ELECTION NOT SELECTION
The following appears in the NY Teacher:
“To be effective,” Weingarten noted in a letter urging members to join the campaign, “we must understand that the union is all of us; it is the members who are the union .… Our goal is to use this bitter recent contract struggle, and the ratification debate that followed, to build a stronger, more unified and more militant union membership that is prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.”
At the first meeting of the volunteers, which was held recently at union headquarters, Weingarten laid out plans for building union activism chapter by chapter and school by school in what she hopes will result in “an intense engagement and involvement of members with each other, with parents and with the community.”
To that end, she suggested a plan to expand the negotiating team to about 300 members who will represent every district and aspect of the educational community at the bargaining table. The new negotiators, in turn, will be responsible for informing and soliciting feedback from the schools that each member will be assigned.
“All too often in the contract ratification debate we heard from members who said they never heard from the union before and the union does not listen to them,” Weingarten said. “This is a way of correcting that to ensure that there exists effective communication back and forth about what’s really going on.”
Our UFT leadership has recently fronted a new militancy, and it seems that our leadership has realized that it is out of touch with the members. It is an astounding admission of failure for the President of our union to say that there are “members who said they never heard from the union before and the union does not listen to them.” Perhaps recognizing the problem is the first step, but will the 300 person negotiating relay team change that? It remains to be seen. But this smacks of the same distraction as the Stossel hype. And are our leaders really so disconnected from us that they don’t know the difficulty of teaching five classes, of coverages, of 6R, of letters in the file from administrators that have taught two years or less, of being trapped in a terrible school with no guarantee of getting out? If they need a relay committee for this knowledge, then apparently so. The power of not teaching five (or more), with a double salary and a double pension, has disconnected them from us. They live as nobility; we live as peasants. Their job seems to have become their own maintenance, not our best interest.
As much as we might like to believe this new attempt at democracy and militancy, it is not without irony when our leaders states:
“we must understand that the union is all of us; it is the members who are the union.” Apparently they just noticed this. Well, we will believe in this new deal when Randi gives the power to elect District Representatives to the members, and not before. They are supposed to represent us, not her.
But that day is not here. There is an opening for a District 20 Representative right now. And as Robert Astrowsky (Brooklyn Borough Representative) writes:
“Per UFT Policy and Executive Board action, all current District Representatives are appointed in place by UFT President Randi Weingarten. Vacancies for the District Representative position will be appointed by the UFT President…” (February 28, 2006).
The union trots out a 300 person relay committee to be told what they should already know. Yet, those that serve us, our
representatives, are appointed for us. And our union claims this is democracy? We get scraps from the table, as they feast on.
“To be effective,” Weingarten noted in a letter urging members to join the campaign, “we must understand that the union is all of us; it is the members who are the union .… Our goal is to use this bitter recent contract struggle, and the ratification debate that followed, to build a stronger, more unified and more militant union membership that is prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.”
At the first meeting of the volunteers, which was held recently at union headquarters, Weingarten laid out plans for building union activism chapter by chapter and school by school in what she hopes will result in “an intense engagement and involvement of members with each other, with parents and with the community.”
To that end, she suggested a plan to expand the negotiating team to about 300 members who will represent every district and aspect of the educational community at the bargaining table. The new negotiators, in turn, will be responsible for informing and soliciting feedback from the schools that each member will be assigned.
“All too often in the contract ratification debate we heard from members who said they never heard from the union before and the union does not listen to them,” Weingarten said. “This is a way of correcting that to ensure that there exists effective communication back and forth about what’s really going on.”
Our UFT leadership has recently fronted a new militancy, and it seems that our leadership has realized that it is out of touch with the members. It is an astounding admission of failure for the President of our union to say that there are “members who said they never heard from the union before and the union does not listen to them.” Perhaps recognizing the problem is the first step, but will the 300 person negotiating relay team change that? It remains to be seen. But this smacks of the same distraction as the Stossel hype. And are our leaders really so disconnected from us that they don’t know the difficulty of teaching five classes, of coverages, of 6R, of letters in the file from administrators that have taught two years or less, of being trapped in a terrible school with no guarantee of getting out? If they need a relay committee for this knowledge, then apparently so. The power of not teaching five (or more), with a double salary and a double pension, has disconnected them from us. They live as nobility; we live as peasants. Their job seems to have become their own maintenance, not our best interest.
