It has been over a month now since the Election Committee members from United for Change filed 31 election complaints with over 70 pages worth of supporting evidence to the UFT Election Chair. The complaints alleged that the Unity Caucus violated federal labor law repeatedly in the spring UFT Election that Unity won.
In case you've forgotten, some of the complaints were that President Michael Mulgrew misused his position as chair at the Delegate Assembly by turning the meetings into Unity Caucus campaign rallies and not allowing the opposition their legal right to speak at union meetings.
Another complaint alleges price gouging by the UFT by charging an outrageous price to send email attachments to the membership and not permitting direct emails (only attachments permitted) by United for Change to the members. There is so much more including not allowing the proper number of observers at the vote count that should be addressed.
The law gives the UFT and the parent Union, the AFT, three months to respond. One month has gone by and I checked with Norm Scott, who is one of the complainants, and he advised me that he has heard nothing. No investigation, no questions, no interviews, no requests for data, nothing at all from the UFT.
I would hope that the coalition would appeal to the AFT sooner rather than later where I also expect no justice. This process needs to get to the Department of Labor as quickly as possible if the UFT and the parent AFT won't respond.
I don't expect the Unity Caucus to operate like the Conservative Party in Britain where they could no longer take the lies of their leader and today they forced Prime Minister Boris Johnson to let the process start to pick a new leader. Yes, the Conservatives are protecting their political futures and Johnson was becoming a big liability after the latest scandal but in the end, there was some actual integrity in UK politics. I wish I could say the same for the politics among the UFT leadership.
22 comments:
The UFT works for the DOE they both continuously break the rules and nothing happens. Organized mafia.
It was the fairest election in history. Election integrity is 100% intact. Mulgrew got 80 million… never mind.
Lol. Now elections can be rigged.
People who either dropped out of the Union, didn’t vote, threw away their ballot, or voted for Unity will feel the huge negative impact of that (as will the rest of us) when our new contract comes out. UFC would have fought, and fought hard, for a fair and long overdue good contract. Instead, we will end up with Healthcare givebacks, paltry low percentages disguised as raises (can’t really use that word) and yet another all around crappy contract. Keep up the good fight, UFC! We’re all in over here and stand behind the caucus that should be representing us right now and conducting our contact negotiations.
LOL @11:46. It's astonishing that James believes there were election issues that may have costed the UFC even though more than 1/3 of teachers didn't even vote. James believes the most scandalous fraudulent election was completely fair and honest hahahaha. Yet, this one has legs to stand on. Where millions actually did not vote, but no everything was fine and now our country and world are in great hands.
UFT elections have consequences.
Regarding the next contract:
You should expect healthcare givebacks. You will have a new plan replacing Emblem Heath/Empire. There will be hidden gimmicks to cheapen your coverage by not paying doctors and gatekeepers restricting access to coverage. Many doctors will not accept the new plan. But the UFT will lie and say that you will be able keep your doctors.
You should expect not more than 2% increases in pay. This will fail to keep pace with inflation and will be a pay cut.
You should expect a $1,000 signing bonus to entice the fools who live
at home in their parents basements or share their apartment in Manhattan with 3 or 4 other twenty somethings. (each paying $2000 per month rent).
You should expect increased work hours, days and more meaningless responsibilities.
You should expect Mulgrew to sell the contract as the best the UFT could do because NY City faces an uncertain financial future.
You should expect Mulgrew to set the pattern for other unions, or follow the pattern set by DC37 to get paltry 2% increases. He has sold out to the NY city democratic political hierarchy.
You should expect Mulgrew to lie and say the contract is fantastic.
You should expect the vote for the contract to go 70%-80% in favor
of the contract.
You should expect more than 50% of the teachers to turn out to vote
for the contract. Of course this is inconsistent with the 20% turnout
in the general election because of voter turnout suppression by the UFT.
Finally, don't expect the election complaints to go anywhere. They will be ignored because the political/legal system is rigged.
But at least the highly paid uft is keeping summer school safe. NOT!
