EXECUTIVE BOARD REPORT (Unedited)

I got in during Mulgrew's Report. For a full report on the open mic, go to New Action for Nick Bacon's report. Michael Mulgrew reported that most unions are without a contract and the general feeling among the Municipal Labor Committee is that the state of relations between the unions and the city is not very good. Negotiating Committee will soon be meeting. 

MOSL people have to make the right choices. There are schools made choices that were not in their interest. CL's have to be involved. 

Funding: Fair Student Funding is not really fair. We don't do hiring in the Department of Sanitation based on salaries. They hire the people they need. We are back to talking to Bloomberg people. Will testify before the City Council on this. FSF has led to much more special ed non-compliance. We are back to the standardized test crowd. Chancellor says the formula is not right.

Questions on Mulgrew Report:

Mike Schirtzer asks if we will address children and bussing. Are we going to jump in because of DOE incompetence?

Leroy Barr: We will address issue.

Mulgrew: DOE trying to put their hands on everything. Quite concerned on fixation on a management system as opposed to reality.

Question on APPR and MOSL. MOSL opens on October 7. Will members have enough time to make those decisions?

Mulgrew Answer: We have to push the DOE on this. There were schools where every teacher was Highly Effective or Effective on MOTP but are getting Developing because of MOSLS. Citywide chapter Leader forum on MOSL. CL's who want to bring MOSL committee people with them is fine.

Alex from high school asks who makes fair student funding decisions.

Mulgrew Anwer: It is the mayor. It is not a subject of collective bargaining. Bloomberg wanted to treat every school as a separate store like a franchise. DOE should pay out of their budget for basic things a school needs and school budgets should only be about extras. We had a committee under de Blasio. They had recommendations. New administration has a new committee. We will take action against it if it is going the wrong way. Other city agencies don't measure experience factor when figuring out local budgets.

Nick Bacon-APPR consequences from last year law was passed that we could waive APPR. We signed off but city said no. Last year, we hadn't had testing for so long. Kids not ready when they came back. What can we do about teachers who were rated unfairly? Teachers with TIPs can get micromanaged. What is the UFT going to do with teachers who have consequences?

Mulgrew Anwer: We already have a system set up and we are going back at them. State gave right to waive APPR for two years but NYC wouldn't do it. Percent of people rated low is around .5%. System is set up. Members reaching out to us. 

Approval of Minutes:

Lydia Howrilka asks about election complaints. Why was the last meeting adjourned without a vote on the complaints? We ruled on that previously and they were voted on them. If you disagree, move to the American Federation of Teachers. Lawyer Beth Norton says those complaints have already been moved onto the AFT.

Minutes approved.

Staff Director's Report

Leroy Barr reports on Making Strides walk, negotiating committee, next Exec Bd and DA.

Question Period

Question: ENL coordinator, how is ENL testing going citywide? Uvalde, principal wants to know rooms where locks aren't working. Is there anything on that?

Leroy Barr answer: Jeff P will reach out to you. We will get back to you on ESL testing.

Mike Schirtzer: With storm situation in Puerto Rico and DR, is disaster relief already helping?

Barr Answer: AFT is having conversations on that. Power is out but Puerto Rico is near and dear to the AFT's heart. We will keep you posted on that. 

Karen Aford adds that we have gotten communication but we are already in conversations about helping out.

Question: In one of the 50 schools with messed up MOSLS, people getting formal and two informals. Why are we getting 3 or two observations?

Mary Vaccaro nswer: Put in a complaint. 168 have come in so far. Email we will get specifics about your school.

Ilona: Substitute teachers, can long term subs get on contract negotiating committee?

Answer: Yes

New teacher week rate of just over 51 dollars. How did we agree on that?

Mike Sill answer: This is is the training rate which has been in the contract for many years.  Negotiating committee can look at that for the next round of bargaining. 

Question: Early childcare workers, can they get a letter about covering transportation?

Mike Sill answer: Met with early childcare workers after the meeting and then we met with supervisors who gave their vision. We got a draft of a new proposal. We can't stop DOE from reshuffling central offices. DOE wants people to reapply for new positions. Responsibilities are similar to old positions. DOE looking like they are just trying to reduce people in these positions but the need is the same. DOE giving additional postings. People will either end up in similar position or in other opportunities. We are waiting to find out what other opportunities are. People are not in excess right now. They are still employed in that office. They could become excessed. We are looking over posting. Email campaign going. DOE, can we rescind letter? They are not being excessed right now. If they don't want to reapply, they can go back to old DOE positions in districts.

Ibeth Mejia: Grievance for sixth class. Thanks David Campbell and his team and Janella Hinds for testifying. When will UFT publicizes this so others schools can get involved? When will et al people who filed get paid? How will other teachers know?

Leroy Barr: We put it in Chapter Leader Update

David Campbell. You did a good job getting other people to grieve. DOE being who they are, we are going to have to put other people on grievance calendar as this will come up in October. Shortage rate for shortage area and non-shortage area needs to get special per session pay. This was a strong decision so going forward nobody should have this problem of getting coverage pay instead of shortage area. Principal doesn't have discretion to offer the class, they have to give the special per session rate.

