Daniel Alicea is a New York City middle school teacher. He has formed a UFT group called Educators of NYC. Daniel is now one of the hosts of WBAI's Talk out of School. He alternates weekly with Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters. The program is live on the radio every Saturday at 1:00 P.M. In addition, every show is archived and available as a podcast.
Please take an hour out of your day and listen closely to Saturday's show as past UFT High School Vice President and now AFT leader Leo Casey discusses the history of the UFT with our own Norm Scott. They cover the 1960s and 70's. Believe it or not, there is a great deal of agreement between the two longtime activists, Casey from the inside and Norm as a dissident but there is real disagreement on the roots of the anti-democratic nature of the UFT.
Norm at ICE email:
I was a guest on the Leonie Haimson WBAI radio program, now co-hosted by Daniel Alicea, this past Saturday along with a former sparring partner, Randi assistant and now head of the Shanker Institute Leo Casey. That was part 1 of a history of the UFT. Part 2 is in two weeks and I hope we can get our (the retiree healthcare) situation discussed as an outcome of lack of democracy in the UFT. We are hoping to get a well-known voice of opposition to Unity for decades but he'd kill me if I revealed his name because he hasn't agreed yet.
I think I know who that person is (definitely not me) and if this individual does the show, it will be just as good if not better than the first one. I wonder who Unity puts up next, if anyone.
On another note, Thursday, July 22, ICEUFT will be meeting via Zoom at noon. More details will follow.
Did they mention that the uft spring break negotiation was July 1 and we haven't heard a peep yet?
ReplyDeleteWhere is the retro? It isn't supposed to be posted in payroll portal?
ReplyDeleteYou’d think the UFT would inform us just a little. Most teachers don’t even know the day we are getting it. I thought it was the 20th, but on Facebook I’ve heard it was the 22nd and 23rd. A lot of people thought it would be in the 15th paycheck. This union fails at even the most elemental levels.
DeleteAnd i had thought it was today, the 19th. whats going on with this?
DeleteI’d like to know how this union went from a powerhouse to completely ineffective. I’ve been in the UFT since ‘98 and all I’ve seen is a steady decline in its effectiveness. I’d say they lost their power because from what I’ve seen is that most teachers don’t even understand unionism. I seriously made the wrong choice in being a teacher because that’s a main component I was looking for early on when joining the UFT’s ranks. I would have been better off as a firefighter. I’ll guide my son better than my dad guided me. He just told me to get a city job and complained about teachers and all their time off. He worked for NYC Department of Environmental Protection as a sewage treatment worker with nothing more than a GED after serving in the Coast Guard during Korea. He worked his way up through the ranks through testing and eventually retired as some form of engineer/supervisor. Too bad those days are long gone. Teaching sucks. There’s no respect and all this ass kissing is for the birds. Judge me on my skill as an educator and leave me the F alone as this point!
ReplyDeleteWe were never told 15th.told the 22nd
ReplyDelete22nd or 23rd actually
ReplyDeleteThe 22nd for the retro check
ReplyDeleteAccording to the UFT:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.uft.org/news/news-stories/news-stories/time-last-lump-sum-payment
"Those eligible to receive the lump-sum payment will receive it in a separate check on July 22."
I asked and was told many times last year that the 4 days was not "compensation" by our District Rep and other UFT representatives. "It is in no way compensation, UFT will seek monetary compensation for all the days of Spring Break." A couple of months ago that tune changed and now those 4 days are considered partial compensation.
ReplyDeleteDid any other union membership in the history of the NYC—ever have to wait 7 years to get full retro—which included a 0% for one year—and yet this was an agreement between Mulgrew and DeBlasio—not with the unfriendly Bloomberg/Klein/Walcott union busting team.
ReplyDeleteAlthough all members received an immediate $1,000 bonus to accept the new contact—the only members that received a lump sum retro payment were those lucky enough to retire no later than June 30, 2014.—which was easily double the amount of the average number of yearly retirees. They were promised payment in the fall of 2014–but actually got that lump sum—the following March,2015—after an screwup by Mulgrew. An arbitrator’s ruling adjusted the UFT contract by 6 weeks—with delayed raises for in-service members—which actually helped to pay for those retiree lump sum payments.
However, I do remember Mulgrew saying several months ago—that the final portion of the retro would be around July 31. What difference does it make —July 19 or July 22 or July 31–or if it’s a separate payment or attached to a regular paycheck—it will be deposited to your bank account.
Just go use the money wisely and in good health. Everyone deserves it after 7 long years of this retro fiasco.
👍👍👍 You too whoever you are!!!
DeleteI believe there will be another smaller check following, for the per-session payment, same as before. Or am I mistaken?
ReplyDelete@Monday, July 19, 2021 2:06:00 PM
ReplyDeleteFor the sake of information that retro money that took seven years to get into the hands of most members was funded by Mulgrew and deBlasio making another one of those deals that causes one to question what planet are we all living on. These two agreed to empty the Stabilization Fund of $4.4 billion, $1billion of that in cash. Of course that money has to be paid back, so Mulgrew ever the negotiator decided to give away our health benefits. First he arranged for higher copays for in service such as the higher walk in fee, now he is forcing retirees in Medicare to accept his garbage secretive Medicare Advantage plan or opt out and pay a new monthly fee for what is currently at no charge, plus copays. Then there is the prescription plan that our Medicare retirees get to pay $150.30 per person per month for while most of the other unions off their members a plan at no cost. What a disgusting union it’s become. Oh, before I forget, there is also the 8.25% TDA interest rate that is still in effect for EVERY municipal union EXCEPT the UFT. That was Randi’s gift to the city in exchange for putting back the two days after Labor Day into the summer vacation. No one except maybe a cluster or OTP doesn’t go in on those days now anyway.
I’m a union kinda guy but needs to be a union with integrity and not corrupt. The UFT doesn’t meet the criteria.