This post is dedicated to the commenters who opt out of the UFT every time we post anything.
CUNY management has delayed the 2% salary increase scheduled to go into effect in November. The union for faculty members (The Professional Staff Congress) has responded.
From the PSC website:
Dear PSC Members:
I hope this finds you and your loved ones in good health at this difficult time.
I’m writing to update you on the union’s fight for our contractual salary increase and to share information about the delay. CUNY management’s unilateral decision to break our contract cannot go uncontested, even at a time of economic crisis. The decision to delay our raise was not inevitable; it represents a choice by the CUNY chancellor to impose hardship on the faculty, staff and students rather than oppose the State’s austerity funding.
For many members living on tight budgets or counting on the extra income to help others during the pandemic, the loss of the expected increase has created real financial strain. For other members, the failure to pay our raise on time may feel more like a slap in the face, a further sign of disrespect, after months of crushing increases in workload. Regardless of our circumstances, we all have a stake in defending our contract. PSC members are not a piggy bank for CUNY or the State; we should not be compelled to make an involuntary loan. The union is fighting back through a class-action grievance and is prepared to take further action, including exploring all available legal remedies. If you haven’t sent your letter of protest to the chancellor yet, please send it today.
It is not easy for any union now. PSC is grieving the indefinite postponement of the increases. This will take time. Unions cannot wave a magic wand and get what they want. Granted PSC members are basically working from home and not being forced to go into what are increasingly COVID-19 infected buildings as K-5 and district 75 UFT members are.
UFT makes many unforced errors but all of us as union members need to step up our game by working for a stronger union, not abandoning it.
Wait...the 2014 deal had 8 percent in new raises from 2009-2010 that didn't go into our salaries until 2018. And the retro was held 12 years with no interest. And the raises were 1.3% per year over 11 years. And did our union hold 8.25 tda like every other union still enjoys?
ReplyDeleteI won't mention the non financial stuff like
Grade fraud
Observations
Etc
Forming a new union is a pipe dream. They cant even vote in an already set up election.
ReplyDeleteWe need unions. We don’t need Mulgrew or Randi Weingarten and I’m happy Joe Biden agrees, even if he only chose Cordona because of race.
ReplyDeleteWhat does censorship reveal? It reveals fear.
ReplyDeleteJeff isn't wrong, but as hard as it can be to believe it can be worse. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have Pat Lynch than Mulgrew. I've worked in a non-Union school (that became Unionized because people stuck their necks out and organized one). If the school said we're freezing pay, they froze pay.
ReplyDeleteAnd if Mulgrew says 3% infection is is 10%.
ReplyDeleteIf we are getting retro in October, we are getting it 9 months later.
Has he said anything about grade fraud yet?
How about all the other complaints on here daily?
June 30, 2021–remember that date—pink slips will be issued with lay off dates of September 1, 2021. Unfortunately, that’s the reality for at least UFT 8,000 teachers along with other school personnel plus other other cutbacks—whether it be a strong union, weak union or no union at all. That’s what happened back in September 1975 with the Al Shanker UFT— when10,000 were laid off.
ReplyDeleteOn the bright side, the last raise will come through for May and the final piece of retro pay at the end of July . And the Stock Market Dow could be as high as 33,000 come the summertime for all TDA variable stakeholders that are still employed.
I figure the strongest union in the country will help us. Oh, I forgot, ot is safe.
ReplyDeleteMyocarditis and congestive heart failure in a 21-year-old following a mild COVID infection.
Not just about mortality.
Mulgrew negotiated like Pelosi.
ReplyDeleteWhen your country’s COVID-19 relief bill includes $10 million in “gender programs” for Pakistan, you know Congress is broken.
Good, layoffs are welcome. The whole doe is fraud and corrupt and full of waste.
ReplyDeleteLayoffs would be terrible for everyone. I hate Moldgrew, the UFT and the DOE. I actually hate the UFT more than the DOE - but I don’t wish lay-offs on our brethren. The Shock Market isn’t safe, printing more money for everyone is crazy, allowing unfettered illegal immigration is crazy and several unseen variables could devastate us. Buy gold, silver, some bitcoin and a gun.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to be wrong, I was convinced Biden would go with John King (or a clone). This Cardona looks to be pretty good. I actually like that he doesn't have a lot of executive experience - it tells me he's not a politician.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is he is a proponent of real school:
"If it was spreading within our schools, I would say shut them down. It is not spreading within our schools we have to maintain the social and emotional well-being of our learners are long as we can because we know remote learning does not compare to in-person learning," said Commissioner Cardona.
and...
