The United for Change Election Committee members have put in 32 election complaints regarding the recent UFT election. When we add in supporting documentation, it totals 74 pages worth of complaints and supporting details. With only a few exceptions, the complaints were written by Christina Gavin, a school librarian who spent countless hours doing research and finding documentation to support the UFC claims that this was an unfair process from start to finish favoring the Unity Caucus.
The complaints will go to UFT Secretary-Staff Director-Chair of Unity Caucus Leroy Barr (it has to start at the local union level). Anyone who expects a fair response from the UFT is not dealing with reality. Leroy will be the defense attorney and the judge; the Unity-dominated Executive Board who are mostly on the Union's payroll is the jury. The AFT is the next step on the ladder (probably not much hope for any justice there either) and then the Federal Department of Labor where hopefully there will be a fair process. There is a real debate going on as to whether they are impartial.
Norm has coverage of the complaints over at EdNotes.
I had a role in writing a couple of these complaints, particularly the Delegate Assembly being turned into Unity Caucus campaign rallies. Christina ended up being frustrated with me because I was rushing her to be timely with this action as the election is fading from memory. She wanted to be thorough and I think she succeeded while still managing to be timely. We thank her for her efforts.
United For Change Election Complaints
Complaint 1- Unity candidates used personal Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts to communicate with members to campaign for Unity Caucus in violation of UFT election rules.
Complaint 2-UFT employees used official UFT Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts to campaign for Unity Caucus in violation of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, As Amended [LMRDA].
Complaint 3-Unity caucus used union resources for electioneering.
Complaint 4-Unity caucus used UFT officer headshots produced at the union's expense from the UFT's website in campaign materials.
Complaint 5-The UFT President/Unity caucus candidate sent a letter on UFT letterhead to all Chapter Leaders praising the current UFT Treasurer/Unity caucus candidate and encouraging Chapter Leaders to have members take action on the candidate’s behalf.
Complaint 6-Certain UFT Representatives combined union and caucus election business by entering school buildings on union work time and using union meetings and e-mails for distribution of Unity caucus campaign literature.
Complaint 7-While on union work time, [a] union District Representative prevented and attempted to prevent United for Change candidates from distributing campaign literature in violation of the LMRDA, while permitting Unity caucus candidates to distribute campaign literature.
Complaint 8-Members of the United for Change coalition were denied access to school mailboxes at thirty-nine (39) schools to distribute campaign literature in violation of the LMRDA, Chancellor’s Regulations D-130 § I. B. 4. a., the Policy for Union Visitor Posting of Election Fliers published in Principal’s Digest on December 7, 2021, and the January 18, 2001 Memorandum from the Office of Labor Relations & Collective Bargaining.
Complaint 9-[Certain] Chapter Leaders engaged in inappropriate campaign activities in support of Unity caucus.
Complaint 10-[Certain] Chapter Leaders engaged in inappropriate campaign activities against the United for Change coalition.
Complaint 11-[Certain] District Representatives engaged in electioneering in support of Unity caucus on union time in violation of the LMRDA.
Complaint 12-[Certain] UFT employees/Unity caucus representatives on the UFT Election Committee used union resources for caucus business throughout the election in violation of the LMRDA.
Complaint 13-[A] Unity caucus candidate intentionally filed a false election complaint against a United for Change candidate.
Complaint 14-[A] District Representative/Unity caucus candidate intentionally filed a false election complaint against a United for Change candidate.
Complaint 15-UFT Secretary, Election Chair, and General Counsel failed to adequately and appropriately investigate election complaints, reported “findings” contrary to all facts, and refused to rescind their false accusations against a UFC candidate.
Complaint 16-The UFT Secretary, Election Chair and General Counsel refused to provide a copy of the original April 11 Report and Recommendation related to a false election complaint against a United for Change candidate despite repeated requests, providing instead a falsified post-dated document.
Complaint 17-[The] UFT General Counsel has behaved inappropriately towards candidates, in violation of the LMRDA.
Complaint 18-The UFT President/Unity caucus candidate Michael Mulgrew engaged in electioneering in support of Unity caucus using union resources while on union time in violation of the LMRDA.
