UFT ELECTION COMMITTEE REPORT FROM NORM SCOTT: UNITY ADMITS THEY VIOLATE RULES; CTU PRESIDENT JESSE SHARKEY NOT RUNNING AND WILL GO BACK TO CLASSROOM

Norm Scott wrote an interesting report today on the UFT Election Committee meeting that took place yesterday. Norm also covered the state of petitioning for the upcoming UFT election. 

The UFT Constitution requires candidates for officer positions to get 900 signatures from UFT members to get on the ballot. Executive Board and AFT Convention Delegates need 100 signatures. United for Change requested that petitioning should be done electronically because of the Omicron wave. The Unity dominated Election Committee said no. Note that the Unity people are all being paid to sit on the Election Committee while UFC members are volunteering their time. 

We can confirm that one of the key people in UFC who was going around his school blames the UFT petitioning process for his coming down with COVID this week. Those of you who don't get involved with the Union should know that it takes major work and coordination to get hundreds of people on the ballot for the UFT election. Norm is in his seventies and lives in the Rockaways. Yesterday, he spent the day meeting up with friends at 52 Broadway in Manhattan for petition signing and then he went to the Election Committee meeting. Today, Norm is traveling to the Bronx to get more signatures at a signing party.

The entire process favors Unity but they still cheat as Norm's report explains:

Well, here's my report on the election committee meeting - the highlights of which were the chips and plastic wrapped cookies and a diet coke.

Coin Flip for ad position in NY Teacher

We were there to fundamentally flip a coin to decide the order the Unity and UFC ads will appear in the NY Teacher. Chair, Manhattan Borough UFT Pres Carl Cambria, announced that the winner would get to choose to go first in the Februrary NY Teacher edition or the March edition. Carl, who tries to be eminently fair - considering - and also seems like a decent guy -- decided Unity would be tales and UFC heads - and Unity. They didn't seem to have a strategy so he invited them to go outside and caucus and they came back with what would have been my decision: Let the other caucus go first in February and take the first position in the later edition. So UFC will have the pole position this month. I hear our ad is beautiful so keep an eye out -- and note the ICE logo was designed by Kara Eterno.

District 1 and 9  Unity officials used official UFT sites to promote Unity and disparage UFC. They offer a remedy for UFC - equal time

This was an interesting one. And let me say that a UFT lawyer is on all these meetings remotely. A Unity member, Dist 4 rep Servia Silva made a reso to tve UFC equal time on those sites for the same amount of time Unity had and for similar ads. We quickly checked out pockets. Not thinking through all the implications the three of us voted in favor. 

Later when we reported to UFC we were told we probably should have abstained. They are discussing whether to turn down the offer because allowing us to post for the same time and same type of ad allows them to control what we do. Unity will use our vote against us but that is trivial. 

Shulman and access to mail boxes blocked not by principals but Unity Chapter leaders

Mike told the story of a New Action member telling his chapter leader he would be putting materials in the boxes and was told that only the chapter leader has that right. Bullshit, of course. Mike asked for the union to put out a statement to chapter leaders. I added an amendment that Mulgrew should make the announcement at the Feb and March DA. Unity unanimously opposed it, showing that underneath they will turn the other way when their rabid CLs deny us access. They voted to send it out in the chapter leader update. We will hold any Unity CL who tries to stop us accountable -- and use it in any court case.

I told a story of how I went to a school a few years ago where the Unity CL was known as a hack who had removed oppo lit from mailboxes. I went at 5 PM when I figured she was gone and stuffed the boxes. I had no problems getting in. I went back the next day with another leaflet and was told by security I could not go to the boxes. I said who said I couldn't since you let me do it yesterday -- he fingered the CL. Now that CL is a full-time union official and is in fact on the election committee --- I made sure to look in her direction while speaking.

Election reporting by school and districts to counter voting deserts

The turnout in UFT elections by working members illustrates how weak the structure of the UFT is. Maybe 25% at most while retirees turn out is well over 40%.

I called for the UFT to pay the AAA for school and district voting per centages as a way for the union to monitor voting deserts which are a sign of union weakness. I had raised this at the 2016 vote count with then election chair Amy Arundell and other union officials when I asked the AAA guy if that info were available. David Hickey I remember said the union didn't pay for that data. I Said they should in future elections.

Unity spec rep Patti Crispino said she opposes that but before she could give her reasons a motion to table until the next meeting in March was made. We all agreed. I asked Patti for why she wouldn't want a report on school voting patterns and her response was turnout is always low and why embarrass people. In some circles that is known as Unity Think.

The meeting ended and I grabbed a few bags of chips and raced to get the ferry.

My prediction is the UFT will not ask for a school-by-school report from the American Arbitration Association on who votes in the election because in my humble opinion the UFT is quite content with a minuscule turnout as long as the loyal voters are Unity. It's all about staying in power and not supporting the members.

As for making us go out and petition in a pandemic, even Unity should be ashamed of themselves but I don't think they have much, if any, shame.

Union leaders actually do go back to the workplace. This story from Chicago was also on EdNotes:

CTU Pres Jesse Sharkey Not Running for Re-election - Going Back to Classroom

Some teacher unions do not have dynasties. Jesse Sharkey is moving on and seemingly back to teaching. He is not the first prominent CTU member of leadership. A few years ago, Jackson Potter. who was in many ways the architect of the rise of CORE to lead the CTU 12 years ago, left his high position in the union to go back to teaching. And in Los Angeles, Alex Caputo-Pearl left the presidency also but took the VP role in the union. Alex had taught in the classroom for 20 years before becoming union president.

Not so in the UFT where you become president for life. Can you just imagine a similar announcement from Mulgrew? Can you imagine Mulgrew back teaching -- I'm going to punch you in the face if you try to take my prep period away.

All the best to Jesse Sharkey.