“In-person education is too important for our children to disrupt their education further, unless and until local conditions specifically dictate the need to do so,”
By the way 1:50, if you read the article that Dr. referenced, the 21 year old is fine, and if you read down far enough, she may have gotten it from the pneumonia, not the Covid she got weeks earlier.
You just will not accept this virus is real. Un fucking believable. As for Cardona you only like him because he wants schools open. He was a teacher for less than 5 years. Dude has the same ass backwards equity agenda as Caranza. Get you head out your fucking ass for once.
DeleteJames writes, sarcastically and sardonically, "This post is dedicated to the commenters who opt out of the UFT everytime (sic) we post anything.
ReplyDeleteThis is dedicated to the ones I have solidarity with, and the ones you, James, pity because they are foolish enough to think that James and His Blog and Unity and Solidarity, and the Idiots in caucuses of whatever stripe, are not complicit in the theft of your monies and benefits and rights and protections in each and every pay-check.
Listen to a calm, smart, voice, one who has no ideological bent, no politics, but only this in common with most of you, that is, I am a teacher. Been one for decades. A union, a proud union member, from a proud union family. And I tell you, do not pay dues to the UFT.
Who should I ask for to defend me if I am in trouble Shelley? Please give me your number. I will call you if I need your help cause I don't know shit about the contract. Oh yeah and when those special commissioners people come in because that student who never logged on who I failed charges me with being mean and complains to the principal that I abused her, Shelley will get me a lawyer.
ReplyDeleteThere are way more teachers than are needed. That's why I think Layoffs are needed.
ReplyDelete305,
ReplyDelete1. You can learn the contract
2. What makes you think the uft is gonna help you? They are the reason we are in this mess.
3. How many call private lawyers because uft is useless?
4. Let them charge you with being mean. You know how much info I can make public about my school. I wish they start something with me. My principal would drop dead from embarrassment.
5. Prove the fraud every school is. Simple.
6. I get complained about. Know why? I grade honestly. Let them charge me with giving honest grades. I would make all the other teachers look like such fools. Let them be asked how they pass no shows and expect them to succeed in life.
Remember the 800k who demanded in person? The few who are left won't even sign a piece of paper.
ReplyDelete12,000 NYC students will go to remote classes over lack of COVID-19 consent forms
By Selim Algar
December 22, 2020 | 3:01pm
Here is the URL:
Deletehttps://nypost.com/2020/12/22/12k-nyc-students-will-go-remote-over-covid-19-consent-forms
Keep going in a circle. Pay dues when it has never helped but if we dont pay it could get worse but it is already worse and the uft has proven that they will never change but we need a union so we should keep paying even though the union has gotten us destroyed.
ReplyDeleteJ said it well. I will save the $1500.
ReplyDeleteUFT got people lawyers on the phone in about five minutes when special commissioner was in my school. But I am going to call the firm of Shelley and Oren.
ReplyDeleteOk, so keep paying. Your choice. Just like people can choose not to pay. Just don't ignore the huge uft failures.
ReplyDeleteUm, why did Portelos hire Bryan Glass? Where was the uft lawyer?
ReplyDeleteWhy did Solidarity have people paying Glass to get them out of forced in person work?
ReplyDeleteSolidarity had to pay Glass because they were going against UFT policy. Portelos chose Glass. Teachers in school who are questioned by the special commissioner are represented by real life lawyers because they are UFT members. Being accused could happen to anyone. Yeah that help is worth my dues money.
ReplyDeleteOk, so you choose to pay.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Solidarity, mulgrew promised strike, then safe schools, then robust testing, then test and trace. None happened. That is why people went off on their own.
See the pics of students with no masks, eating, on day 1? How about the crowded auditorium? or the crowded cafeteria? Or the dead rats? Or the missing soap?
Uft policy is often awful.
Glass is not infallible. He lost the class action suit by atrs a few years ago.
ReplyDeletePotelos used Glass and he kept his job. (The DOE tried to crucify him in a very public and reported hearing) I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Glass a while ago and I can attest that if I ever have to face a 3020a, he would be the first person that I would hire to defend me. In 20 years of teaching, literally every teacher I know brought up on charges have used private lawyers. The UFT lawyers simply do not have the time or desire to give 100% in defending teachers.