Ibeth: What about schools that have non-traditional schedules?

Campbell: It is pro rated pay.

Edward Calamia: With all the federal money coming in, programs for latch key kids to come in early? What does Union object to in administrative code 121266?

Leroy Barr: It is important for latch key kids to have something.

Jeff Sorkin: Judge overstepped his bounds by ruling we couldn't get Medicare Advantage.  We want to preserve choices.

Lydia Howrilka: How can we fight to get our members in the budget fight?

Leroy Barr: We have been involved throughout the summer.

Mary Vaccaro: Fair Student Funding meetings have not gone well. You can see it on the Info Hub. We have spoken; meetings only exactly 1.5 hours. We will have borough meetings and we will figure out how to get our voices heard. 

Ronnie Almonte: What is in place to organize new members? Some hired on Bard line while others are on DOE line? Some schools have a long tradition of ora=ganizing. What can we do to organize unorganized?

District 30 Rep answer: Says we have organzing work done in her district. Can be for 1,2  or three year people. 

Janella Hinds: Agreement in Bard and other early colleges. Some CUNY PSC; some UFT. Particular realities at schools with different structures. UFT and PSC members have different realities. 

Alex: Smaller class sizes, committee formed last year. What are we doing to pressure Adams to honor that agreement?

Leroy Barr Answer: Pressure is the law. Thanks everyone who did the actions to get us where we are. We must make sure the city follows the law. Making sure 20% that get served first are for black and brown people.

Reports from Districts

Tom Murphy, tough week for retirees. We lost several people in the last week. Florence Fidell, original para organizer. Moved to Florida and organized ther. We lost Mona Davidson who organized Florida office. Town Hall with retirees will touch on issue of retirees' healthcare. Involved with Campaign 2022 on Senate. In touch with Amazon workers who won the union election on Staten Island. Trying to help. Inflation Reduction Act, monumental piece of legislation: drug companies can't raise rates beyond inflation rate; $2,000 annual cap for drugs, negotiations for highest price drugs, adult vaccines free and Affordable Care Act expanded.

Not sure the district: South Brooklyn school will be renamed after a principal.

Italian American Heritage person: Bocci tournament raised $1,400 for UFT Disaster Relief Fund.

Exec Bd At Large Person. Mural for K295 and 443 is now entrance.

D21: Schools raised thousands of dollars for Making Strides.

Servia Silva: D4 will be doing something for Hispanic Heritage Month. Flyers should be up.UFT members will be shaking it.

Mike Sill: DOE mishandled medical accommodation process. We brought this up last week. DOE moving on this. Getting accommodations.

Rashad Brown: LGBTQ history month, happy hour at place where movement began Stonewall inn.

David KL Retiree workshops coming up.

Lamar Hughes: Good start in D25. In PS 244 story. Pre k teacher made puppets out of people in the school community to teach children various tasks. d25 and D26 new members meet.

Janella Hinds: Care in time  for people with dimentia. March Oct 23.

Special Orders of Business

Mary Vaccaro on teacher center courses. Workshops on learning apple. Gooogle giving workshops too. CTLE courses going. Teacher Center sites can help for things like lamenating.

Resolution on Mobilzing for a Contract fight:

Nick Bacon asks for an Action Committee. Mulgrew said it's not looking good. We are without a contract. In the past, we've had Action Committees like in 2004. When we haven't had a contract in the past, we have had these committees.

Amy Arundell: Speaks against resolution and says we have an action committee called the negotiating committee. Action is part of their responsibility. Not against in theory, it isn't necessary.

Mike Sill follows Amy and says we have a negotiating committee. Why take authority of negotiating committee and give it to us. We are smaller in number. Mobilization is going to be needed as part of contract fight. 

Rashaad Brown: It excludes people. 

Carl Cambira: Things have changed since 2004. 

Mike Schirtzer: Can do both. Negotatiating Committee and Action Committee can also do actions to get things started.

Alex: This isn't an either or thing. Good for us to have an action committee that works in tandem with the negotiating committee. It can happen here and in the negotiating committee.

Ilona: This is not an either or but an and. More folks involved, better chance for us to get a contract. Negotiating committee off to a slow start. We need people to meet here to talk about things that aren't fleshed out at the negotiating committee.

Elementary school person: people not involved flocking to get to negotiating committee. It needs the chance to do what it was put in place to do. It indirectly undercuts what negotiating committee does.

\Question is called. 

Point of information on debate not being balanced.  Leroy said Robert's Rules doesn't call for one speaker for and one speaker against but does call for one other speaker for.

Ed Calamia: Action committee could keep members activated even when there is a contract settled. It is an independent committee needed.

Melanie: Point of order on speech not being in keeping with resolution. Leroy says it's not in order.

Nick Bacon: We could amend.

Vote to call question passes easily.

Vote on resolution: A few yes,overwhelming majority- No to forming action committee.