The 'theft' of the UFT’s Retiree Chapter Facebook Group by Mulgrew’s Unity caucus: Open letter to UFT top leadership

After losing unilateral control of the UFT Retiree chapter, Mulgrew’s Unity administrative caucus seeks to obstruct union business in true sore loser fashion.

Here is my email to leadership last night …

Subject line: Theft of our union retiree social media Facebook organ

Esteemed,

It has come to my attention that some in union leadership and their Unity caucus are allowing the theft of the official UFT retiree teacher chapter Facebook group that serves as an official organ/vehicle of chapter communications.

This page has over 6.3k UFT retiree members subscribed to it and it has used union resources, funded from our dues, to promote and manage it. 

See it promoted as “our Facebook group” on our UFT website here:

https://www.uft.org/chapters/retired-teachers-chapter/quick-links

It also has come to my attention that additional union resources and time were used to manage this Facebook group when the chapter was under its previous leadership.

The group’s image banners promote it as the official Facebook group of the UFT RTC. See screenshots that are attached.

After the new RA slate won leadership of the chapter in July of this year, they should have been given full control of this chapter organ/vehicle. It was literally a matter of giving admin status to existing members of the FB group who are now leaders of the chapter. As we approach October there is still foot dragging.

We know that in January of this year, all official UFT social media accounts were to register with the union. The group is listed on our registry of official social media accounts . 

See: 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iXlyrJwCy5lo-LhHNUTmKO6fHnbF76BXw54oCR3Ie0g/edit

I’ve provided screenshots of the McFayden email instructing all admins throughout our union social media ecosystem to register their sites and pages, also. For this reason the RTC group is listed in our union’s registry of official satellite social media accounts.

In 2020, the New York Teacher, our official union newspaper promoted the FB group as the chapter’s official Facebook group in this article:

https://www.uft.org/news/retired-teachers-chapter-news/rtc-service/facebook-keeps-retirees-connected

Now, I understand that this Facebook group is being held “hostage” by the admin of the group, Ms Susan Pulice, and others in leadership. They are seemingly using this platform as leverage for intimidation of others and for personal gain/partisan politics.

Today, Ms. Pulice announced that the UFT RTC Facebook group will become the sole property of herself and her caucus to communicate with UFT retirees. 

Let’s keep in mind that those who joined this RTC group never joined the group under this new pretense or that they would be shuffled under a new name for partisan political purposes.

This matter is serious and grave. Members should know what is happening and that their dues are not being used improperly.

I expect that leadership will take swift action to rectify it and ensure the new RTC leadership is given immediate access to this union resource/vehicle with no more further delays.

I am also confident that Unity caucus leadership will do what is ethically correct to ensure our union resources are not abused or used for personal gain. 

I am asking the union counsel to issue some type of legal notice to those seeking to steal our collective union property. It belongs to us.

Thank you in anticipation of your swift actions to rectify this injustice to our entire membership, especially our retirees.

In solidarity, 

D. Alicea

Special education teacher 

MS 53, Far Rockaway 

Chapter delegate 

Postscript: I speak as a proud member of my union, not RTC. The precedents this sets against dues paying members and our official spaces for communication and resources is dangerous and plain wrong.

---

---