UFT Solidarity Has Done Some Stuff

Who says one can not affect change?

After recieving over 100 comments on the post, "Is There Solidarity With God?" in which many a question was asked, "What has Solidarity actually accomplished?" with nary an answer,  UFT Solidarity has finally come out on its website with what it says it has done.

Now we here at SBSB wish to congratulate those at UFT Solidarity for finally sharing with the world what it believes it has done. But, there is one little meddlesome quirk we feel we here at SBSB need to address.

The title of the page is "UFT Solidarity Initiatives," but then claims these initiatives are actually accomplishments. That is all well and good but when The Crack Team looked the definition of initiative this is what we found;

noun

1. an introductory act or step; leading action: to take the initiative in making friends. 2. readiness and ability in initiating action; enterprise: to lack initiative. 3. one's personal, responsible decision: to act on one's own initiative.

Now, initiative is not the same as actually seeing something through. It's like the President of the United States saying he is taking the initiative on Global Warming. The President can say he is taking the initiative on setting up a blue ribbon panel to study it, but what will actually be accomplished? 

The definition for accomplish is; 

verb (used with object)

1. to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish: to accomplish one's mission. 2. to complete (a distance or period of time): to have accomplished the age of 70; We accomplished the journey in little more than an hour.

See the difference?  But that is all well and good, let's see what UFT Solidarity has actually done/initialized/accomplished.

We have created a support email list where members in need can email XXXX@uftsolidarity.org or call our number 646-XXXXXXX and get support and advice from one of our growing list of knowledgeable support members.

Who says these people are knowledgeable? What kind of advice is given? Support? Who is giving the advice? If legal advice is being given is the person an attorney? Is the number actually a call center in India? Has this growing list reached double digits yet? Is the person seeking help profited off of by being sent to edufoil.com? When the person is told inevitably to FOIL, are they told how difficult it is to get anything other than factual emails and records, that emails and records that are in nature opinion, supposition, or anything like that are not FOILable? Is the person being told the amount of redaction that is possible?

We have held and organized rallies outside of schools and DOE headquarters to raise concerns about issues that concern our school communities.

WOW! Hey we here at SBSB are all for rallies and stuff, but it has to be done smartly and strategically and different enough to get attention. But what do we know here at SBSB. Let's examine it rally by rally. 

NYC Educator Groups Rally in Solidarity to Support Hundreds Unfairly Fired Teachers

Arthur Goldstein organized this rally? If not, I would suggest to Arthur that he call my brother in law, a famed trademark and patent attorney, post-haste. 

What has this rally accomplish? I mean 10 people, mostly retirees and a few scattered sycophants. 

UFT Solidarity, New Action and Alumni Stood Tall in Support of the William Bryant HS Community

We only counted about a dozen, if that, people at Monday's rally. But the fried chicken looked damn good. Was it KFC or Kennedy's? And as for the rally a few Saturday's ago, where were the 10,000 people that claimed to be showing up? But props will be given for the fact that this rally was not about UFT Solidarity, but it seemed the school community was involved as it should be. Though sources have told The Crack Team that UFT Solidarity bogarted its way in.

UFT Solidarity Plans for Another Rally – Richmond Hill High School June 3rd

OK, five people for this? Richmond Hill and the DOE must have made a BM they were so intimidated and put on notice.  

But then again, New Action is involved. Why is New Action involved? Really, think NA is going to give up what they got for UFT Solidarity? 

We created a Teacher Support App that is very useful and packed with tools. You can download it for Android here uftsolidarity.org/app

Just for Android?? When most of the  the phones are iPhone why limit it to just Android? And this is helping all the teachers of NYC how? Latest records have shown that no more this app has only been downloaded between 10-50 times. But really anyone can create an app. I'm going to Harrison High School and get some 17 year old kid to creat a SBSB app. 

We created a Paperwork Reduction site where members can anonymously report paperwork violations for us to bring up to the district and central paperwork committee. www.lesspaperworkfor.us 

 

Again, what has this accomplished? Where are the reams (Pardon the pun) of paperwork grievances as well as the wins filed by said grievances? 

 

We help manage a site called ANOI (Administrators in Need of Improvement) where we hold almost 100 principals and assistant principals accountable for their alleged harassment of our UFT members. uftsolidarity.org/anoi

 

Actually not bad idea. UFT used to do this. But please tone down the hyperbole. UFT Solidarity ain't holding anybody to nothing. IT IS JUST A LIST. 

 

We send emails to administrators who bully our members and let them know that their victim is not alone. We have their back.

 

Ooooh, scary words. Really? UFT Solidarity has their backs, even if they don't ask for their backs to be had? Was the email written at the so-called behest of teachers to Principal Hernandez and the ATR teacher is this supporting the teacher? How about this email? The ATR teacher is currently unemployed. That is the way to have someone's back. How does UFT Solidarity look at its collective self in the mirror? Nice going. 

 

 One SBSB groupie who is high within Tweed shared with The Crack Team that these so called emails are seen as a circus act, along with walking around the halls at 65 Court St and 52 Broadway telling people that UFT Solidarity is watching.  

 

We set up a growing email list of retirees who are willing to support members in need at hearings and other matters.

 

How many retirees? Is the guy with the Captain Picard uniform amongst the retirees? I can think of only 5 right now. I guess that is good because previously there were 4. So the list is growing. 

 

We created a growing Chapter Leader Network email list for chapter leaders and delegates of the past and present can support each other and answer questions.

 

Again, how many chapter leaders and/or delegates?  At the last MORE training for chapter leaders there must have been about 90 people there. Let's say conservatively about 80 were CL's, that's 80 schools. Again conservatively let's estimate that each school has an average of 75 UFT members. That comes to about 6,000 members. That's 6,000 votes. Can UFT Solidarity say that it has that many? Can UFT Solidarity say they have a complete school such as PS 8 in District 10 in the Bronx? 

 

 So in ending, where is the substance? It's smoke and mirrors with people being mesmerized by what appears to be "high tech" presentations.