NYC Health Dept. encourages 'all New Yorkers to wear masks' in public indoor settings, outdoor crowds
1:18 PM,
That is the reason I dropped out. Because I knew it would be another landslide Mulgrew win whether I voted or not. I kept waiting for the change James promised. I voted against every contract and I lost, by a lot, every single time.
I knew it wouldn't get better and I got tired of paying for my own demise. I tried for decades, it didn't work.
Everybody on here keeps saying almost nobody opted out so even if those few did vote, it would've made no difference. If someone can get the exact number that opted out and if it would've made a difference, I would listen.
If I kept voting, would've still been a landslide loss, they would again get my $1,600 and I would continue getting screwed. Sorry, learned my lesson.
3:40 you are just a ray of sunshine aren't you? What a pessimist.
I expect that things won't be as bad as you think they will.
I agree with 1:18PM.
Anon2323: We get it. D is your last hope. I just hope D doesn't pull a jim jones.
@3:40 pm. Dang. You're spot on. Are you Michael? Lol
If change is desired, changing your behavior should happen. The ONLY thing the DOE NEEDS is to ensure that the graduation rate doesn't drop. Change your behavior and the DOE/UFT will listen to your wants. I think UFC would have shored up the members in a way that would have made the DOE take our wants more seriously. I think UFC would have bargained well for its members unlike the UFT who bargains for the DOE. I don't think leaving the union is the answer. That's what the 1% wants--a workforce with no protection and who is just getting by. I think workers have to start looking beyond the trees.
Ok 642 am, I guess we are getting 3 years at 24% total raise to match inflation.
I agree with @1:18 PM, @3:40 PM and wholeheartedly with @12:14 PM “waiting for support”. Nailed it! UFC is what we need to bring our Union to where it should be. Unity has had more than enough time to prove they can do it. They can’t (or won’t). Time to go. There’s a new caucus in town, and that’s where we need to be. 100% behind UFC. Many of us voted against every contract, every time, and yes we lost, but the fight continues. You can’t be in the fight if you’re not in the union. The only way we win is by staying in our Union, solidly united and supporting the caucus that will actually fight for all of us, UFC!
I admire your enthusiasm, but UFC lost the election. They can't do any of the things you mention.
1:45 that's all well and good, but UFC lost the election.
1:01 let's not get fantastic. You're all about extremes, aren't you?
The only way to possible win is start a high school union. James is great but he fails to see the forest through the trees. Unity will never lose or give a rats ass about teachers until they feel a financial burden. And the only way to do that is…..???? You guys already know the answer God bless
The opposition needs to be bold. Your wife is great but what the opposition needs is someone who is charismatic and not afraid to break a few eggs. You need to fight a thug like mulgrew by being a temporary thug. Nobody and I mean nobody knew who your wife was or what she stood for. I told them and most voted for her.
UFC is not a caucus but a coalition of caucuses and non-caucuses and independents. That is the only way to put together a sort of big tent opposition today since there are so many different points of view - and no one caucus can ever have a chance of winning along.
Due to the parts the UFC coalition is still fragile as post election each group turns inward.
Did UFC win anything? The 7 HS Ex Bd seats were expected.
UFC got within 245 votes of winning some MS ex Bd seats - 44% and 34% overall.
The disappointing angle is that the raw numbers were roughly equal to the 2016 votes but a vast improvement of the 2019 outcomes. Except in the retiree area where UFC went from 18% to 30%.
The big story is the loss of Unity votes - which means their own base is shrinking - except in retiree where even if they went from 85- 70% their raw totals went up to around 19k.
Long-term if UFC continues -- win chapter and delegate seats in 2004 to build a force to challenge at the DA and use that base for a push to hold HS, win MS and if the base in elem expands - go for that too - which would give oppo 23 Ex bd and a basis to challenge the biased rules that give retirees so much influence in union elections.
The elections should be held again with independent observers monitoring the whole process from start to finish.
Ed notes is right.
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