ReplyDeleteWait, did you say "Solidarity had to pay Glass because they were going against UFT policy?"
ReplyDeleteWhat was uft policy that we were supposed to accept. Going into infected buildings to die and kill our family. That makes you sound dumber. Even James said that was a disaster.
Oh, right, bow down to unity is the policy, pay dues forever. Say nothing. Good luck. I guess i should thank you for paying so I can keep my medical benefits.
If losing a May raise was the worst we would see from this total mismanagement of a crisis, I for one would be very happy. But I believe the two clowns leading the state and city have steered the Titanic towards an ice field and Capt Cuomo will soon abandon ship and the pothead mayor will just smoke another bowl as NYC teachers drown en masse.
ReplyDeleteAnd retirees will not be exempt from the pain that's coming our way.
Admin in my school announced that DOE and UFT reached a deal about evaluations and we should expect observations based on Danielson beginning in January. Anybody hear about this? Or are they just saying nonsense to scare teachers?
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, there's a contingent of PSC-CUNY members that are NOT working from home AND even gets directly screwed over when the UFT engages in shenanigans.
ReplyDeleteHunter College operates a K-12 public school that actually falls under CUNY's jurisdiction. The teachers there are PSC members with compensation tied to the UFT pay scale under New York State Law.
From what I've heard, it sounded like CUNY was selectively following NYCDOE policies on some things, their own existing policies on others and making up new policies that doesn't apply to the rest of CUNY. Hard to imagine morale being high over there...
Does PSC have a dissident blog who have some commenters who constantly say to drop out of the PSC and not replace it with anything?
ReplyDeleteAnd James continues to ignore that change isn't coming. That leaves-pay for mulgrew's stupidity,fraud and corruption or don't. I wont.
ReplyDeleteKeep going in a circle. Pay dues when it has never helped but if we dont pay it could get worse but it is already worse and the uft has proven that they will never change but we need a union so we should keep paying even though the union has gotten us destroyed.
Do we like being suckers? Not me. I'll keep the $1500.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about one thing: we keep going in circles. You still have not given one example in history where a union losing masses of members has led to improved working conditions, wages and benefits for members. You cannot cite an example, yet you still keep coming back here because I respect free speech rights.
ReplyDeleteAnd you have not given one example of the uft getting better at full membership or at 92% membership. Nothing but catastrophic losses. All you need to do is read the comments on here or the teacher facebook page. Nothing but disgust. Where should my red line be? I think i understand. There is no difference. It wont get better either way. So why pay?
ReplyDeleteDeBlasio does not close schools at all without UFT pressure or allow so many to work remotely. I can list UFT failures but there is no way I am collecting a tier IV pension or you making $100,000 + annually to teach without a union.
DeleteLet Shelly and her big mouth start a drop out blog. I am sick and tired of hearing this. If the only benefit of paying dues is that the union doesn’t collapse then dues are worth that and only that. If everyone drops out there is no more union and then watch how bad it becomes on us. What about that does Shelly and the other opt outers not get?
ReplyDelete- Hawk
Nice bill, Nancy...
ReplyDelete- $8M for Biden's presidential transition
- $10M for gender programs in Pakistan
- $40M for the Kennedy Center
All they forgot was delaying our retro for 12 years.
Ok, 845, you pay. I choose not to. Too many betrayals.
ReplyDeleteUFT didn’t do shit for teachers in my school who were brought up on phony charges. UFT lawyers did nothing but encourage members to sign the deal that included fines the doe wanted. UFT lawyer didn’t even negotiate for a better deal. All they did was say sign the doe deal that the UFT lawyers had no part in negotiating. I’m not encouraging anyone to opt out. But I certainly am. Scare tactics don’t change my mind.
ReplyDeleteI taught in a private school before moving to the DOE. Greener pastures is how someone described my move which was true, my salary practically doubled and remains nearly 20K higher a year if I had stayed.
ReplyDeleteBut I also knew that while very comfortable in that private school I only had a one year contract. I didn't have the pension I have. The benefits. The salary as i said earlier. The job protection. Some of my colleagues were told when they would retire. Their salary after 30 years was the cost of 3 new employees.
Our union is not perfect. Our leadership is selfish and cliquey. I am not part of that clique. I won't bash my administration but I'll work with them. Maybe I do toe the company line a little too much but I know in the end having a union is better than not.
