At the time of that contract vote (the first one with a 25 year max and the double zero's), I worked in a middle school. The chapter chair who was very active in Unity basically said that we were lucky that we were not getting reductions in salary and that the UFT negotiated hard to make sure we didn't lose pay. Before that, I was aloof to union issues and basically voted the way the union wanted.
I remember when the contract was voted down. That same chapter chair screamed at me and a couple of my friends who he knew voted down the contract. "Look what you've done now! Now expect a big fat reduction in salary."
I had my ephiphany about the UFT then and am sad that so few others realize what a bogus union it is and that its leaders' interests and its members' interests are not the same. What's good for the leaders is good for the members because we members are happy when our leaders are happy and if the members suffer from a bad contract, oh, well... We did our best.
When Ronnie Jones, former VP, came to our school to spin those zeros, not only was he shouted down, but one teacher got up and said that the fix was in. Ronnie went berserk! Screaming and yelling at us like we were a bunch of idiots. Well we voted that contract down big time.
That was the first real victory for the UFT in a long time because the rank and file knew not to believe the Randi spin.
Het guys, Rudy is or will be history come Tuesday evening, no matter what Michael Goodwin and Mort Zuckerman have to say.
Going on about Rudy may make one feel good, like my playing my tape of game six Rangers Devils in the Meadowlands, but if has no bearing on where we are or what is coming down the track toward us.
If you want to complain about something political, complain about the time, money, and effort the UFT is putting towards Billary. Whether or not the Clintons are successful in continuing the Bush Clinton dynasty will have absolutely no effect on our lives in the classroom. That bill of goods was sold to us in 2000 when Clinton ran for the Senate, and all we got out of the exercise was Joel Klein.
If the AFT wants to support Billary, let them. I'll file a Beck action to reclaim part of my dues. But the UFT is a local and our President and staff should be devoting all their energy and time to thwarting the next moves of BloomKlein. (sorry Socrates)
What is a Beck action? How to I qualify to file one? It sounds like it may be time to do this en masse and hire another union to represent us. You know the motto: Money talks and b------t walks!!
Don't they use voluntary COPE money for their political endorsements?
The stuff about 1995 is fascinating. Yes we voted the Contract down and then two years later Sandy Feldman was reelected with the usual 75% of the vote and the leadership laughed all the way to the bank.
Little has changed since then except some of the names of the leaders and the rank and file.
A Beck action(I believe that's the name) allows a union member to recver a portion of dues that goes to suppport a candidate or policy he is not in agreement ith. No! COPE funds are not the sole source of Union political activities. If the NY Teacher endorses a candidate that's printed with regular dues monies. Same if the union HQ is used a a phone bank or if the union facilities are used for rallies. I believe COPE monies pay for direct media ads and direct lobbying of legislators. The Supreme Court ruled that members are not required to fund political actions they do not accept. I believe it involved a person named Beck against a public employee union if the Northwest in the early 90s.
Neither the UFT Exec bd (a rubber stamp anyway)nor the Delegate Assembly (75% rubber stamp) have been allowed to vote on the Billary endorsement. They know it will pass anyway but they don't even want a discussion to take place.
Maybe some Edwards or Obama supporters or whatever candidate you support should go to the Feb 6 DA and call for a discussion before the UFT resources are put into action for Billary.
Yes, it is supposedly COPE money. And there are also a number of teachers who are withdrawing from COPE as a reaction. They should get together and put the money instead in an escrow like account for future actions to oppose Unity.
Commenting by HaloScan
