Wednesday, September 01, 2021

UFT-DOE AGREEMENT ON REMOTE CLASSROOMS

I have just gone over the new remote agreement.  At first glance, it looks to me like forced overtime (or you can call it a longer workday) if part of a class is quarantined. The extra time will be compensated at a lower per session rate as opposed to your regular pay rate which would be substantially higher for most UFTers. 

UFTers deserve time and a half, maybe more in a pandemic, but teachers aren't hourly employees. Still, couldn't Mulgrew have at least demanded  and accepted nothing less than pro rata pay? Does he even know what pro rata means? Also, you can now officially be evaluated digitally.

Read  the MOA and summary yourself and let us know what you think. 

40 comments:

Mike said...

Honestly, this makes me want to quit.

Anonymous said...

https://nypost.com/2021/09/01/hecklers-objecting-to-vaccine-mandates-booted-from-city-council-school-meeting/

Props. Let them know they are mandating more unemployment and segregation !

Anonymous said...

Only a matter of time before we have to upload everything we do in-person online every day. This is clearly a shitty deal.

Disgusted in Queens said...

Yes, totally agree James. My very first thoughts were this is forced overtime AND overtime should be paid at 1 1/2 times your pay rate. Per Session is about $54 I believe. I think the rate should be about $85-$90 an hour.

Second, years ago before kids I did a lot of per session. Now, I do none because my time after work is for my own kids. So I am being given NO CHOICE to work extra for a subpar pay all while there are millions in Covid education relief! I can work through my lunch, prep which I do already for my in person students. Then I am supposed to plan, unload, check, tutor support students who are home in 2 hours time and ASK for my time if needed?!

Why are we the TEACHERS who actually do the WORK not asked if we want to do this? When will we EVER HAVE A SAY IN OUR WORK? How much MORE TIME ARE WE SUPPOSED TO TAKE AWAY FROM OUR OWN FAMILIES?

WHEN I STARTED WE WORKED A 6 HOUR 20 MIN DAY AND HAD 1 FACULTY CONFERENCE AFTER SCHOOL ONCE A MONTH NOW

WE WORK 6 HOUR AND 50 MIN NOW THEY WANT MORE OF MY TIME?

WE HAVE TO GO INTO POORLY VENTALATED BUILDINGS AND THEN GO HOME AND PUT IN OFFICE HOURS AND UPLOAD WORK FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE AT HOME?! WHY DID THE PIECE OF SHIT UFT AGREE TO THIS?

I DON'T WANT THIS EXTRA WORK FOR SHIT PAY, I DON'T WANT TO DO IT AT LUNCH I WANT TO GET OUT OF THE FUCKING BUILDING TAKE MY MASK OFF AND HAVE A BREAK!

ANYONE WHO has taught from home knows it takes time to upload work daily/weekly for students and now spitting time from in person to virtual?

MULGREW CONSTAINTLY SAYS "WE NEED TO DO THIS FOR OUR LIVELYHOOD NO WE DO NOT! HE IS HELPING
US LOSE TEACHERS BECAUSE HE IS COMBINING THE WORK OF 2 TEACHERS INTO 1 AND MOST OF US WERE ALREADY DOING THE WORK OF 2-3 PEOPLE!

SMH!!!

Boris said...

Who cares.

A-We can't change it.
B-It is only in certain cases.
C-Who knows how many will use it.
D-What did you expect? More? From this union?
E-Pay dues, get this deal, and then have james criticize it after telling us to pay dues.

Anonymous said...

"We have maintained since last spring that the mayor’s position of no remote instruction was not realistic, but only last week did the mayor finally acknowledge the need for a remote option for medically fragile students."

I AM PRETTY CERTAIN THIS IS NOT WHAT MOST FAMILIES AND TEACHERS WERE REFERING TO AS REMOTE INSTRUCTION

Families want and need full time daily remote instruction not this! This is just MORE CRAP BEING DUMPED ON THE TEACHERS?

AND THE WORST PART IS THE UFT OUR UNION AGREED TO THIS SHIT AND WANTS US TO GIVE UP MORE TIME PLANING AND WORKING.

I HAVE MY OWN FAMILY, LIFE AND DON'T WANT OR AGREE TO THIS!
I PRAY EVERY TIME THAT MULGREW WILL JUST RESIGN AND SAY HE IS NOT CAPABLE OF PROTECTING UFT MEMBERS.

MULGREW NEEDS TO STOP BEING SELFISH AND RESIGN NOW. THIS CRAP IS WORSE THAN NO AGREEMENT BECAUSE NOW WE ARE STUCK WITH THIS GARBAGE THAT WE DID NOT WANT OR ASK FOR.

MULGREW PLEASE, PLEASE RESIGN. YOU ARE NOT HELPING US. YOU KEEP SHORTCHANGING MEMBERS! THIS IS NOT FOR OUR LIVELYHOOD IT IS FOR YOURS! WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH! PLEASE GO NOW! WE WILL FIND OUR OWN REPLACEMENT.