As much as we might like to believe this new attempt at democracy and militancy, it is not without irony when our leaders states:
“we must understand that the union is all of us; it is the members who are the union.” Apparently they just noticed this. Well, we will believe in this new deal when Randi gives the power to elect District Representatives to the members, and not before. They are supposed to represent us, not her.
But that day is not here. There is an opening for a District 20 Representative right now. And as Robert Astrowsky (Brooklyn Borough Representative) writes:
“Per UFT Policy and Executive Board action, all current District Representatives are appointed in place by UFT President Randi Weingarten. Vacancies for the District Representative position will be appointed by the UFT President…” (February 28, 2006).
The union trots out a 300 person relay committee to be told what they should already know. Yet, those that serve us, our
representatives, are appointed for us. And our union claims this is democracy? We get scraps from the table, as they feast on.
posted by A Strong, Proud UTP Member at 3/07/2006 03:39:00 PM
64 Comments:
The fact that Randi appoints the District Representative is appalling. There has been a lot of talk that we need to elect the Distict Represntative. That sounds like a wonderful idea, but I have not seen or heard any plan of action. How can we take this power away from Randi and place it in our hands?
There are two routes the UTP is considering to restore the election of District Representatives. The first is to make a motion at the Delegate Assembly to get such a resolution on the voting agenda.
The UTP has drafted such a resolution and plans to present it at the April or May Delegate Assembly.
If our resolution fails to gain enough votes to place it on the agenda, the second path is to circulate a petition to amend the UFT's Constitution. If enough vailid signatures are gathered the issue must be put to a vote at the Delegate Assembly.
As you can see, the Delegate Assembly is the key. The Spring elections are nearly here, so now is the perfect time to evaluate your delegates and chapter leaders. If they are not representing your interests, vote for those who do.
What makes you think the rank and file members are qualified to elect District Representatives.
Isn't the election process best served by allowing the most qualified within the union to shoulder that responsibility.
You reap the rewards brought about by the union yet you do nothing by complain about non- consequential issues such as "voting for DRs".
Your contribution is negativity and that only weakens the union.
Yea Joe,
Just shut up, keep paying those dues, keep following orders, and leave the rest to us: we know what we're doing. Troublemaker. In fact, we're not sure you should be voting anywhere, at any time, in our union or our country.
You just keep reapin' all the rewards that leadership tosses down to you: 6R, work days in August, raise that ain't a raise, and the like....
Hail Unity leadership! Hail the totalitarian state! Blessed be the two pensions!!
So pay up sucker.
To commenter of 3/09/2006 3:11 PM:
How dare you insinuate that New York's Brightest aren't qualified to elect their own District Representatives, when you can't even punctuate an interrogative sentence properly with a question mark, and when you use nonexistent words such as
non-consequential? Do you even have a high school diploma?
The fact that someone is asking "what makes you think the rank and file members are qualified to elect district representatives" is disturbing. It shows everyone the Unity mentality. They know whats best for us, and we should just shut up and do what we are told. If that post isn't a wake up call to the membership then we don't deserve to elect district reps, or be part of a real union. If the membership of this union can't see the utter contempt our current leadership has for us, then we deserve exactly what we are getting.
You can blame a great deal on Unity but
at the end of the day teachers did vote
for the contract.
That fact makes me nervous about the future.
If teachers as a group are willing to roll over and take any thing thats handed to them what hope is there for change?
Thanks for knocking my union dues, but I always got great service with the wellfare fund, pension consultation, cheaper college courses, workshops, an informative paper and people available to answer my questions. They have always served me and my school well.
I'm glad you feel that more time, a raise that isn't a raise, the 25/55 issue that was dropped like a hot potato, 6R, and the fact that you have a union that has consistently secured the worst contacts in the last twenty five years, is serving you well.
The few perks you have mentioned are of little consolation to many other teachers who are not happy with a union that besides being incompetent continues to deny them a voice.
Why won't Unity return the voting process for District Reps?
Why does Unity stack the deck with retirees to vote for elected officials?
Why dose Unity enforce an information black out policy to deny any opposition a chance for debate?
Why did Randi send out HER District Reps with instructions to secure a "yes" vote at any cost?
Why did the District Reps lie to the members and use fear tactics to sway the vote?
Is teaching a better job now now than it was even 10 years ago?
The question, "Is teaching a better job now than it was even ten years ago?" is a good one.
Up until now I have been following the debates offered on this website and have not reached an opinion on the issues discussed, now I have.
No, the profession is not better off than it was ten years ago and it has suffered set backs under Unity leadership.