James is right...it needs to be fixed, leadership needs to be replaced but our union is necessary. Just look around and see what people have lost over the last year. We are truly lucky.
James I do not seem to think you understand the strategy of not paying dues. Like Shelley and I have been mentioning. If we all pull, it's not to leave forever and destroy the union. It is to get attention and Mulgrew and his cronies head out their asses. They will then want to come to the table and we would finally have some leverage over them. No other options, the elections are as rigged as this one, the difference being do not need to stuff ballots through machines or have china print 5 million ballots to win.
ReplyDeleteI already wasted 30,000 dues and it makes me sick because they do not do shit. Never helped my wife overturn the easiest S to a U on the last day of school because my wife went to my school's graduation over her schools. Been 4 months my wife getting 900 out of every check, took her retro away, uft still still not getting to bottom of it. I mean literally do nothing!
Opt out is not organized as a movement to reform the UFT. It is individuals. Whenever anyone asks to do it here or on twitter or facebook in an organized way as a decertification drive and then to call for union changes or start a new union, there is little response. There was one person who offered to help decertify. Ten offered to help start a high school union. That is not sufficient.
ReplyDeleteI have thought deeply about this. Without organizing in schools, opt out is a dead end that will just weaken us even more.
We need everyone here to come together for the next UFT election. Organizing is the key.
James, you just proved our point. The chance for change is nonexistent. So since I know I'm gonna keep getting screwed, I'm not paying for my own screwing. They had enough decades getting 100% dues.
ReplyDeleteSo let those of us who want to attempt to organize to fix our union do so without your unhelpful comments. You do your thing, we'll do ours. Deal?
ReplyDeleteOk, so when shall I expect to see the fix?
ReplyDeleteWe ALL have to be a part of fixing it. Stop expecting the fairy godmother to save us.
ReplyDeleteOk, so it won't happen. 150k members. That is why some gave up. Why keep paying into a lose-lose?
ReplyDeleteYou just said you got a college of responses. Keep dreaming.
ReplyDeleteIf everyone in history had the outlook of 2:43, nothing would ever change. Let me clarify, I don't mean all 180,000 members have to be in on every move. I mean the activist people who know what's going on have to spread the word. That is how change occurs. Organizing.
ReplyDeleteDid the uft help us with this or hurt us?
ReplyDelete"We did not have that post-Thanksgiving spike," @NYGovCuomo says, saying NYers were more diligent about not travelling.
I'm not sure that's a defensible statement: Since 11/25, day before, the state's hospitalization has more than doubled.
11/25: 41 deaths.
Today: 164 deaths.
So why hasnt this changed in 30 years? At least since 2005?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't change because not enough UFTers are active enough in a strong opposition. It doesn't change by magic.
ReplyDeleteSo why do you think magic will happen now? Get real. They wont even walk out of a deadly building. Nobody cares. And most are too stupid to even know they are getting abused.
ReplyDeleteYou may be right, 3:52. But you might not be. Teachers may be looking to revitalize the UFT after this. For those of us still trying to accomplish that change, please let us do our thing. If I thought like you, I wouldn't spend so much time writing this blog and reacting to comments that are not helpful.
ReplyDeleteI agree with opt outers and James. Getting a few hundred people to opt out won’t do squat. You need a bigger movement. NYC teachers will never step up. It’s not in the dna. I’ve already said here before that I’m opting out. I’m not waiting on people who don’t have it in them to demand more or on people who may one day try to herd the sheep into action. James does not want to promote or organize opt out. Neither do I. I just want out for my own selfish reasons. I’d love it if I was part of a movement to hold our dues over Mulgrews head. But I’m not. I’m one individual sick of paying these fuckers so soon I won’t pay anymore. James has made his decision. If he changes his mind, I’m sure he’ll let us know. I agree with most of the opt out comments but at some point it becomes trolling saying it over and over again. I’m guilty of it too. This is my last comment on opt out.
ReplyDeleteI really have thought a great deal about it and been in touch with real organizer types within the UFT. There is much more sentiment for a vote against Unity than an organized opt out movement among activist UFTers who have polled their colleagues.
ReplyDeleteOk, let us see that vote against unity. I would say there is about a 0% chance. Prove me wrong in 2022.
ReplyDeleteCOVID-19 is a wild card. We don't know the reaction. Join a caucus or start your own movement.
ReplyDelete