UFT Politics is Getting Nasty (and Dangerous)

UFT Politics is Getting Nasty (and Dangerous)

Back in my union rep days a few  teachers would complain, I wasn’t tough enough, I didn’t yell at the superintendent, I didn’t file enough grievances. I didn’t represent the angry member, I represented all the members.  I had to build a relationship with  the superintendent: having the personnel director moving my issue to the top of the pile, joining the local political club to strike fear in the hearts some supervisors, in other words to be a player, to be the voice of the union, the voice of teachers at the decision-making table. At times we “agreed to disagree,” I couldn’t allow disagreements to become toxic. And, I always told chapter leaders never go to the principal with a complaint without a proposed solution, the principal might not accept your solution, it is the beginning of a dialogue.

We are entering the union election season: chapter leader elections and electing a member of the Teacher Retirement System.

The opposition caucuses are angry, demeaning those who work for the union, the union leadership, the chancellor, the mayor and the governor, you don’t resolve issues by yelling, you resolve issues by understanding the system, understanding how to navigate the hallways of City Hall and the shifting eddies of Albany. Moving a decades old goal of the union, reducing class size became a reality because Mulgrew and his team understood the key players in Albany and the needs of the governor.

In the last round of negotiations the union began with  a membership survey, tens of thousand replies, 500 members serving on committees and a contract that reflected the needs of members. Not everybody was happy, the contract responded to the needs of the vast majority of members.

The opposition called for  “preparing for a strike,” a dangerous strategy.  With Taylor law penalties and alienating parents we are isolating the union, and Artificial Intelligence is hovering. The Khan Academy is already using Artificial Intelligence tools, the Harvard School of Education is deeply engaged, the UFT has to engage with the innovators and create tools for teachers to integrate into classroom instruction, not replace teachers, empower teachers.  Fighting against AI is a losing fight.

The opposition caucus rejected a candidate endorsed by the Delegate Assembly for TRS trustee with years of experience in the the union pension department, Christina McGrath, and is supporting a teacher with no experience, akin to saying I want to be a doctor, I never went to medical school but I read a few books. It’s dangerous!  Do you want a neophyte protecting your pension?

In my years in the union we argued over issues at the staff meetings and supported the decision whether we agreed or not, as does the Albany legislature and the Congress.

The opposition caucuses are preparing for next year, the union officer and executive board elections, the union has always had a variety of caucuses, I believe the diversity of ideas is healthy and it’s a way of the leadership taking the temperature of the membership.

As far as I can see the opposition criticizes, attacks, and has failed to explain how they would be better at achieving goals of members. 

With a governor and a mayor who are not friends you need leadership who are nimble and wiley, who can manipulate the complexities of politics to the benefit of union members, I believe Mulgrew and his team are the right folks.