The reforms listed on the utp main page have merit and would go a long way toward making the union stronger and more democratic.
That last contract was nothing less than an abomination. How Randi sleeps at night is a mystery to me.
And for the record, it's no longer 5, but 6 classes for most high school teachers. An elementary teacher on my blog suggested that, for her, it was not 8, but nine.
Vote them out.
I imagine she sleeps in great comfort on a divan of cash.
How do we vote them out? Don't retirees get to vote for UFT leadership? Don't they historically vote for Unity (not that any other party has been allowed to challenge them)? Isn't that like spotting Randi 20,000 votes?
It seems rigged to me.
It IS rigged. Do you ever see any coverage of ideas
critical of any Unity policy in NY Teacher, The only
communication source for Teachers?
Unity's main mission is to retain control of the Union. That is why information presenting opposition to the last contract was removed from teachers mailboxes by Unity supporters.
Unity has got to be voted out by a majority of active members.
Here's a link to recent letter published in the OpEd section of the Staten Island Advance:
www.silive.com/letter/advance
scroll down to YOUR OPINION, Monday, March 13, 2006 and check out the lead letter.
I think it is because opposition to the leadership has been so unorganized, angry and uncreative. If you want an opportunity to lead then show some leadership. Sit on the newly expanded negotiating committee. The opposition's behavior at the DA's in Sept. Oct. and Nov. 2005 were embarassing. I'm glad you guys called off the hounds from the asylum. At least now there maybe dialogue.
By the way retirees don't vote on the contract.
No one said retirees voted for the contract, they vote for union officials.
The UTP is not creative? Come on!! Have you even looked at the site?? These guys have great ideas, that are presented in an interesting way!
There will never be dialogue in this union because Unity will not allow it. The UTP does not want to become part of the power structure of this union. We simply want increased democracy, and militancy amongst the membership. We don't want union positions, we want to awaken the membership, and collectively take back our union. The UFT belongs to all of us.
Amen Brother Meade! Power to the people!
The UFT belongs to all of us but Unity thinks we are their employees.
It's very important to present a united opposition front, and dispel the notion that the well-known name New Action is anything more than an extra arm of Unity.
It is funny how sssssssnakeheadmead, Joe Meade, and NYC Educator can talk about "collectively taking back the union" but don't want "union positions". How convenient. Criticize but don't take responsibility. Is that because making the difficult decisions is something you refuse to do? I guess you are not a Chapter Leader in which difficult decions are made everyday. That is a "union position" of leadership as is being a delegate. But I guesss you don't want that either.
I guess this means that anyone who considers themselves UTP,ICE, or TJC should NOT be elected because they don't want "union positions". Great alternative!
Ssssnakehead meade does not have seven Ss only four.
There is no Joe Meade.
There is a Joe Mudgett.
The UTP speaks only for the UTP.
We are a reform caucus and we will give our full support to anyone from ICE or TJC that will run in opposition to Unity.
We serve only to point out some of the issues that will form much of the platform for future elections.
To: 3/20/2006 11:17 PM
Fact Check:
I am proud to serve my school as a duly-elected union delegate. We also have a hard-working chapter leader on our board.
I joined the UTP caucus because their reform philosophy matched my own. If we are to thrive as a union we need to be more democratic, inclusive, and militant.
Based on the last two contracts I have lost faith in our leadership's ability to advocate effectively for the rank and file. The UTP believes a new direction is called for.
The fact that we don't want union jobs demonstrates our commitment to reforming this union for the sake of creating a more militant more democratic union. We are not looking out for our personal interests at the expense of the membership's interests, like our current leadership does. I am not interested in obtaining a double pension, or two salaries like the Unity lackeys that infest our union. Since we are not beholden to anyone, people know that we have no ulterior motives. Our current leaderhip is motivated only by self-serving greed. I have no desire to work with them in any capacity, since they are a detriment to the objective of creating a union that represents its dues paying members. Our current leadership is an obstacle that needs removed, and their legacy of inaction, and weakness erased. Only then can we talk about taking responsiblity, and making decisions.
You clam you are not political yet you exspouse your right arm politics in a pubic forum.
You don"t want to champlain for anyone or your shelves yet you are cuticle of the Unity potty and their underlings!
You've got some verve!
YEP.
Back up, Chuck, about our shelves.
As a Unity hack, I have the audacity to speak to working teachers as though they are not entitled to opinions.
You can't blame me for trying to change the subject, as I am patently unable to defend my positions.
Preclude high school teachers from selecting their own leadership.
