I had a brush with greatness last Wednesday, February 25.I was in the same room with His Holiness, Michael Mulgrew. The goosebumps are still with me.
He blessed the teachers of the Bronx with an audience at the Bronx UFT that day.
According to the flyer you see under His Holiness, light refreshments were to be had.
So that is why I must have believed that this was going to be a somewhat informal event, like a kaffeeklatsch or tea time with His Holiness.Now full disclosure first, I had to run home get son and take him to baseball workouts at the local high school so I arrived about 4:40 PM. I was just in the nick of time for His Holiness was just wrapping up his monologue.
I had never seen the banquet room at the Bronx UFT before but in sharing this with The Crack Team we all are in agreement that that room can be used for weddings and bar mitzvahs.
There must have been about 300 people in that room, maybe a little less, to hear pontifications from His Holiness.
The light refreshments turned out to be the typical steam table type of food. Some pasta, some potatoes, some chicken. It was nice to see my union dues going to feed the masses. Coffee and cake, or just a bunch of pizzas would have sufficed. But why spend as little money as possible when no one accounts for the spending.
So due to the "light refreshments" notice I was under the assumption that the conversation with His Holiness was to be somewhat informal. Oh no, it was not.
When you have 300 people, 300 people want to ask questions and 300 people want to be heard. As soon has His Holiness opened the room to questions hands shot up.
There were two little dweebs with cordless microphones running around picking people to ask a question to His Holiness and to await to be blessed and receive an answer. Even people that did not have their hands up were being picked. How could this be?
I had my hand up. Constantly. I had something to say. Oh, but wait, my questions would have been contradictory to the script that His Holiness was following.
Those that were blessed to address His Holiness with a question seemed to fit a pattern. All the questions were about Common Core, testing, that crazy person in Albany, APPR, stuff that was big picture and of course nothing that was going to go against His Holiness or the believe in how great he believes he is.
When reporting this to The Crack Team we all came to one conclusion. The questions and questioners were pre-screened (As if one were at a E4E rally), or worse, the questioners were plants.
I was especially concerned when I approached one of His Holiness's minions holding the mike, Roberto Hernandez, and shared with him that I have a thoughtful question and it seems that others are getting picked without raising their hands. Well, that was a mistake. He got extremely angry and ornery became quite rude with me.
This meeting was not bringing the union to the people it was about letting the people come to the union and bask in it's overrated glory.
This union and it's leadership is all smoke and mirrors. Everything is about keeping up appearances. Yeah, we are getting emails from His Holiness on how to shame Governor Andy through hashtags. But we all know that is for show. Same as it is with those UFT commercials.
All that matters is that those at 52 Broadway continue to live large and us dues paying members keep losing our pensions.
9 comments:
Crack team, you have hit the nail on the head. The Unity mantra is, Feed them and they will come. Come to a Delegate Assembly to see his Holiness in all his glory in action. This is why we pay union dues.
I can tell you that I know I have a job because of the union. It is apparent that you are very angry with the current President. However, I appreciated the fact that there was food for the members. I appreciate the fact that the President of the Union is attempting to defend the members in the face of the current governor's agenda. The teachers of the Bronx need strong advocates. I hope that my opinion does not offend you, I am as vulnerable as you are. And for the record, I am Catholic and I find this picture insulting. Mr. Mulgrew is not the pope- we all know that. But he does a strong following.
It is offensive. The Pope is a great humanistic leader and you put Mulgrew's face on him. You're not insulting Mulgrew, you're insulting the Pope and complimenting Mulgrew.
I was there. And the part that you forgot is when you rudely called out. And when it was said that that would not be allowed you did all you could to cause a scene and stormed out when you did not get your way. If people saw how you acted they would understand that what you did should have been embarrassing to yourself. What kind of adult acts that way in public. I expect better from middle school students, let alone the adults who are supposed to teach them how to act in public.
To Claire and Bronx ATR, sorry it's parody. Deal with it.
To Claire, you have the right to your opinion bu I can find hundreds more thawt disagree with you.
As to anonymous, sorry for calling out. But, someone had to call out over the plants or pre-screend queationers that were lined up.
As for me storming out. Well, that is a lie. I left in a very calm manner, in fact I did so as to not to get in the way of anyone, I walked all the way to the back of the room. In fact I left a good 20 minutes after I dared to interupt Mulgrew.
Oh, as to the reason I had left? I had to pick up my son from baseball workouts.
But notice something here? Do you notice how the last three comments are critical of me and I leave them up? Notice I have no problem with that? Notice how I answer those comments?
Why doesn't Mulgrew allow anything contrqadictory to his viewpoint? Why won't Mulgrew stop caving and manipulating with Albany and the city and think of the rank and file? That is the bigger question.
Claire,
Wake up and smell the coffee! You paid for the food. The "union" is doing nothing worthwhile to oppose the Cuomo agenda.
By the looks of you on that day...appearance and mannerisms, many people thought you were drunk or on something else. I have taken notice to your one sided views and not how things truly are. You spin things as if you are correct. I would not want you in front of my children as an educator that is for sure!
And by the way where are you when we call for action.......NO WHERE! Do you hear the crickets!
Drunk or something else? Hmmm.... End of the day. Drove home first from Zerega Ave to White Plains picked up son took him to baseball workouts then I had to stop off in New Rochelle then back to Bronx UFT.
Sorry I was not all springtime and daisy fresh for you but I will try my darnedest to work on it for you next time.
As for as my one sided views....how? I mean this is a blog, this is supposed to exhibit MY views. If you can point out where I have been incorrect I would surely correct it.
But as for when there has been a call for action, can you elaborate where I have not heeded that call. For I can share plenty of times UNITY has not been there for us.
But please do bask in your anonymity. That is your right but if you truly want to speak to me and criticize me feel free to email me.
Again, notice how I have allowed contradictory points of view to be allowed? Can your UNITY pals say the same?
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