Friday, February 04, 2022

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.

25 comments:

  1. I would LOVE to see Mulgoon voted out of office and have to go back to teaching in Staten Island. I would love even more if he got excessed and became an ATR and be forced to teach in the toughest high school on SI. Oh yeah, he would have next to zero friends in his building. In fact his only friends in the UFT are folks who kiss his ass to get and keep cushy jobs at 52 Broadway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If memory serves me correctly, MM taught in a voc/tech in Brooklyn that no longer exists.

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    2. Mulgrew has 25/55. He would retire.

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  2. It would be awesome if Mulgrew was voted out. I doubt he would go back to the classroom. He would actually have to work and would be held accountable for his actions.

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  3. “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.”

    Do you just use COVID as an excuse for everything? Too afraid to leave your basements to gather signatures?

    UFC member got COVID from petitioning? How the hell can he prove that?

    #UselessFecklessCOVIDIANS

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    Replies
    1. Did you miss the part where people are traveling all around for signatures? They shouldn't have to. Electronic voting is done by most other unions, not because of covid, but because it's the 21st Century.

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    2. That is a valid point about electronic voting being a 21st Century commonplace way of voting.

      I maintain again that Unity prefers a low turnout. We vote electronically in my other union, the Professional Staff Conference. One can still vote by mail if one prefers. American Arbitration Association sends a ballot with a unique number to all. Your choice to fill it out online or mail it in.

      Delete

  4. 900,000 covid deaths in the United States.

    In just 2 years, the virus has brought as much death as about 25 typical flu seasons.

    https://nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html

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  5. Anon 2323,

    Stop trying to post the same article from Israel that I posted last evening and has absolutely nothing to do with this post. As anyone can plainly see, we are in full election mode here at the ICEUFT blog. Many commenters have asked me for an alternative to Unity. A bunch of groups have come together to form United for Change. If not interested, go to the Unity blog and try to comment there. We ask that people stay on topic.

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  6. “ As anyone can plainly see, we are in full election mode here at the ICEUFT blog.”

    That’s right. Anon2323, don’t post anything that challenges our narrative. We want change. We want safe schools. We want teachers and students to get boosters every 6 months even if they already have immunity.

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  7. Regarding a Formal Observation:

    IAP Rating Officer states that he conducted a post-conference.
    Teacher states IAP Rating Officer is lying!!!

    Is an IAP license enough to generate a U Rating?
    Who to believe?

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  8. Why no comemnt on Adams using the N word and "Cracker?"

    Between Adams, Mulgrew, Biden and de Blasio, you ufters really know how to vote.

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  9. @6:04, seriously, go to another blog. This is about union activism.

    Ground hog day wasn't covered either, but thats because this isn't a general news site.

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  10. I would like the hear how/what UFC would negotiate in our next contract. Mulgrew has sold out teachers left and right. In my 30 years of teaching, I have never put in more hours in for nonsense paperwork, administrative mandates and professional development stupidity. Teacher abuse by administrators and students is a given is most schools. Teacher anxiety is through the roof and morale in the sub-basement.

    Nobody takes the UFT and their leadership seriously. To make it worse, Mulgrew comes across like a buffoon. He lacks leadership, charisma and intelligence. Worse yet, is that he is so obviously corrupt. Mulgrew rakes in close to $350,000 a year! When the "leadership" gets rich and the constituents continue to suffer, that is a clear indication of the leadership's self-serving corruption. The constituents need to wake up.

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  11. 620 AM, you think use of those words by the mayor, ya know, the guy we crackers negotiate with is unimportant.? Perhaps Mulgrew being a cracker will hurt out negotiating ability.

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  12. I can guarantee Unity people unlike UFC are fundamentally not out there in schools petitioning. Camille is getting signatures. They do internal Unity only organizing events where they sign each other. I know a Unity guy who has been invited to two signing events. We also have signing events for the mass of delegates like retirees or teachers in small schools who need some assistance but not for officers or divisionals.
    We have an army of people out there -- look for petitions in your school and if there are none you can be send a pdf to print out - contact James.

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  13. Adams can say whatever he wants because he is............If he was.........he would be attacked. Being.......gives you a free pass to say and do whatever you feel like without any consequences.

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  14. Cracker? Hahahaha. Just keep paying me to babysit and pass your constituents so you look good, bitch. That’s my response to Adams’ racial slur. To my fellow crackers… Only adults with low self esteem give a fuck about being called a racial slur or any other bad name. Mulgrew is Adams’ number one cracker. Many elite crackers donated to Adams. Adams will continue to love all things cracker. We’ll be fine.

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  15. Sure 10:54. White people are the real victims in the country. The world even. Hahahahaha.

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  16. Puhleeez. Mulgrew bought into 25/55. He'd retire (with a fat pension. rumor mill has it TWO. Is there any truth to that rumor) if voted out. I wish he'd take Barr with him. (Anyone notice that Sterling Roberson seems to be mighty quiet and quite distanced from the Unity Glitterati since his retirement? I wonder why. I guess only "The Shadow knows what evil lurks in the heart of (a Unity) man.")

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  17. BTW; I love the idea of electronic voting (yepp Unity thrives on low voter turnout) and LOVE the "Mulgoon" moniker even more! It's PERFECT!

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  18. It is fact,not rumor, that UFT full timers get DOE and UFT pensions

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hmm given the present leadership, that a GD disgrace!

    ReplyDelete

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