Solidarity Forever: Why a United Union Makes Us Strong

Solidarity Forever: Why a United Union Makes Us Strong

George Altomare, a founder of the union passed and by founder we mean it was George who after years of bickering negotiated the merger of factions, the Teacher Guild and the High School Teacher Association, to create the United Federation of Teachers. (Read here)

George served as High School Vice President for many years and for decades every convention ended with George and his guitar playing Solidarity Forever as the audience joined in.

They say our day is over; they say our time is through,

They say you need no union if your collar isn’t blue,

Well that is just another lie the boss is telling you,

For the Union makes us strong!

(Chorus)

They divide us by our color; they divide us by our tongue,

They divide us men and women; they divide us old and young,

But they’ll tremble at our voices, when they hear these verses sung,

For the Union makes us strong!

The UFT has always had contending caucuses within the union. In the early days over Vietnam, should the union take a position and if so support or oppose the war?  After raucous meetings and demonstrations the union held a referendum: the membership voted not to take a position, if the referendum passed the membership the position was against the war,

The Ocean hill-Brownsville strike lingered for forty days, the city was riven and the union was condemned as racist.

A year later as Governor Rockefeller was considering running for president the union quietly negotiated Tier 1 of the pension system, a dramatic improvement.

In 1975 the city precipitously laid off 15,000 teachers, after a few days on strike the union quickly negotiated a settlement, the city was planning to declare bankruptcy and place all contracts with a federal bankruptcy judge. The union actually loaned the city money to pay off bonds and avert bankruptcy. Read the story here

Unpopular at the time, the loan to the city saved collective bargaining and pension gains.

The leadership of the union, over the years, has made decisions, at times controversial, at times sharply criticized and decisions that benefited the membership.

Today, in the world of social media the criticism, in my humble opinion, strengthens the enemies of teacher unionism

Some have argued raises should be tied to the rate of inflation, seven percent in the fall, currently three percent and dropping.

Others aver the union shouldn’t have settled the contract in June and should have begun to “prepare for a strike.”

Mayor Adams didn’t want to negotiate the next contract until after the next election, and, the union feared the next city budget cycle, facing billions in cuts due to the end of COVID relief dollars and the flow of migrant immigrants; the mayor might have pulled out of all contract negotiations.

Adams just announced devastating cuts across the board, Politico, lays out the politics and the steps forward, Read here

“Preparing to strike” is a two-way street, the city perhaps seeking an AI package for remote learning and the union: facing Taylor Law penalties: are members “ready to strike?”

Back in my union rep days I always encouraged chapter leaders never to “complain” without offering a viable solution.

The Taylor Law penalties are onerous and contracts in NYS never end, all contracts remain “in full force and effect until the successor contract is ratified,” After the expiration date all salary steps, differentials, all clauses of the contract remain in place, a benefit lacking elsewhere. In addition both sides can ask for state mediation, fact-finding and arbitration.  There are thousands of public employee union across New York State and no strikes.

The system works for management and labor, yes, at times contract negotiations linger, occasionally for extended period of times, The UFT decided not to negotiate with Bloomberg, who wanted to end tenure and layoff excessed teachers. The Police Union (PBA) waited six years; they didn’t want to negotiate with de Blasio.

California and Illinois allow public employee strikes; however, the Chicago Teacher Union contract layoffs are determined by performance.

          Performance is the preponderant criterion.

Layoff criteria, in order, are: all teachers rated Unsatisfactory; substitutes or temporary teachers; probationary teachers by performance; tenured teachers rated Emerging and Developing; all other tenured teachers. Layoffs within each tier are by seniority.

The right to strike doesn’t translate in the ability to change a contract.

Should the union call a press conference and attack Adams over the proposed budget cuts?

Or, work with other unions, advocacy organizations, the City Council, the Governor and Senator Schumer?  

After the contentious Ocean-Hill Brownsville strikes the union leaders saw an opening and totally changed the pension system.

As the city tumbled towards bankruptcy and union actually saved the city.

In the morass of city politics it’s not how loud you scream, it’s about how well you navigate the eddies of politics.

UFT elections will take place in the spring, and I don’t believe “preparing to strike” is an effective strategy.

 Weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the various caucuses and candidates is the essence of union democracy,

For the Union makes us strong!