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/mornings-on-1/2021/09/01/-i-am-concerned---city-councilman-mark-treyger-calls-for-remote-option-for-schools#

Anonymous said...

NO, JUST NO. I am so done with these contract changes with absolutely no rank and file input. I will not work forced overtime.

Anonymous said...

Shame on Mulgrew and the DOE for selling out students, families, and teachers yet again. This MOA forces teachers to maintain TWO classrooms, one in person and one online, for a pittance. Once again, the remote education that is likely to be an enormous, if not primary, modality of education for the coming year is treated as an afterthought and then will be blamed as a "failure" when predictable, inevitable crises and inadequacies ensue.

The cherry on top is mandating teachers to work overtime during lunch periods, prep periods, or after school AND THEN giving away this forced overtime labor for per session rates -- not even our regular pay rate -- to say nothing of the time-and-a-half or double-time overtime pay that every other city union would demand.

Time to vote Mulgrew/Unity out in 2022. The sellouts never end with this crew.

Anonymous said...

James serious question. How in the world is this collective bargaining if the members do not want this? But how would we know if the collective does not want this if Mulgrew hasn't discussed this with us until after the fact? Once Mulgrew has agreed with the DOE that this is the plan, what recourse do members have to say they're not doing this?

Anonymous said...

Shame on all of you jackasses that support Mulgrew by being passive sheep, by paying him , by failing to organize to remove him. If you can read this blog and not be outraged with not getting paid for spring break 2020, then put a sign on your backside saying 'kick me".

Once again here is Mulgrew negotiating on your behalf. It is clear that he has sold you out and has been paid up. If you still supporting the UFT, then enjoy looking at your supreme leader:

https://manofactionfigures.com/products/tonner-tweedle-dee-and-tweedle-dum-doll-alice-wonderland

Anonymous said...

James says keep paying dues!

Anonymous said...

This was not a mistake by Mulgrew. This was intentional. Mulgrew does not represent you.

Anonymous said...

The collective has bargained. Now the Potemkin villages will be put on line.

Anonymous said...

Although it takes me about 2 hours to create and post one online lesson, I would exchange the 150 minutes a week of horrid PD for the online teaching and learning farce.

Was that even on the table? Teachers need to have a say in what is happening with their profession. The UFT seems to be an independent entity!

Anonymous said...

Truth be told, a lot of us are working nonstop anyway without getting paid, but that's our choice. Can they force us work overtime? It's not enough to be upset about this, the question is, is it legal?

The agreement is a bit muddled and focuses on emergency closures and class quarantines, but what about for students who will be assigned to remote due to health reasons? How is the instruction for that going to be handled? What about the extra pay for those lessons/

Just an endangered CL said...

Mulgrew: "Our agreement is made."

Peter (UFT Member): Nobody agreed anything! Did you agreed anything?
Egon (UFT Member): No.
Peter: Did you?
Winston: My mind is totally blown.
Peter: I didn't agree anything! [All three slowly turn to confront Mulgrew]

Mulgrew: I couldn't help it. It just popped in there.

Peter: What? What just popped in there?
Mulgrew: Money. Lots.

Just an Endangered CL said...

Peter: What did you do Mulgrew?
Winston: Oh Shit!
Mulgrew: It's for the children. We're used to teaching children day and night.
Peter: Mulgrew has gone bye-bye, Egon. What have you got left?
Egon: Sorry, Peter. The agreement goes beyond the capacity for rational thought.

[students from each of your classes are partially told to quarantine; you must now teach both in class to students who attend; and do remote including small-group synchronous instruction and office hours but only receive one to two hours per-session pay, despite this actually turning into 10th in lieu...]

Winston: Oh no.
Peter: Mother pus-bucket.

Mulgrew: Classes will be partially open.
Peter: You're gonna endanger us, you're gonna endanger our students. The nice children who want to learn and advance in life.
Egon: Not necessarily. There's definitely a very slim chance we'll survive.
Peter: (sarcastically) I love the Union! I'm excited to be a part of it!
Winston: This union is definitely not worth 2k a year!

Anonymous said...

We knew this digital classroom was coming. It sounds a lot like forced overtime without consulting the rank and file teachers. But look at the bright side, it could be worse. They could threaten teachers with unemployment if they don’t submit to forced medical treatment. I’d take forced overtime over forced medical treatment.

Anonymous said...

This rivals the 2005 contract for the amount of additional work dumped on teachers, but the compensation is much worse this time.

Anonymous said...

I’m assuming schools would have been closed today due to the city emergency caused by the storm. This would have been an excellent opportunity to see how total remote learning would have been conducted—since DeBlasio announced last spring —no more snow days.

TJL said...

