Monday, October 18, 2021

WHY ISN'T THE UFT CONTRACT OR UFT CONSTITUTION IN THE CHAPTER LEADER BACKPACK?

 I heard from chapter leaders that their chapter leader backpacks arrived the last few days. In it was:

  • Tools for Schools, an Overview for  a Safe, Healthy, and Secure School Environment
  • School Safety, Victim Support Program
  • A Bunch of COPE cards (Can't forget to get money for politicians, can we?)
  • Leaflets to put on the UFT Bulletin Board
  • Leaflets on Teacher leadership
  • COPE Pen
  • Pouch with chapstick, bandaids, and ointment in a small tiny pouch. 
  • A Plastic file folder
What was missing?
  • No UFT Contracts for each title
  • No UFT Chapter Leader Handbook
  • No UFT Constitution
The backpack itself gets a nice review for quality but how is the chapter leader supposed to do the job without a Contract or a Chapter Leader Handbook to guide her/him? The UFT in the past sent the contracts for many titles and the Union's Constitution to Chapter leaders in these backpacks. No more.

I'm old school and liked to carry the Contract around to show its importance like Hall of Fame baseball manager Earl Weaver used to carry around a rulebook. I'd refer to it in a second if an administrator or UFT member asked but I haven't seen a written UFT Contract since the 2007-2009 edition. I don't even think there is a current Contract online. Only the 2009-2018 version exists online. The current Contract, now three years old, (remember it was agreed to months before the prior one expired) still only exists as a Memorandum of Agreement. The UFT and DOE had a year and a half to incorporate the contractual changes in writing before the pandemic but I guess they couldn't be bothered.

Please no snarky comment about how I demand that you pay dues to this inept organization. No, I want you as a collective to take it over and fix it. 

21 comments:

  1. Peasants don't need to know about the UFT contract or UFT constitution.
    Your question is peasant talk.

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  2. The backpack was filled with propoganda,sort of like how cnn spends their time gaslighting the ignorant. Propaganda is the currency of the left. Fill your heads with confetti so you won't focus on truth.

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    Replies
    1. Propaganda works for whoever is paying. The left has the least effective propaganda in the United States.

      Delete
  3. 8:13 Ha! I'll bet you watch Fox News and are a fan of that psychopath Alex Jones and you've got the gall to come on a union blog to cry about CNN propaganda. I'll bet you support Trump's deranged propaganda about a stolen election. You wouldn't recognize the truth if it punched you in the mouth.

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  4. Any word on when we might see a new contract? Or they going to wait for the new Mayor?

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  5. 9:54 - you speak as if mastering the art of lies and propaganda is something to be admired.

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  6. I’m not 8:31 but I don’t trust Fox either. If it’s mainstream media it’s not news it’s propaganda. Stop believing ALL of them. If the octogenarian president feels safe maskless in a restaurant or during a meet and greet why should young healthy people mask up? Yet the same octogenarian pushes masks for everyone else. It’s all about control, not safety. Not buying anything these liars are selling.

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  7. I thought diblasio would leave with a bang by giving the uft a huge contract before he walks away and becomes then next governor of new york...hold on to your hats new yorkers.

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    Replies
    1. Wishful thinking @9:37. Its clear he doesnt give a damn about teachers, or students for that matter.

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  8. Another successful day.

    Period 1---1 student
    Period 2---3 students

    But they are all good kids and they all manage to do the work and graduate.

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  9. I liked the comment that mentioned feisty former baseball manager Earl Weaver. I can picture a CL carrying a contract handbook in the back pocket, wearing a backwards UFT baseball cap —then arguing with a Principal out in the hallway and kicking chalk dust on the pants of that principal and then being thrown out of school for the day..( YouTube some of the clips from vintage Earl Weaver/umpire antics).
    The reality is that most UFT members don’t seem to care that much about getting the hand held contract playbook as they seem mainly interested with quickly referencing wage increments in the Memorandum Agreement—and not the other parts.
    The interesting part is that many members still don’t realize that the their wage increases were delayed by 6 weeks—due to 2014 retirement miscalculations, that their in service lump sum back pay was stretched into 7 years, the biggest wage increases are always at the end of the multi- year agreements—and there are no wage increase from May 2020–to at least September 2022.(16 months—instead of the usual 12). They also don’t realize that UFT dues has continued to climb.
    But the bottom line, just show members the money—no matter how dismal the raises—they will listen to Mulgrew and vote yes on agreements -and they let Mulgrew hold the playbook contract—which he seems to tweak —at a moment’s notice -without full input of the members.

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  10. Amazes me the way professionals who work with children speak to / insult one another on this and other union blogs. So disheartening. Doesn't matter what your political views or other views are, when did decorum and respecting one another go out the window? So glad I recently retired and can leave this forum. And I'm anonymous to avoid the insults that will surely come my way.

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  11. Congratulations on retiring. Hope you still occasionally drop by here.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you James! That wasn't meant for you. You have always been the utmost professional! (I dropped by! Lol)

      Delete
  12. 9:01: I feel the next contract is going to be a messy one. Adams is pulling for year round school and longer days. He'll hold a big raise as a dangling carrot to give into his demands for longer work hours and a longer school year.

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  13. I was in a department meeting this morning and it seems that the Bronx High School District is adopting something called the Hill Method. I had never heard of this teaching technique, so I Googled it. It turns out that it's a website based on a book that charges fees to develop this identity based method in school systems in order to realize the potential of our Black and Brown students.

    In the first 2 minute video introducing this method to us the focus was on recognizing our students "brilliance" whether it be rapping or dancing and bringing other aspects of their intelligence into the classroom. We should not focus on tried and true method of helping students pull themselves up by their bootstraps alone. I tried this today in my class and it turns out that this method really does work. I discovered that at least one of my students was a brilliant gum chewer, especially if she chewed with her mouth open and mother was a budding DJ. His song selection on his DoE computer was amazing. The whole class was distracted from my lesson.

    Good thing I'm retiring soon. All this brilliance is getting me to think that I'm in not qualified for this job anymore!

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  14. That's funny, Dave. Are you still an ATR, or did you get appointed for real?

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    Replies
    1. Who knows. I guess us ATRs will find out in June. This system is a joke!

      Delete
  15. 103,

    How long have you been on the job?

    Every single mayor says ‘longer schools year. Longer days. No summer break’. It’s politics. It’s a cheap way to get votes.

    Every time the new mayor gets elected, they get into office and none of this ever happens.

    It is so easy to pull the wool over the eyes of your typical civilian in NYC that it’s scary. What the general public does not understand is what makes them the general public. They fall for everything!

    Heck, for two decades I have told families how well their kids are doing when they can barely read. Why? Because it’s easier than having the tough conversations. Plus, no one wants to hear my opinion.

    Be a yes man and move on with life.

    No different in politics and elections!

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  16. 2:21: I love this: They are brilliant at texting, wearing headphones and hoodies, coming late and cutting class too and not doing any work. I guess we could accentuate all that in class somehow but how will it fit into Danielson's rubric?

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  17. What does the Danielson rubric say about: "faking it" until retirement? Or doing the bidding for management (like Mulgrew)? Or passing, failing students? I think the Danielson rubric would rate those ahem educators highly effective. Some educators are brilliant at gaming--just like the students. What a world

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