The very worst contract in 22 years.
And I voted for it.
It's time for you to show me, my six-figure salary, and my double pension the exit.
I know, of course, that you didn't mean CCs and delegates when you spoke of union positions. I was just trying to muddy the waters with more of my interminable nonsense.
Please forgive me, oh wise and benevolent UTP. I'd also like to personally apologize to ssssnakeheadmead, Joe Meade, and NYC Educator for my bothersome idiocy.
"The worst contract in 22 years" was far from what I heard at the Chapter Leader meeting last night. It seemed to me that alot of middle schools and high schools were pleasantly surprised that this hasn't been as bad as youv'e been claiming it to be.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Not as bad as you claimed. What an achievement.
There's a plank to run with.
If only it were true.
The contract is not so bad if you work for the UFT and don't have to deal with any of its provisions, and if you got a nice raise without the givebacks. Oooops.
I believe that there are enough teachers satisfied with the current contract to that scare the hell out of me. I honestly can't see how teachers everywhere aren't howling for leadership change but then I think back to the contract vote.
I am new reader of this web site and find that I am in agreement with much of what the utp stands for.
I was unaware of just how small a voice the rank and file members have within their own union.
I find the fact that Randi appoints the District Representatives to be particularly disturbing.
I respect the utp reform stance and their call for a more democratic union.
I can't understand why they are so against the idea of becoming involved in the political process to create these much needed changes to better our union.
You would have to get the funding to send UTP people to Florida to secure all those retiree votes: you know, make the Randi-style trip. Can you afford it? Perhaps Unity will subsize it in the name of democracy. You would also have to get some Personal Days off from teaching: you guys probably really work for a living, unlike much of the Unity payraoll.
excuse me: subsidize
payroll
I can only speak for myself, when I say I feel the UTP has made the right choice by not becoming involved in the political process. In one sense its a credibility issue. We have made it clear that we are not in this for personal gain. The UTP exists simply to reform this union, we are not interested in furthering our personal interests. Secondly, by becoming involved in the political process, we stand the chance of diluting our message and that would be intolerable. When you sit down at the table, and become part of the game you become bound by its rules, which in this case are all in place to benefit the interests of the Unity caucus and not the membership. I would hate to see the purity of our message lost amid the endless compromise, and gamesmanship that the current political realities of our union demand. The UTP will not be co-opted, or bought out like a former "opposition" causcus has been. I don't think we can really reform this union by becoming caught up in Unity dominated politics. When the process has been reformed and Unity's stranglehold over this union has been broken and the membership has taken back our union, the process will gain some legitimacy. Then we can discuss becoming part of the process. As it stands now there would be no point in becoming involved in a twisted maze of corruption and self-serving greed. The game is rigged, and until the rules have changed we refuse to play. Their are two other viable opposition caucuses (ICE and TJC) and we will support them and endorse their candidates as long as they share the same goals as us, and our ideologies are compatible. I would hate for my ramlings to be the final opinion on this matter, and I would like some of my UTP brothers and sisters to chime in here.
I think by presenting our opinions and ideology we ARE taking part in the political process. By backing a viable slate of candidates we are also taking a part in the political process. I believe that are others out there that are more politically savvy than we are and be better suited to hold office. So what's all the hubbub bub?
You don't think that you are politically "savvy" enough to run for any elected office yet you are
savvy enough to think you should have a vote for District Representatives? I agree that you aren't politically aware enough to run for any elected office and I doubt your judgment is refined enough to have any say at all when it comes to appointing District Representatives. That's the "hubbub".
You don't think that you are politically "savvy" enough to run for any elected office yet you are
savvy enough to think you should have a vote for District Representatives? I agree that you aren't politically aware enough to run for any elected office and I doubt your judgment is refined enough to have any say at all when it comes to appointing District Representatives. That's the "hubbub".
It doesn't take political savvy to elect district representatives. All it takes is educating yourself about the various candidates and voting for those you believe will do the best job for you.
Democracy 101: You do a good job you get reelected. You don't do a good job you don't.
From what I've heard, there are many DRs who are quite effective. It's the ones who aren't who should be replaced. Let the rank and file decide.
I am going to pull a no_slappz and stay on this subject for a while until I think I've had enough. Before we start voting for anything, we need an independent firm to tabulate our votes electronically. Randi and her lackeys went all out securing a "yes" vote. Limiting opposition access to mailboxes, sending DR's to schools and ridiculous postings on EDWIZE in favor of the contract are just a few. I don't trust Randi and the brown nosers who sold us out for money. Those ballot boxes, if used again, will definately ensure another victory for her. I would like to believe that there are honest leaders in our union, but I only need to look back to October and realize Randi and her lackeys would only like to preserve their own interest and not the rank and files'.
