A Past Look at UFT Doing the Work

 UFT Unity has that market researched line; "We do the Work." So before you check that box for for the Unity slate let's see what kind of work they have done. 

In 2002 looked the other way as mayoral control of the city schools happened. It was downhill after this.

In 2005 we lost seniority transfer, grieving letters to file unless it was a contract violation,gained the Open Market transfer system. Letters to file no longer were removed once you left s school. Before this if you were in a bad situation you could find another school and go there. But not anymore, especially with fair student funding coming into play. Veteran teachers were shit out of luck. Hear that? That's the thud of the UFT bus driving over teachers. 

What did the above begat? It begatted the Bloomberg Doctrine of "all you need is a heartbeat and you too can be a principal." We got the brand new Leadership Academy where even though one had six months in education one can become a principal. Like this little turd blossom. Hear that? That's the thud of the UFT bus driving over teachers.

 It begatted (haha) thousands of teachers in the Absent Teacher Reserve pool. Too many teachers in fact. Worse yet, too many older teachers with institutional experience and large salaries. That begat Rubber Rooms gone wild. The warehousing of "teachers" who need to be made examples of. I'll never forget a teacher walking into the Rubber Room in disbelief muttering, " I'm here because I had a Coke in my hand." Hear that? That's the thud of the UFT bus driving over teachers. 

What did that begat? It begatted hundred of teachers being brought up on bullshit 3020a charges. See above. Losing seniority transfer, grieving letters, and fair student funding that. Teachers were literally dying. Nothing. Hear that? That's the thud of the UFT bus driving over teachers.

What did that begat? It begatted the war on teachers and education. Charters, testing, tenure going from three years to four. APPR. Danielson. Oh yeah, "we got you eight strands, be happy." Fuck that. Guess what? APPR is still a weapon. In fact a worse weapon. At least everyone with a U could fight it. Hear that? That's the thud of the UFT bus driving over teachers.

What did that begat? It begatted the war on teachers and education. Going from 2009 to 2014 without a contract. Oh yeah, the retro was to be paid out over six years. Unless you were terminated, quit, or dropped dead. So money you earned you would not be allowed to have. Hear that? That's the thud of the UFT bus driving over teachers.

What did that begat? It begatted abusive administrators, overwork, an unenforced contract, three hundred lawyers at Tweed. It begatted worn out teachers. It begatted teachers who feel the union doesn't have it's back. Thatis unless the union will know it will win and the stack is decked in its favor beforehand. We basically have a risk adverse union. Hear that? That's the thud of the UFT bus driving over teachers.

More begatting. The worst, the absolute worst. The backroom dealing and scheming of Mulgrew going behind the backs of the retirees and nearly forcing them into some untested, shell company, death watch. How dare Mulgrew force retirees into some untested, unseen, fake Medicare? Hear that? That's the thud of the UFT bus driving over retirees and then backing up the bus.

Worse, we have a union that has collapsed upon itself. Too much inter-marrying amongst the union leadership all the way down to the schools. The UFT has lost touch with itself and with the rank and file. The UFT would rather lose power to a bunch of upstarts instead of looking in the mirror and seeing what it can do to reform itself. History is replete with this happening to the monarchies of Europe. There must be one history teacher in the upper echelon of the UFT.

This is not Mulgrew's union or Unity's union. It is your union and our union. A revolution is coming.