I can't stand Google Classroom and was hoping to see it eradicated, but this is still an improvement. Last year I had to do this work for free. Never had a quarantine but had to duplicate my regular work for my 2 remote periods. Now at least we're getting paid.

Office hours means you post a picture of your classwork and/or homework or just assign work from the textbook. If they hand something in (rare) grade it. If a student has a question (rare) answer it, most of the time it's just an email. 15 minutes tops.

You can do this during your prep and get paid for a coverage. The only negative is if you get a lot of coverages already. Then you're stuck doing this during what's supposed to be duty free lunch or having to take per session which was pointed out some would rather go home to their families or even just avoid the traffic.

The real fight will be after this sunsets and there's a new contract whether the Union capitulates to the City and turns the job into correspondence school.

Anonymous said...

This is all window dressing. Classic doe.

‘Hey, look what we did!’ Now, onward and upward.

Nobody, or should I say only a few people, will do everything to a T. The doe is about making stuff work for you.

I’ll take an extra 225 to make it look like I’m working when I’m really not.

I did office hours during remote learning and turned the camera and mic off and took a nap.

Make the doe work for you!

waitingforsupport said...

@boris...
Your tune changed from yesterday.

Anonymous said...

Hearing from multiple people that the NYC DOE lied about the Intellipure purifiers in the Brooklyn back to school family forum tonight.

It’s never surprising at this point, but it’s always disappointing.

They’d rather lie than protect children.

Cue the "We should pay dues" crowd.

Boris said...

No, my tune is the same. I opted out 3 years ago because nobody cares and nobody helps. My grades are still honest. james posts these things like he is shocked the uft made abad deal, which is followed by 138 comments of complaints.

Need help said...

James, is it illegal to be forced to work or "make ourselves available"?

I cannot do this without taking time from my family or my health. I need to take a lunch leave the building for my own mask break. I don't want to stay in the building later or come home and work more.

Don't we have a right to only work within the 8:00-3:40/3:35/2:20 school days while still using our preps to prepare for in school instruction and a duty free lunch?

Is there anything we can do about our own president thinking nothing of assuming members would want to do this and not for time and a half but for per session a wage less than city laborers earn for over time?

Anonymous said...


Whoever is making these agreements on both sides has no clue about teaching and learning. Yet, they are in charge of education.

Teaching online is so obviously not the same as teaching in person. My lesson plan and lesson for an online lesson do not look the same or sound the same as a lesson taught in person. I cannot just whip up an online lesson or an in person lesson. Is all of this such obvious BS and here I am trying to take it seriously?

I do not want to do both; online and in person teaching. Throwing money at an issue does not magically add more hours to the day. I wish that we had a teachers union that would support teachers and sound teaching and learning.

Anonymous said...

That's such a good point "throwing money at an issue does not magically add more hours to the day". I'm so over it and the school year hasn't even begun.

Anonymous said...

Chancrllor taught 1.5 years.she is an expert.

Anonymous said...

James, you tell people to debate off the blog.but you refuse to listen to expert doctors from the opposite point of viee.so how would that even happen happen.its a battle of wills and you win becausevits your blog.

Anonymous said...

Sad that the citizens in the most sophisticated city elected diblasio despite that it was all so obvious...same sentiment for the senile geezer and shame on the media who hide his gaffes.

Anonymous said...

Yes, he wins because it's his blog. Now you get it, not that hard.

Anonymous said...

Not 10:29 but… James wins but he is still wrong. Fascists love censorship.

waitingforsupport said...

@10:30 am... you forgot to give donnie--the OG senial geezer--all of his props. Don't forget he's also a dumbazz puppeteer who has somehow managed to finagle his tiny child like finger square up the Arce of many folks in order to make them dance to his music.

waitingforsupport said...

Donnie lied his entire life and he was president. Go figure

Anonymous said...

10:57 you missed the point of my comment. He cant discuss off blog because he wont hear out experts who dont agree with fauci.Not even off the blog.so why pretend?its a fruitless activity to discuss this with ANYONE who only sucks up news from the paid off media and doesnt at least listen to presentations from another point of view.that is alsi why i am avoiding certain people.first irs trump/biden.then mandate vs health.thete will be plenty more disputes cuz people love to fight. If u had saved more, i would walk out on ny forever.but boyfriend and elderly mom are here.

Anonymous said...

Hope all the lefties hete are happt with diblasio and the geezer. God help us.U.S. is in freefall.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, no. This is not a free for all. He allows enough of right wing propaganda to soothe your palate.

Anonymous said...

6:36 not true. He's heard out many experts who disagree with Fauci. I've seen it right here on this board. He hears them out, checks it out debunks and refute, and the next day it's rinse and repeat. You want him to discuss it forever? If it's fruitless, stop doing it. He's not obligated to entertain propaganda nonsense, but he does it anyway, and still not enough to your liking.

James Eterno said...

8:05, We try to be fair but some don't follow very lenient rules and still complain.