We Need A Stronger Contract – We Don’t Trust Mulgrew to Deliver Raises That Outpace Inflation, Smaller Classes, and Stronger Protections.
It's time for a stronger contract. It's time for A BETTER UNION. We are United For Change.
More educators are leaving our profession than ever before. We’ve been given more work, overcrowded classrooms, fewer protections, longer work times with no say and little or no compensation, and our students and school communities are dealing with more stress than ever before.
Don’t call it burnout. Call it exploitation.
Pressingly, we need pay raises for ALL school workers that match the rising cost of living in NYC, can keep members from leaving, and can attract new members.
Meanwhile, UFT President Michael Mulgrew inexplicably argues that we can only achieve higher and more appropriate pay for members by giving back in other areas in contract negotiations, but this simply isn’t true, and the early 1960s history of the UFT itself proves it: the union simultaneously won pay raises, smaller classes, stronger protections, and more.
As prices for such necessities as food, energy, gasoline, and housing skyrocket nationally, and rise even higher in the New York City area, we will need a firm, assertive and collective voice at the negotiating table — we need all of our voices represented.
The present union leadership has proven it can’t deliver better results and rejects transparency and accountability.
We won’t accept raises spaced out over a decade like the retro contract fiasco or healthcare givebacks. And we’ve witnessed the failure to pass smaller class legislation in 2021, and a broken and stagnant grievance process that often leaves us unprotected.
Many in our union family justifiably no longer trust Mulgrew and his Unity caucus leadership to put up much of the fight necessary to make this happen with this current NYC Mayor who is already proposing budget cuts, even with an unprecedented influx of state and federal dollars.
UFT members are tired of Mulgrew’s establishment, backroom negotiations that have led to so many mediocre to poor labor agreements. Deals that have not kept up with rising costs, provide fewer protections, haven’t changed the caps on class size in 50 years, and are wrought with healthcare givebacks, like the privatizing of our retirees’ existing coverage plans with increased premiums.
In April, we have a once-in-a-generation, historic opportunity to ensure that a STRONGER UNION ensures a BETTER CONTRACT and guarantees a UFT that will fight for us all and our school communities.
This spring, vote United for Change. It’s time for A BETTER UNION.
One that realizes that our teaching conditions are our students’ learning conditions.
Please check that your mailing address is updated with the UFT and check for your mail for the ballot in April.
🗳 The UFT election is right around the corner!
✅ Ballots will be mailed on Friday, April 8, 2022.
✅ Ballots must be received by Monday, May 9, 2022, at 5 pm.
✅ Ballots will be counted on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
🗳 Make your vote count!
The change for a better union starts now with YOU.
To learn more, go to http://unitedforchange.vote
Reprinted with permission. Source: unitedforchange.vote/weneedastrongercontract