It's Time for the MORE Caucus to Go Away

I have been a delegate to the UFT Delegate Assembly since October. To tell you the truth, it's pretty boring. One good thing is getting to go to Zabar's once a month. I park my car on West End Ave and take the train down from 79th St.

So during the resolution part of this past DA, the MORE Caucus, yet again, shows how completely out of touch they are with reality and the rank and file.

There was the typical stuff, all good mind you, supporting LA teachers, museum workers, and of course the federal workers. But then Dermott Myrie of the MORE Caucus had to open his mouth with his reso for, yep you guessed it, support of Black Lives Matter.

From Arthur's blog...

"UFT should support as part of action for cultural institutions. We should implement restorative justice, have ethnic studies. Week of action February 4-8. We have to rebuild union from bottom up. Resolved UFT will make demands on DOE to undo systemic racism"

OK. There are problems in the NYCDOE. There are problems across this country with people of color being targeted by the police. I support what BLM is trying to do. I do have a problem with BLM concerning it's stance towards Israel. But someone must speak out against how people of color are continually harassed by law enforcement and yes, BLM does give a voice to those who need it most.

BUT, the UFT Delegate Assembly is not the place for it.

Again, the MORE Caucus, as it is presently configured, must be there first and foremost for the rank and file of the UFT. This is no gray area. This is an absolute. Yet, the MORE Caucus repeatedly doesn't get it, or worse, doesn't give a shit. I tend to lean towards the latter.

Time and time again the MORE Caucus, particularly the de facto leaders of the MORE Caucus (Dermott Myrie is one), seem to just seek the approval and acceptance of the International Socialist Organization. Don't think for a moment that the ISO is not the puppet master when it comes the MORE Caucus. Orders are given, acquiescence is shown.

Is the MORE Caucus running a full slate? Doubtful. Yes, there are officers running but two are of these are fully controlled and aligned with the ISO, most are no names, and then you have Oswald Cobblepot. One officer though, does have their shit together.

Exec boards? Who? Last The Crack Team has heard the MORE Caucus is just planning to seek seats on the at-large exec board. That's a lot of seats to fill for a caucus that is shrinking faster than George Costanza after he left the cold pool.

Though, the MORE Caucus does have a selling point. Desperate for people to run on their ticket it has been reported back to the The Crack Team that the main selling point the MORE Caucus uses on people sitting on the fence is basically, "The troublemakers are no longer part of the MORE Caucus."

I guess the MORE Caucus considers anyone who speaks their mind, doesn't toe the official party line, and speak out against ex post facto "executions of character" a trouble maker. As one of those trouble makers who stood up against those who characters were being assassinated and for speaking out against rules made up on the fly I am proud.

A pee wee football team as a better chance of beating the Patriots in next week's Super Bowl than does the MORE Caucus have in beating Unity in the upcoming UFT election.

It is time for those who are running the MORE Caucus and those who are culpable in it's desecration to slither away and not be heard from again. It's time for the grown ups to clean up the mess.