If Joe Mudgett is right, the that must be why Randi won the last election by over 80% last time.
As for election fraud as implied by Anon 3/26/2006 9:05 PM , this isn't Florida nor Ohio. Your friends at the Exec Bd had been asked if their was anywrong doing than they should bring it up immediately. They didn't have any and then sat down. If there was actually something done that was wrong at a particular school it should be said publicly and immediately. If not let's stick to the policy difference.
Unity out! From Delegates and Chapter leaders on up to the top. Vote Unity people out!
Great link NYC Educator!! Everyone should check it out, its good for a laugh.
To: 3/26/2006 10:29 PM
Things have gone from bad to worse. I wouldn't count on that 80% in the next election.
Electronic balloting via internet and/or phone would remove any perception of dishonesty, when we vote for officers or contracts. What's wrong with that?
If Randi & Co. are doing so good, why don't they stop messin with the mailboxes and let all views be heard. Are they afraid of a fair fight?
Forget the bird flu virus. What about the Unity virus? Inoculate your chapter during this springs CL and Delegate elections.
80% is bad?
Past performance is no indicator for future results.
You are obviously not serious professionals, if you were you'd use this web site to discuss ways to improve the learning experience of your students.
You continually harp on self centered issues such as raises, 6r assignments and the union voting process in general, never once mentioning such topics as class size or violence prevention within our schools.
It is up to serious teachers to bring up these topics and hopefully make a case for the children.
Yea, ya dopes. Clearly this site is about student issues. Can't ya read? Didn't ya notice all the student-based issues in the ideology?
I wish you would try to be serious professionals.
I tried that once -- didn't like it. The children, the children blah blah. They have too many people advocating for them already. We need someone to advocate for us!! Being serious professionals is highly over-rated, and boring to boot. Live a little... watch a UTP movie, then go tell your Unity delegate and chapter leader that they stink!
To 3/29/2006 4:51 PM
The UTP is composed of a growing number of dedicated teachers who are tired of weak, ineffectual leadership. These serious professionals demand to be treated with respect. They want better working conditions and they agree that reforming the union as per our ideology is the way to go. This web site is dedicated solely to restoring strength, pride and respect to all NYC teachers.
Remember, we can't play by Randi's rules or we will lose again. Electronic ballots make a lot of sense for a start. We could lose out on the mail boxes again, but this site and a few others speak the sensible truth and in the end, Randi will remember this as the biggest defeat in her career. We must haunt her evil betrayal of the union and the hard working teachers of the NYC Public School system. There will be a day when we will talk of how we took back our union, regained our respect, and the moment of when we made the choice to better the lives of the children we teach and made our life a little bit more meaningful.
I hope that I made some sense.
It made alot of sense. We must break the shackles and free ourselves from Unity's fetters. Once we are free from this tyranny things can only get better.
Hey snakehead, nice ego! If you really want a militant union with public support, focusing on yourself is a good way of achieving it. Although I am always fighting to improve the conditions of all of us at my school, it certainly includes the children. In fact that is EXACTLY why I joined this profession.
Please, I like this site because it advocates for us for a change!
Ummm... that was a joke! Nice ego when you take yourself so seriouly that you can't recognize a joke when you read one. Of course we all care about our profession, and the kids we teach, but the UTP and this site were created for union reform not to be a child advocacy group,there are many out there to join if you like. Since you say you are fighting to improve conditions in your school, I'll assume you are on our side and I'll kindly ask you to stay off your high horse, and join the fight to take back our union. Its not just about ourselves, its about the rank and file members of this union.
You can't ignore the law of diminishing marginal returns. Now that teachers are working beyond the threshold of efficiency, teachers suffer and students suffer. The public needs to know this.
Convenient isn't it? When someone calls you on what you write, it's suddenly "a joke". Next thing you know the Nazi allusions were also a joke, right?
Way to go Snakehead.
No prisoners!
Unity has a "loyalty oath" and thats okay?-!
Your comment about snakehead only serves to highlight the fact that there are no depths too low for you to sink in an attempt to avoid the issues.
I'm happy to see snakehead pinned you for the lowlife you are.
Lets make sure we start by voting out every Unity chapter leader and delgate this May and June. Then vote out every Unity candidate in 2007.
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