of. By raising co-pays for hospitals, urgent care etc. they also made a killing on "health savings," all the while claiming they were cash strapped. The City claimed they were cash strapped in the 2014 contract where the economy was humming along nicely six years after a Great Recession. I see it both ways: 1) the City needs to save money and payroll for the UFT is their biggest expense but 2) the waste - DeBlasio's wife, benefits for people who can't even take 2-minutes to fill out the Census form; $300million in free iPads with Wifi. As long as we have a BLUE WAVE in November, cash will be coming localities and State's way; I'm more than willing to deal with this compromise, even if it was planned in advance. After waiting 11 years, what's another 10 months for the 12.5%? If it means the UFT looks good and charges ahead with 3% raises while the rest of the State are freezing teacher pay and directing teachers to teach remotely and in-person at once, etc etc, I think the benefits of the union (Unity or otherwise) outweigh the faults of elsewhere. Suburbs will be paying 20% of their premiums, big co-pays and DO NOT have a TDA FIXED ... no one is on an accommodation ... there's a lot to be said for the union and all these rabble rousers here talking STRIKE (no paycheck for how long?) and anti-BLUE (you know Republicans will gut your pensions in 1-second for school choice right? You think you'll be getting your fixed always up investment fund?) do not see the big picture and likely this is what UNITY and others are laughing about behind your backs. I think all things considered, we charge on and HOPE/VOTE for the best. It's sad UFT plays these games with the City but imagine if Bloomberg was in charge? We'd be begging for a 2% raise and everyone would be directed to report to unsafe buildings. Forget about TDA. Every conversation would be around what teachers can concede. I could go on and on but we're not in that bad a spot; I use this forum to present facts but others are just looking for an opportunity to plug their REPUBLICAN, and typically ANTI-UNION (often Unity) propaganda. Being anti-Unity is one thing but just a little perspective here and I think you will sleep better at night knowing that as incompetent as Mulgrew or DeBlasio are, the horrendous as the mistakes they constantly make appear, it seems like we'll land on our feet. Meanwhile, 20% of the City migrated elsewhere and City unemployment for blacks/Hispanics is in 20%+ after being significantly lower (+the unaccounted for, gig workers, etc). In closing, WE ARE DOING OK! We will FIGHT for what's better but DO NOT resign yourself to mayor and union suck therefore we are all DOOMED, despite what the agenda driven comments here say. Let's HOPE/VOTE for a better 2021!
Good points. This is why any union, even a weak one is better than no union. My only complaint is that we need to be stronger, more demanding, way less concessionary, and respected. Once we have those on par with the NYPD and FDNY I will feel much better about the UFT.
DeleteJAMES.......
ReplyDeleteWHAT ABOUT THE PER SESSION RETRO CHECKS? FROM TONS OF COACHING AND PER SESSION I USUALLY GET 1,300 CHECK 2 WEEKS AFTER RETRO, IS THAT STILL IN PLAY AND BEING SENT OUT?
I would have no way of knowing when the per session-coverage half pay is coming, Anon 2323.
ReplyDeleteNY CITY TAX SCOFFLAWS get a 18% surcharge . We should get an 18% addition added to the July money
ReplyDeleteThe argument that the benefits of UFT/Unity outweigh the faults elsewhere is a variation of the one advanced by this blog. James argues that we need a better union. He wants us to replace the leadership, so his focus is on how inept Mulgrew is, and how anti-democratic and autocratic Unity is. When people point out the obvious, that Unity will never be defeated in an election, the argument turns to how we can decertify, another impossible dream. While slightly different, the two arguments are fallacious. The first offers a false alternative and the second a false dichotomy.
ReplyDeleteThe first argument has a lot of steam these days as the nurse anecdote recently trotted out here exemplifies. "We are in a pandemic" everyone has it rough, most have it rougher than we do, is the old "don't you know there is a war going on" propaganda that makes people feel guilty when eating their rations. Like patriotism it questions a citizens commitment to the flag, to the cause, the war . . . the union. The union, any union, is better than no union. This is, pardon my Bronx, total Bullshit.
The second argument is not so savagely conservative (preserving of the status quo). James too wants us to keep paying dues, stay loyal to the union ideal even as we are paying the devil to get into heaven someday. I agree that we need a union. I want a union. But we don't have one and to keep paying for a non-union, an anti-union, is stupid.
We had the chance to strike. We missed it. The so-called union will continue to pick your paycheck and bargain away your wages, benefits, and work conditions. You can't do anything about it. But you don't have to pay them to rob you.
https://nypost.com/2020/10/10/nyc-public-schools-see-significant-spike-in-covid-19-cases/
ReplyDeleteNYC public schools see significant spike in COVID-19 cases
Good points 2:32pm.
ReplyDeleteShelley, yup. Been repeatedly said. Continuing the its better than nothing nonsense helps nobody except unity. I couldn't do it anymore. Everyday, I'm proven right.