Complaint 19-UFT Unity officers engaged in electioneering in support of Unity caucus using union resources while on union time in violation of the LMRDA.
Complaint 20-Other members of the Unity caucus and the caucus itself engaged in electioneering in support of Unity caucus using union resources in violation of the LMRDA.
Complaint 21-UFT repeatedly violated the LMRDA during the Delegate Assembly.
Complaint 22-The UFT has not clearly outlined campaign literature distribution procedures from the outset of the election, in violation of the LMRDA.
Complaint 23-The UFT inappropriately allocated campaign advertising space in The New York Teacher union newspaper in violation of the terms of the election as voted upon and accepted by the UFT Election Committee.
Complaint 24-The UFT has used the union newspaper to promote Unity caucus candidates in violation of the LMRDA.
Complaint 25-The UFT’s internal Election Committee is not impartial and presents significant conflicts of interest.
Complaint 26-The UFT’s internal election complaint process is not impartial and presents significant conflicts of interest.
Complaint 27-The UFT has not established a written internal election complaint process.
Complaint 28-The UFT has not established bylaws, in violation of the LMRDA.
Complaint 29-The UFT has not clearly established election rules from the outset of the election.
Complaint 30-The UFT artificially shortened the time frame in which members could request replacement ballots from the American Arbitration Association.
Complaint 31-The UFT made inadequate arrangements for observers during the ballot count.
Complaint 32-Throughout the election, the UFT's actions have violated the LMRDA:
➢ Ignoring the rights of candidates guaranteed by federal law.
➢ Failing to timely advise all candidates of the campaign rules and any changes which become necessary.
➢ Failing to take corrective action promptly if one candidate is given an improper advantage over other candidates.
For those who would like to read the details, we will post them soon.
The election should be invalidated.
ReplyDeleteThere should be fines against the UFT.
There must be new elections.
The court should appoint independent observers.
Election complaints are useless. Stop fighting the battles that have been lost.
ReplyDeleteOn the cover of the June 2022 ‘NEA Today’ we find this headline: "It's Time For A Raise"
But we also find this, "but recent wins show new momentum."
This is the confidence man of our unions. They finally admit that raises are needed, after squeezing us into an inflation straight jacket, but also claim, and this is the confidence man routine, that they are winning and that we have momentum.
Com e on man. Stop the bull.
Please don't fall for this PT Barnum. We all know that Mulgrew is the salesman of the political establishment that sent us into die during Covid's most dangerous days and that his job is to give back, to keep his sweet job and protect his sycophants who sell us out with concession bargaining, giving away our hard won wages and benefits.
Raises are required. How will we get them?
Election complaints? You’re a damn bunch of Trump loving insurrectionists for sure.
ReplyDeleteSo James objects like Raskin and Thompson did against Bush and Trump. How poetic and ironic.
ReplyDeleteChange is done for many years to come, let's focus on 5-10% raises, 20 year teachers plus get guaranteed 40% pension, maybe push each member must vote or docked pay......
ReplyDelete3 years of covid propaganda and many many lies (ivermectin, vaccine safe etc) and James and the UFC look like cry babies with 74 pages of complaining. Go complain to the tens of thousands non voting teachers.
The real election cheat was Biden go watch 2000 mules. Elon musk exposed Biden had 1/2 his followers n twitter as bots, I wonder how many fake and fraudulent votes dementia got. Now we are all paying the literal price.
Trusted CNN worst network James uses as a pathetic source, passes media bias and everything lol.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/cnnmoney/2017/08/11/def-con-hackers-break-into-voting-machines-cnntech.cnnmoney
This was the most secure election America has ever seen. Not even Russia could hack it. I don’t care if no one lets you audit the votes. If you doubt the results you are inciting violence and contributing to climate change. And you’re probably racist misogynists too. Mulgrew won fair and square, sore losers. Only terrorists look into elections. I voted for UFC but you’re clowns in terms of election integrity. And I’m now glad you lost.
ReplyDeletelol. An election complaint. Sounds legit. Double standard?
ReplyDeleteIn 2017, Democrat Bennie Thompson — chair of Pelosi's illegitimate committee — refused to attend President Trump’s inauguration because he questioned the legitimacy of the 2016 election.