ReplyDeleteDont worry, the uft did a safety check. NYC public schools see significant spike in COVID-19 cases
ReplyDeleteBy Susan Edelman and Melissa KleinOctober 10, 2020 | 5:26pm | Updated
Ahhhhhhhhhh 130K in May with about 20K in per session. Maybe I will work the summer too. Push it towards 160K. Why not? All the complainers and whinerrrrrrs on here. Wahhh Wahhhhh. Enjoy your 3 day weekend and your remote programs! You guys crack me up. Best job in the world.
ReplyDeleteWe dont need to get rid of this union. We need to cancel leadership. Yes maybee this mayor is a little better than bloomberg but the bottom line line is no mayor gives us any respect. We waited 11 years for this money. We are underpaid compared to our suburban neighbors. We need leadership thats not in bed with the mayor. We are not stupid enough to believe mulgrew did something great for us on Friday. The mayor and him had this planned along. The mayor knows he has the money and this makes mulgrew look good to us. The mayor threw mulgrew a bone for all the asskissing he has done over the years. This mayor couldnt run a dog pound.
ReplyDeleteThere is more than one way to skin a cat. Those of us who want a better union will have to keep trying. "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all" (D. Carnegie).
ReplyDeleteFor all the whiney complaining teachers, it would be good if there were a way teachers could put themselves in the ATR without having to get into trouble. They would beg to be put back into their regular positions.
ReplyDeleteRemember, they couldn't afford the retro. 1 student, 3 teachers. Entire buildings with 8 students and 30 teachers.
ReplyDelete"Ghost town’: In-person attendance dwindles at NYC schools
By Susan Edelman
October 10, 2020 | 4:53pm
Please read the two articles below. Everybody in UFT and DOE leadership should be embarrassed. What a failure. No money for retro from 2009 but one student with three teachers in a class. Buildings with six students all day. Hiring 10,000 new teachers when live students have 5% attendance. This is a great example of leadership failure. Students are not getting live instruction as promised, they are simply going into a building to look at a computer or cell phone screen. Another DOE lie just like the graduation and suspension numbers. I hope you are all proud.
ReplyDeleteAnd what happened to that 50 point UFT safety checklist? Why are cases spreading like wildfire? Glad to know you care about dues payers so much.
https://nypost.com/2020/10/10/nyc-public-schools-see-significant-spike-in-covid-19-cases/
https://nypost.com/2020/10/10/ghost-town-in-person-attendance-dwindles-at-nyc-schools/
Yes, I was glad those articles came out too and I love how they say the rates are actually low in the schools. 212,000 people is a very very small fraction of the country too. I'm sure too we're going to see fewer and fewer students every day. By December we'll be decimated.
ReplyDeleteI think also kids are seeing it's more abnormal being in class having to wear masks, having to socially distance, having only a few kids in each classroom, seeing your teacher with a mask and staying on computers all day and eating lunch in class. How can they call this a sense of normalcy? I think it's more normal for the kids to stay home and do remote.
ReplyDelete@7:32- i as an atr and would love to go back to being one-
ReplyDelete9:14:So why did you leave the atr?
ReplyDeletegot picked up
ReplyDeleteWhat are you, a teacher or lady of the night? How do you get picked up?
ReplyDeleteToday’s the 31st. Where’s the payment?
ReplyDeleteGreat question! Did anybody received?
ReplyDeleteDid anybody receive it?
ReplyDeleteMy wife got it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get mine yet, and it is now November 2nd. I wonder how many people got their retro (50%) of what was owed to them by contract. Didn't the arbitrator force the city to pay the retro by October 31st? It doesn't matter whether the Democrats or the Republicans are in office. If they can figure a way to not pay what a citizen deserves, they will. Look at the failed stimulus package. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans wanted to give money to the people who needed it the most. Who suffers? Not the politicians.
ReplyDeleteAre you active or a retiree?
ReplyDeleteI am a retiree.
ReplyDeleteNovember 16 is when retirees get the half retro money. We have addressed how this is improper based on the agreement the UFT made with the city that the arbitrator signed off on that said we would get the money by the end of October but the UFT does not hold the city to their agreements.
ReplyDeletehttps://iceuftblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/city-will-be-late-paying-retiree-half.html?m=1
Thanks for the info. It really is outrageous, but there is nothing I/we can do about it. I would have worked a few more years if the administration didn't work my and every other teacher's tail off to make them look good. The constant changing of ideas from the higher ups, be it Witsi, Accountable Talk, bulletin boards in and outside the classroom with teacher's comments, make the school look good when they are being observed by the superintendents. But really, how much do these experiments help the students to learn? Adding insult to injury was the creation of the Danielson ratings, which allowed a great deal of subjectivity to an observation by an AP. These observations create a great deal of stress, and do not make for a better learning environment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your many valid points.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the updates! you guys are awesome!
ReplyDeleteI was on a leave last year and then I retired so I'm a little pissed off because I haven't seen any money because according to them if I was on a leave I wasn't given any money for that year until the next year and then they're going to insult me by taking half of the money that they owe me from last year to give it to me this year and only half the amount what the hell!! I'm so glad after 22 and a half years I'm finally the hell out of that Department of Education... I left early because I was applying for disability and I got it and then I retired. I took a cut on my pension but it was so worth it I'm so glad I left run Forrest run
ReplyDelete